Based on the Pietenpol Aircamper, Andy Fairhall built all the woodword, metal fittings, and deigned and carved the propeller. The Fairhall Special features a lengthened wingspan and the cabane struts were moved slightly outward and angled. Andy added a spring steel undercarriage and steerable tailwheel. First flown in 1997, the Special is a Class 2 microlight with a MTOW of 453 kg. The Special is powered by a Toyota 4Y Hilux engine of 80 hp and runs mainly on Avgas, giving a three hour endurance. The water cooling allows a ducted hot air system from the radiator to heat the cockpit.
The Fairey P.24 Monarch or Prince 4 was a British experimental 2,000 hp (1,490 kW) class H-24 aircraft engine designed and built by Fairey in the late 1930s.
The P.24 Monarch was an enlarged development of the Prince, designed by chief engine designer Captain A.G. Forsyth. Similar in layout to the Napier Dagger the cylinders were arranged vertically in two separate blocks, driving contra-rotating propellers via separate shafts and gears. Like the smaller Prince engine each bank of cylinders could be shut down in flight to drive only one propeller, an idea that was reused much later in the Armstrong Siddeley Double Mamba turboprop. The engine was test flown in a Fairey Battle, serial K9370, with its first flight taking place on 30 June 1939.
Fairey Battle with Fairy P24 Monarch engine and coaxial propellers
The engine was considered for use in the Hawker Tornado and K9370 was later shipped to Wright Field in the US, where testing (Project MX-229) was carried out in 1942 with a view to using the potentially 3,000 hp of the P .24 in the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, a total of around 250 hours of test flying in the Battle being completed at Wright Field before the idea was abandoned. Following cancellation, the engine provided three trouble-free years of service in K9370.
Fairy P24 Monarch
P.24 Monarch Type: Liquid-cooled H24 engine Bore: 5.25 in (133.35 mm) Stroke: 6.0 in (152.4 mm) Displacement: 3,117 in³ (51.08 L) Length: 86.25 in (2191 mm) Width: 43 in (1092 mm) Height: 52.5 in (1333.5 mm) Dry weight: 2,180 lb Valvetrain: 2 intake, 1 exhaust valve per cylinder Supercharger: Four-speed, two stage Cooling system: Liquid-cooled Reduction gear: Spur gear, 0.543:1 Power output: 2,240 hp (1,670 kW) at 3,000 rpm at 9,000 ft
The Fairey P.16 Prince was a British experimental 1,500 hp (1,118 kW) class H-16 aircraft engine designed and built by Fairey in the late 1930s.
The Prince P.16 was a radical design by Captain A.G. Forsyth who was the Fairey company’s chief engine designer. Similar in layout to the Napier Rapier, the cylinders were arranged vertically in two separate blocks, driving contra-rotating propellers via separate shafts and gears. Each bank of cylinders could be shut down in flight to drive only one propeller, an idea that was reused much later in the Armstrong Siddeley Double Mamba turboprop. First run in 1939, the engine was test flown in a Fairey Battle.
The idea came from the desire to deliver high power in a reliable form for naval use. A twin engined aircraft could not be designed such that even when “folded” it came within the limits for aircraft carrier use; with two power blocks the failure of an accessory would not lead to failure of the engine as a whole. The engine did not go into production.
Specifications
P.16 Prince 3 / Prince H-16S Type: Liquid-cooled H16 engine Bore: 5.25 in (133.35 mm) Stroke: 6.0 in (152.4 mm) Displacement: 2,078 in³ (34.05 L) Dry weight: 2,180 lb (989 kg) Supercharger: Two-speed, single stage Cooling system: Liquid-cooled Power output: 1,540 hp (1,148 kW) at 3,000 rpm at 9,500 ft, +2 lb/sq/in boost Power-to-weight ratio: 0.7 hp/lb (0.86 kW/kg)
The Fairey P.12 Prince was a British experimental 700 hp (520 kW) class V-12 aircraft engine designed and built by Fairey in the early 1930s. The engine did not go into production.
The Prince was a privately funded project designed by Captain A.G. Forsyth who had joined the Fairey company in 1931 as their chief engine designer. The company had hoped to obtain Air Ministry orders for the engine but faced opposition with the ministry favouring Bristol and Rolls-Royce engines instead.
Three prototypes were built in secrecy with the engines running by 1933, a single Prince was installed and test flown in a Fairey Fox II biplane in 1934 but no orders materialised.
Variants P.12 Prince I or Prince V-12 650 hp (485 kW) – Unsupercharged
P.12 Prince II or Super Prince V-12S 720 hp (537 kW) projected – Fully supercharged
Specifications:
Prince I Type: Liquid-cooled 60-degree V12 engine Bore: 5.25 in (133 mm) Stroke: 6.0 in (152 mm) Displacement: 1,558.62 in³ (25.54 L) Cooling system: Liquid-cooled Power output: 670 hp (500 kW) at 2,500 rpm at 2,000 ft
Towards the end of 1953 the surviving second prototype Gyrodyne reappeared in a very different form. A research contract had been received from the Ministry of Supply to try the principles of the tip-jet rotor-driving system.
