Photo # 20 -- This photo is from the album of Air Mail Pioneer Ernest A. Johnson who worked for the U.S. Air Mail Service from 1-21 to 4-24.  Can you identify this single-engine plane?   E-mail to Air Mail Pioneers

Caption ID from Daniel E. D. MacMurray:  III  #5 is a lovely Fairchild FC-2W2.  It was built in 1928 in response to the need for more interior room for passengers and cargo.  The aircraft was particularly popular with "bush" pilots.  The aircraft pictured in Mr. Johnson's photo, N-S7 was actually owned by the Aeronautics Branch of the Department of Commerce in 1928.  I think this was the period when author Gore Vidal's father was assistant to the director and was quite likely the plane's pilot at some time.

Caption ID from Ian MacFarlane:  This is a picture of a Fairchild model 71.  It has a P&W 9 cyl, 420 hp radial engine.  It seats 7 people.  They were built from 1928 through 1930.  The design bears ATC #289.  See "U.S. Civil Aircraft Series, Volume 1, by Joseph P. Juptner.  Published by TAB Aero, Division of McGraw-Hill, Inc.  Blue Ridge Summit, PA 17294-0850 in 1962.  pp 221-223.  Also in Volume 3.

Updated reply from Ian MacFarlane:  I went back to my references and to http://aerofiles.com (no www).  It appears that the Fairchild FC-2Cs were sometimes upgraded to Model 71 specs by changing the Wright 160 engine to the P&W 9-cyl 420 hp engine.  That would explain two different models each carrying the NS-7 registry -- being the same airframe.