Fairchild Aviation Corporation
Swearingen C-26 Excalibur
First flight August 26, 1969 Introduction 1972

Design

Development

Prototype construction of the Metro began in 1968 and the first flight was on August 26, 1969. Swearingen Aircraft encountered financial difficulties at this stage, and late in 1971 Fairchild (which was marketing the Metro and building its wings and engine nacelles), bought 90% of Swearingen and the company was renamed Swearingen Aviation Corporation. At this point, the previously cash-strapped company was able to put the Metro into production.

In 1974, the original Metro models were replaced by the SA226-TC Metro II after about 20 Metros and about 30 Merlin IVAs had been built. Among the changes made were larger, squared-oval windows and an optional, small Rocket-Assisted Take Off (RATO) rocket in the tail cone, to improve takeoff performance out of "hot & high" airfields in the event of an engine failure.

The Metro and Metro II were limited to a maximum weight of 12,500 pounds (5,700 kg) in the US and countries using imperial units, and 5,700 kg in countries using SI units. The Metro II was re-certified as the Metro IIA in 1980 with a maximum weight of 13,100 pounds (5,900 kg) and the Metro II's TPE331-3 engines replaced by -10 engines of increased power.

The SA227-AC Metro III followed, also initially certified in 1980 for up to 14,000 pounds (6,400 kg), increasing to 14,500 pounds (6,600 kg) as engines and structures were upgraded. An option for up to 16,000 pounds (7,300 kg) was offered. Among external improvements to the Metro III were a 10 ft (3.0 m) increase in wing span, four-bladed props, redesigned "quick-access" engine cowlings and numerous drag-reducing airframe modifications, including landing gear doors that closed after the gear was extended.

Once again a corporate version was offered as the Merlin IVC (the model name chosen to align with the contemporaneous short-fuselage Merlin IIIC). A version with strengthened floors and the high gross weight option was offered as a cargo aircraft known as the Expediter. Both the Expediter and the Merlin IVC were designated the SA227-AT. Finally, due to reliability problems with Garrett engines in the second half of the 1980s, the Metro IIIA was offered with two Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-45R turboprops in place of the Garrett units but none were actually delivered. A special model was the SA227-BC Metro III built for Mexican airline AeroLitoral, which took delivery of 15 of the 18 of this model that were produced.