This was necessary to test the tip-jet, and to develop handling and other procedures for the compound, or convertible, helicopter. By early January 1954 this aircraft, named the Jet Gyrodyne, and carrying the duplicated Ministry serial XD759, which was later to be changed to XJ389, was making tethered flights at White Waltham in the hands of John N. Dennis, who had joined Fairey as helicopter test pilot in June 1949. The first free flight was made in January 1950.
The Jet Gyrodyne retained the fuselage, tail unit, stub wings and tricycle undercarriage of the Gyrodyne, and was also powered by a specially modified Alvis Leonides nine-cylinder radial. The engine was used to drive, through a gearbox and shafts in the stub-wings, two variable-pitch pusher propellers of Fairey design. These propellers provided propulsion in cruising flight and slow-speed directional control through rudder pedals by means of a differential pitch-change which was superimposed on the collective-pitch action. A third drive from the Leonides was taken from the main gearbox, via a friction clutch, to two Rolls-Royce Merlin centrifugal compressors mounted face-to-face under the rotor pylon. Air from these compressors was fed to the fuel-burning pressure-jet units at the tips of the 18.29m two-blade rotor. Unlike that of the Gyrodyne, the rotor had a conventional helicopter control system – with collective-pitch change for varying the overall lift, and cyclic alterations of the blade-angle, by means of a conventional column, to provide fore-and-aft and lateral, or rolling, control.
In the Jet Gyrodyne tip burners, compressed-air from the blowers passed through the rotor blades, while centrifugal force fed the metered fuel through the blades to the jets. The compound, or convertible, helicopter principle is lift for take-off, slow flight and landing was provided by the jet-driven rotor. For transition to cruising flight the compressed air to the rotor tips was progressively reduced and available engine power transferred to the propellers, leaving the rotor as an auto-rotating lift unit which was supplemented (in a very minor proportion for the Jet Gyrodyne) by the fixed wing. The procedure was reversed for a return to the helicopter regime.
The problem for the Jet Gyrodyne was accentuated by, at a gross weight of 2720kg, under-powered for the work it had to perform and the Leonides was normally operated at maximum boost. The Jet Gyrodyne could not quite maintain level flight in the cruising, autorotative, mode. It was not until 1 March, 1955, that a transition was completed by John Dennis. Within four months of this first full transition, the techniques had become well established and transition was no longer being accompanied by a considerable loss of height. The cycle was demonstrated during the SBAC Display at Farnborough in September 1955; while practicing for this demonstration, 65 successful in-flight tip-jet re-lights were accomplished during eight days.
Even during the earlier period of testing, the transition from helicopter to autogyro flight was relatively easy. The basis of the operation was the transfer of engine power from the jet-feeding compressors to the propellers. The pitch of the propellers was progressively coarsened, thus absorbing more power and reducing the air delivery to the jets, which eventually flamed out, and the compressors were declutched. It was found that transition could be made at widely varying speeds, but 128km/h was found to be the most convenient, with a rotor speed of about 210 rpm.
The difficult operation was the transition back to helicopter flight. A great deal of flying was required before the best propeller-pitch and tip-jet re-lighting sequence could be established. A major part of the difficulty was that, with the compressors being driven, there was no reserve of engine power for the propellers during the re-lighting sequence, and the aircraft descended rapidly in autorotation until the jets had been re-lit. So long as the re-lighting was being done over or near an aerodrome there was no particular danger in this situation; a controlled landing could be made, and often was made, in autorotation.
As finally established, the drill was to throttle back momentarily, engage the compressor clutch, switch on the tip-jet ignition and fuel supply, and progressively fine-off the propeller pitch. This automatically opened the intake-valves for the compressors. The tip-jets re-lit when a certain head pressure had been reached and collective-pitch was increased to keep the rotor speed down. Propeller pitch was then slowly reduced to zero so that maximum power was available for the blowers to give full tip-jet thrust.
Because of the need to keep the gross weight down with the limited power available, the Jet Gyrodyne normally carried only sufficient fuel for 15 minutes or so of safe tip-jet burning endurance. Extra tanks were occasionally carried under the wings to provide 30 minutes’ endurance, but, as already noted, there was no particular danger in fuel exhaustion for an aircraft which could make powerless autorotative landings from a best indicated gliding speed of only 72km/h. The high inertia of the big rotor allowed for a few moments of hovering before touch-down.
