Timeline Flight 5 -- Fairchild 24-C8F

With the approach of Civil Air Patrol's 80th anniversary Dec.1, Maj. Ronald C. Finger of the Minnesota Wing's Crow Wing Composite Squadron worked with Col. Frank Blazich of the Col. Louisa S. Morse Center for Civil Air Patrol History, CAP national historian, on a special project -- to create “Timeline Flight” paintings showcasing some of the wide variety of CAP aircraft flown over the years.

The 21 aircraft selected span the Coastal Patrol days of World War II, the postwar years and finally the aircraft Civil Air Patrol aircrews fly today. This is the fifth. Others will be posted every four days. 

Fairchild-24-C8F NC16817

• Capacity: 2-3
• Length: 23 feet, 10 inches
• Maximum speed: 124 mph
• Cruise speed: 115 mph
• Range: 465 mi;es
• Service ceiling: 12,700 feett

The Fairchild Model 24, also called the Fairchild Model 24 Argus/UC-61 Forwarder, is a four-seat, single-engine monoplane aircraft designed by the Fairchild Aviation Corp. in the 1930s. Engines varied over the line and included both radial and in-line types used on the “long-nose” variants. Engine power ranged from 125-200 horsepower over the model production. Civil Air Patrol operated many UC-61/24s over the Coastal Patrol years, often fitted with two and sometimes three 100-pound demolition bombs.

NC16817 operated out of CAP Coastal Patrol Base No. 2 in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, sporting its distinctive CP Base patch drawn by Zack Mosley portraying a Delaware “Blue Hen” encountering a German U-boat.

Sikorsky S-39B
Stinson 105-10A Voyager
Beechcraft Staggerwing B-17L 
Waco YKS-6
Grumman G-44A Widgeon