EXHIBIT

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A solid corporate airplane, the Merlin

now has winglets ...and a new name .

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he Merlins are gone,

replaced by the Fairchilds. The change corresponds with dropping the use of the

Swearingen name to

emphasize the involvement of Fairchild Aircraft in the manufacturing business.

History buffs will recall that the Fairchild

name is not new to general aviation airplanes. The Fairchild 24 was a popular, luxurious four-place manufactured just before

and after World War II. Fairchild has built a

wide variety of airplanes and will build the

next-generation trainer for the U.S. Air

Force.

Evolution is ongoing in Fairchild commuter airline and corporate turboprop airplanes. The long-body Fairchild 400 will get

bigger Garrett engines and be available in

1985 as a 340-knot airplane offering great

payload/range flexibility and as many as 14

seats in the executive configuration. A Pratt

& Whitney-powered Metro airliner should

be ready this year. The Fairchild 300 is

here now.

The primary external change for the 300

is the addition of winglets. They are tall and

enhance the appearance of the airplane.

The winglets should also improve high-altitude cruise ability. Other changes in the

300 (from what used to be the Merlin IIIC)

include work on the aileron system to bring

roll control forces into better harmony with

pitch forces. Fairchild has slated the 300

for a new Collins digital autopilot and a ColFLYING-March 1984

by Richard L. Collins

Iins electronic horizontal situation indicator.

There are no current plans to include a

complete electronic flight instrument system because of a lack of space behind the

instrument panel. The 300 we flew didn't

have the new electronics and was actually a

Merlin IIIC that had been converted to the

new configuration.

The day of the flight was good for evaluation of a corporate turboprop. One of those

famous coastal storms was tuning up to the

south of New Jersey. Ceilings were low, the

wind was forecast to freshen, heavy rain

was on the menu and turbulence was foreseen for all levels. Delivering the goods in

conditions like those is what transport airplanes are all about.

One of the Fairchild 300's strongest suits

is payload/range flexibility. There would be

six of us aboard, plus a lot of gear. I asked

the demo pilot to fuel the aircraft up to

gross weight. I have a copy of the flight plan

he filed: fuel on board, six plus 30.

The cabin of a Fairchild is nice, but it's in

the cockpit that you really get the feel of the

airplane. Everything is solid, almost to the

point of appearing overbuilt. I liked that.

Starting the Fairchild is nicely automated.

Push the button, hold it until the rpm is at

10 or 12 percent and the ignition light is

on, and release. Then all you have to watch

is the temperature limit as the engine

spools up.

The Fairchild taxis well. A "park" button

on the left console increases authority of

the steering for maneuvering in tight

places. Normal power steering is adequate

for most taxiing. The brakes on our particular airplane were weak; the left pedal had to

be depressed farther than the right for even

application. I'd have hurried to getJbat ..

fixed.

For our gross-weight takeoff, decision

and rotation speed would be a jetlike 115

knots. We reached it a bit more than halfway down the 4,800-foot runway. When

power is advanced for takeoff, the nosewheel steering disengages; to keep it on you

press a button on the left power lever. At

60 knots or so, when the rudder becomes

effective, you can release the button. I wandered off the centerline a bit after disengagement because the rudder wasn't as effective as I thought it would be. At 115

knots it didn't require great effort to lift off.

I had been warned· that when the stability

augmentation system activated after liftoff

there would be a slight nose-down tendency, but it was hardly noticeable.

The 300 feels and flies like a much larger

airplane. I am accustomed to heavy controls

and felt right at home. Perhaps the work on.

the ailerons did lighten the forces, but you'd

have to fly a Merlin IIIC and then jump right

into a Fairchild 300 to feel the difference.

The 300 flies like it looks-solid and stable.

Rate of climb was good, but it was difficult to establish a constant value. We made

numerous momentary level-offs as we

climbed through a collection of windshear

and turbulence that had all the airline pilots

begging for new altitudes and advising of

reduced airspeed operation. The' 300

charged through it like a trooper. If asked

71
for a pilot report I would have had to classify the turbulence as "light."

Our target altitude was 24,000 feet. By

the time we got to 20,000, the rate of

climb was pretty low. We reached 24,000

29 minutes after takeoff, despite the shear,

level-ofts and a temperature aloft that was

17 degrees above standard. We were using

engine intake heat, which reduces power.

Given the conditions, the airplane did

quite well. It flew nicely and indeed had to

be flown because the new autopilot, not yet

certificated, was not operative.

True airspeed was 258 knots at a fuel

flow of 470 pounds per hour at 24,000.

The fuel on board listed on the flight plan

was conservative. We had 3,680 pounds at

launch; the first hour would take 600 or

700 pounds and cruise was using less than

500. That would put endurance over seven

hours, and the tanks had not been fulltotal capacity is 4,340 pounds, which

would be useful only for extra-long flights

with few passengers and little baggage.