By September 1956 the Jet Gyrodyne had made 190 transitions and 140 autorotative landings. The techniques were by then familiar and reasonably well understood, so that there was already a sound basis for the procedures required for the Rotodyne, which was to make its first flight a year later.
All the early test flying with the Jet Gyrodyne, including transition from helicopter to autogyro flight and vice versa in March 1955, was done by John N. Dennis. Six Ministry of Supply pilots each flew the Jet Gyrodyne successfully after about an hour’s instruction and practice.
At the time when the Jet Gyrodyne was making its earlier test flights the design team was led by Dr G. S. Hislop, chief designer (helicopters), and Capt A. G. Forsyth, chief helicopter engineer, who was responsible, among other features, for the tip-jets, and shared with Dr J. A. J. Bennett (who had by then left the company) the 1949 British Patent on which the Jet Gyrodyne and Rotodyne concepts were based. Later Jet Gyrodyne flight development was carried out by Sqn Ldr W. R. Gellatly and Lt Cdr J. G. P. Morton, who were to take the Rotodyne through its four years of testing.
Although scheduled for scrapping in 1961, the Jet Gyrodyne was rescued and eventually preserved.
In preparation for the move into rotary-wing development, Fairey had built up a strong helicopter team, led by Dr J. A. J. Bennett, who brought the Gyrodyne proposal to the company in August 1945, and with Sqn Ldr Basil H. Arkell, who joined in January 1946, as test pilot. The first official announcement of the project, a private-venture to specification E.4/46, was made on 3 April, 1946, though no information was then given; at that time the Gyrodyne was known as the FB-1 (Fairey-Bennett One).
Although the broad concept was relatively simple, the translation of this concept into working hardware involved a considerable effort in engineering and other ingenuities. An idea of the amount of ‘machinery’ in the prototype can be gathered from the fact that nearly 50 per cent of the empty weight was contributed by the powerplant and transmission systems. In these there were four primary units: a 520hp Alvis Leonides nine-cylinder radial engine, with its mounting and systems; a main gearbox with first-stage reduction for the rotor and propeller drives, a clutch and freewheel; an upper gearbox with double epicyclic reduction gear, plus the rotor brake; and a gearbox in the starboard wingtip with the reduction-gear and pitch-changing mechanism for the propeller.
The engine power could be transmitted in variable ratios to a three-blade rotor just over 15m in diameter and to the anti-torque propeller on the starboard tip of the stub wing, the Gyrodyne behaved like a helicopter, but the same propeller also provided the necessary thrust for fast flight, when the aircraft looked almost like an autogyro.
The rotor articulation was designed so that the collective-pitch changed automatically according to the power being applied. The throttle lever was designed to be similar in length, movement and effect to the collective-pitch control of a conventional helicopter and was pulled up to increase power and lift. Fore-and-aft and lateral control was provided by a form of tilting head; although the rotor-hub axis did not physically tilt, as in the case of most autogyros, a similar effect was produced by tilting the rotor head in relation to the axis. Stick-shake was eliminated, using suitable safeguards, by controlling rotor-tilt through irreversible hydraulic jacks.
The Ministry of Supply asked for an alternative rotor-hub arrangement to be designed with overriding collective-pitch and cyclic-pitch blade-angle control so that this could be compared on test with the existing system. This normal helicopter control system was required mainly for trimming purposes at altitude and to provide more positive control when hovering after an autorotative approach.
Yaw control was maintained, as with other helicopters, by altering the pitch of the propeller through conventional pedals. Rudders were fitted for directional control during autorotative flight after power failure. An ‘elevator’ in the form of a large trim tab, was used to adjust the fuselage attitude when cruising.
A government contract to Specification E.4/46 was awarded for two prototypes, and the first Fairey Gyrodyne, G-AIKF (provisionally serialled VX591), was exhibited almost complete at White Waltham on 7 December 1946.
After 85 engine-running and 56 rotor-testing hours the first untethered flight was made at White Waltham by Basil Arkell on 7 December 1947, weighing just over 2000kg. Testing continued, with longer flights at gradually increasing speeds, until March 1948, when the Gyrodyne was dismantled for examination. By then a second prototype, G-AJJP, had been completed.
The second prototype, basically similar to the first but with more comfortable interior furnishings befitting its role as a passenger demonstrator, was flying by the time of the next SBAC Display, in September 1948, at Farnborough.
Following re-assembly and further tests, G-AIKF was prepared for an attempt on the international helicopter (Class G) speed record in a straight line. This had long been held unofficially by the German Focke Achgelis Fa 61 and more recently a Sikorsky R-5 had also been unofficially timed at 185km/h in the USA. Two eastward and two westward flights over a 3km course at White Waltham were made by Arkell on 28 June, 1948, at an average speed, for the best pair of opposing runs, of 200km/h. In addition to being a world record, this was the first British national record for any helicopter. The course was along the London-Reading railway line on the north side of the aerodrome, and, as it happened, was 45 degrees off a fairly strong wind, so the probability is that a speed of 225km/h might have been achieved in calmer conditions.
