Duramold F-46

Duramold F-46

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The fuselage of the F-46 was constructed of two half shells of wood and plastic materials (resin) formed and cured under heat and pressure. This process invented by Col. Virginius E. Clark was called Duromold, later changed to Duramold.

Design started in 1936 by Fairchild, but to seperate the reseach and development activities from the ordinary aircraft manufacturing the subsidiary Duromold Aircraft Corporation was founded in 1937.

The company changed name and ownership a few times and became known as Duramold Aircraft Corporation, Clark Corporation, Fairchild Airplane Investments Corporation and Molded Aircraft Corporation. Hence the F-46 being known also under these different company names.

The F-46 flew for the first time on May 12, 1937, powered by a 450 hp Ranger SGV-770 in line engine, soon replaced by a 450hp Pratt & Whitney Wasp radial engine.


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The fuselage of the F-46 was constructed of two half shells of wood and plastic materials (resin) formed and cured under heat and pressure. This process invented by Col. Virginius E. Clark was called Duromold, later changed to Duramold. Design started in 1936 by Fairchild, but to seperate the reseach and development activities from the ordinary aircraft manufacturing the subsidiary Duromold Aircraft Corporation was founded in 1937. The company changed name and ownership a few times and became known as Duramold Aircraft Corporation, Clark Corporation, Fairchild Airplane Investments Corporation and Molded Aircraft Corporation. Hence the F-46 being known also under these different company names. The F-46 flew for the first time on May 12, 1937, powered by a 450 hp Ranger SGV-770 in line engine, soon replaced by a 450hp Pratt & Whitney Wasp radial engine.