Having a lot of fuel adds flexibility, especially to an airplane with turbine engines. If

the jet stream is tearing up all the altitudes

in the 20s, for example, you can cruise the

Fairchild 300 at 10,000 feet and see 255

knots on 660 pounds of fuel per hour. As

we had it loaded, the airplane we flew would

have an endurance of five-and-a-half hours

at 10,000 feet. Any way you look at it, you

can go a long way in a Fairchild 300.

Time to return. We started the descent,

maintaining a balance between descent rate

and airspeed, which we wanted to keep at

or below the 189-knot turbulent-air penetration speed. Back at the airport, the ATIS

was advertising 300 overcast and a halfmile visibility in rain. We'd get an honest low

approach. From experience in the area, I

knew it would be plenty bumpy. The surface

wind was right across the runway, so I'd get

to try a crosswind landing.

The airplane was quite stable in the approach configuration. Control deflections

required to handle the turbulence were larger than in many airplanes, but once you get

used to the fact that you fly this airplane

with action, not gentle little pressures, it's

rather pleasant. The massive yoke with its

big control wheel (I think it's the widest on

any airplane I have flown) and the widespaced rudder pedals are enough to convince you that this is a flight deck, not a

cockpit, and that those controls are meant

to be moved.

The demo pilot limited flaps extension,

saying I could have full flaps later. Using the

power setting that he suggested resulted in

an airspeed of about 135 knots on final,

which seemed high, but he said it was okay.

Our ILS runway runs uphill, anyway, and

can handle an extra 10 knots.

The runway was right where the ILS said

it would be and I asked for full flaps at

about 200 feet. Our crosswind touchdown

took place about 1,500 feet down the run72
300

way and was what I like to refer to as a

"positive arrival." There was no need to announce "We are now on the ground." Reverse pitch was positive but, as always happens, I didn't get on as much reverse as

quickly as the demo pilot wanted, so we

used the better part of the runway in the

landing roll.

That approach was so enjoyable that we

later got a clearance to shoot another one.

This time the air was a bit less turbulent

and the flying was easier. I tried a lower approach speed, 125 knots, made a smoother

landing and did a better job on the reverse,

stopping in a much shorter distance.

There is no question that the Fairchild

300 is a capable airplane. A lot of people

think it has a small cabin because they compare it to the very big and long Fairchild

IVe, 400 and Metro. Actually, the 300's

cabin is right there with the largest turboprops in its class and with the small jets.

The challenge in these times is to keep

products up to date with the latest and the

greatest. Fairchild Aircraft is betting that its

improvements to the 300 will keep it

competitive. D

FAIRCHILD 300

The airplane Ilown lor this report was

equipped with a lull interior, IFR avionics and

instrumentation. Performance ligures are calculated at gross weight and standard

temperature.

Standard price .. $1,970,000

Price as tested $2,250,000

Type designation SA227-TT

Engines Garrett TPE331-1 OU-503G,

900 shp each

Props .. Dowty-Rotol, 4-blade. constant-speed,

106-in. dia

............. 8/10

.. . 42.2 It.

Seats .....

Length

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Height. . . . . . . . 16.8 It.

Wingspan.... . 47.9 ft.

Wing area. . 277.5 sq. It.

Wing aspect ratio. . . 7.7

Max ramp weight .. 13,330 Ibs.

Max takeoff weight...... 13,230 Ibs.

Standard empty weight. ... 7,227 Ibs.

Empty weight as tested .. 8,350 Ibs.

Max uselul load ..... . .. 6,103 Ibs.

Max uselul load as tested .. 4,980 Ibs.

Zero-Iuel weight. . . . . . . . . . . . 12,500 Ibs.

Max landing weight 13,230 Ibs.

Wing loading .. 47.7 lbs.z sq. It.

Power loading. . . 7.4 Ibs./hp

Max usable luel .. 4,342 Ibs .

Max rate 01 climb 2.600 Ipm

Ceiling (certilicated). . 31,000 It.

Max pressurization differential 7 psi

8,000-lt. cabin altitude at 32,400 It.

SE rate of climb 750lpm

SE best-rate-ol-climb airspeed 138 kts.

SE climb gradient.. . 326 It./nm

SE ceiling 15,800 It.

Speed, maximum 300 kts.

Normal cruise at 25,000 It. 294 kts.

Fuel Ilow at normal cruise 508 pph

Endurance at normal cruise. 7.7 hrs.

Stalling speed. clean 104 kts.

Stalling speed, Ilaps/gear down . 89 kts.

Turbulent-air penetration speed .... 189 kts.

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Specifications

Stall Speed (Power off) 22 mph

Rate of Climb from Sea level (100% power) 450 ft/mln.

Maximum Range.(with standard tank) . . . . 100 mi.

Ceiling.................... .. 10,000 ft+

Takeoff Distance (100% power. no wind) 100 It

landing Distance . . .. . . . . .. . . . . . .. . .. 80 It

Maximum Speed (Vne) 50 mph

Maximum Useful load. . . . . . .. . . . . . .. . 430 Ibs.

Engine, Two Cylinder, Two Cycle Rotax 48 hp

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