Fairchild T-11

[Stan Roberts]

I have just come into possession of a Failchild T-11 aerial camera that I got at a storage auction. It was in a lot of stuff from an aerial photography bussiness that went under. I want to know what I might do with it. Is it worth anything as a whole or should I try to part it out. Also where is the best place to sell it.

[BarryS]

Unfortunately, it's a large, heavy electric mapping/reconaissance camera that has almost no value because it can't be used for general photography. The lens--likely a Metrogon, has some small value (<$100).

[Stan Roberts]

Thanks, I will probably take the lens out and sell it and dump the rest. It is quite heavy and woud be expensive to ship as is.

[Drew Bedo]

Hello Stan,

Some years ago I picked up a military areal camera. It took 70mm long role film. The camera was the size of an American football and weighed ~15 pounds. It was just as BarryS described...not worth trying to make it work.

I put it on e-bay with no reserve and sold it to someone in Japan. We exchanged several e-mails, where I was brutally frank about the camera being just an artifact...he still wanted it and paid as much for the least costly (most slow) shipping as he had paid me for the camera. Six weeks or so later he got the camera and said he was delighted...to each his own. Try it on e-bay for a week before parting it out.

[Archphoto]

Dear Stan,

If you don't want to keep it put it onto ebay like Drew sugested.
Some people collect these camera's as they are a part of photographic history.

@Drew: some people like art and pay a lot for it, some people see cameras as art and are willing to pay for it, despite shipping cost.

Let them have their fun !!!

In Europe LF ends with 8x10, I did not see any ULF untill I came to Apug and this site.
11x14 and 16x20 I have never ever seen out there on the street, it seems to be more commoun in the US. Too big for the small houses and cars overthere I guess.

I would love to get my hands on that T-11 or at least see it for my self........
See what I could do with it photographicly.......
I guess I feel a bit lost here in Brazil where everything is digital and I am missing my Sinar and other stuff that I have in Europe.......

Peter

[John Kasaian]

I threw out my back messing with a K-17. I still have it though plus the film processor--there is just something about a 9-1/2" wide roll film camera that only focuses at infinity that really rocks! I'm not sure what it is, but it really rocks!

I wish I still had some of the left over muscle relaxers from that disaster!
I did downsize to a 7" wide F-2---rather puny by comparison but at least there are two handles to hold on to!

[Photo Two]

Stan, What you have is an Air Force photo mapping camera. The use of the camera is dependant upon the condition of the matching surfaces of the camera and magazine. These cameras were produced in matched camera/magazine shipping configuration. These surfaces were hand ground to obtain high altitude precision photography. I used one on the RB-36 during two years in SAC, Rapid City, SD The magazines, although interchangeable, did not get used on any camera other than the one it was shipped with. If that happened all the cameras and magazines affected were returned to factory for re-grinding. The magazines also had vacuum applied during exposure to hold film tight against film plane. As to value; original cost on camera/magazine was appx. $20,000 in the 1950's, worth much more today if application for use could be found. They were probably "war" surplus bought by the Aerial Photo company you mentioned.....Photo Two, USAF 1952-59, Operation Hardtack Survivor.... P.S. You of course will need 24 volt power supply and be a few miles away from you subject.

[EdWorkman]

A coupla years ago Surplusshed had some for sale- also the manual. IIRC the manual was a photocopy, so one might still be able to get a copy from them.