Some ten months later an attempt to set up a 100km closed-circuit record ended in tragedy. During trials on 17 April, 1949, two days before the attempt was to be made, the first prototype Gyrodyne suffered a fatigue failure in the rotor head and crashed at Ufton, near Reading, killing F. H. Dixon and his flight observer, Derek Garroway. Dixon, who joined Fairey in 1936 and was chief test pilot from 1942 to 1945, had since been involved in less arduous flying and other duties, but had also shared much of the development and demonstration flying of the Gyrodyne with Basil Arkell.
The investigation following the accident led to a protracted period of investigation and fatigue-testing, and development ceased. The second prototype was grounded and was afterwards very much modified to reappear more than four years later as the Jet Gyrodyne, the test vehicle for the Rotodyne.
A natural development of the Fulmar two seat fighter, the Firefly was designed by a team led by H E Chaplin to meet specification N.5/40, an amalgamation of the earlier requirements of N.8/39 and N.9/39 which had called for a carrier based fighter with a turret. However, the turret was dropped, and when chief test pilot Chris Staniland flew the first Firefly I on December 22, 1941, it was a clean tandem-seater with manually folding wings containing four 20 mm (0.79 in) cannon and retractable Youngman area increasing flaps. At first there was no requirement for the type to be able to carry bombs or rockets.
It was a stressed skin monoplane with folding elliptical wings housing four cannon and with the trailing edge with Youngman flaps which could be recessed into the wing.
Full production started in August 1942 with the first production F.I flying on 26 August 1942.
Development was satisfactory, and the F.1, with 1730 hp / 1,483kW Rolls Royce Griffon IIB driving a Rotol three-bladed propeller, entered service with 1770 Squadron of the Fleet Air Arm in October 1943 as a two-seat day fighter, subsequently seeing extensive action in all theatres, especially in air to surface attacks against the Japanese. Manoeuvrability and long range made up for poor speed, and the good pilot view and comfortable rear observer cockpit were most welcome. Fairey, at Hayes and Stockport, and General Aircraft built 429 F.Is followed by 376 FR.Is (fighter reconnaissance) with ASH ship and submarine ¬detection radar in a radome under the nose of the fuselage. Each was armed with two 20mm cannon in each wing. Then followed 37 NF.II night fighters, with the large AI.X radar packaged into pods on the leading edge of both wings and with the forward fuselage lengthened to preserve centre of gravity posi¬tion, which was disturbed by the heavy displays in the rear cockpit. Conversions included the NF.I, with American 3 cm AI radar (usually APS 6) in a ventral pod, with other changes including shrouded exhausts, and the FR.IA which was a Mk.I rebuilt almost to FR.1 standard. From the 471st aircraft the engine was the 1990 hp Griffon XII.
The Firefly T.1 was basically an F.1 converted for use as a deck-landing conversion and instrument-flying trainer. The raised rear cockpit was occupied by the instructor. They were usually unarmed, although a few carried two 20mm cannon.
RCN Firefly T.1
The Firefly T.2 was an armaments trainer, similar to the T.1 with two 20mm cannon and provision for carrying bombs, rockets and long-range drop tanks. The Griffon 12-powered Firefly T.3 was a version of the FR.1 intended specifically to train observers, the rear cockpit being equipped with the fullest possible range of radio and radar equipment.
Not¬able highlights included the attack on the German battleship Tirpitz and a series of strikes on mainland Japan shortly before VJ-Day brought hostilities to a conclusion. In the post-war era, the Firefly demonstrated a considerable degree of versatility, turning its hand to other duties such as target towing and anti-submarine warfare as well as continuing in its primary function of fighter-bomber. By the time production ceased 1,702 had been built, some remaining active with the Fleet Air Arm until as late as 1957 whilst others served with Australia, Canada, Denmark, Ethiopia, India, the Netherlands, Sweden and Thailand.
Indian Air Force Firefly Mk.1 target tug
The Royal Canadian Navy employed 65 Fireflies of the Mk AS5 variety on board its own aircraft carriers between 1946 and 1954. The letters ‘AS’ stand for anti-submarine, which was the intended primary role of the RCN’s Fireflies.
Firefly AS.5
A total of 29 Firefly FR.1s were operated by the RCN after the war. Availability of the two stage Griffon led to the F.III, reaching 562 km/h (349 mph) with the 2035 hp Griffon 61, but handling was poor. An extensive redesign resulted in the greatly improved F.IV (postwar FR.4) with 2250 hp Griffon 74 driving a four blade Rotol propeller, which flew for the first time on 25 May 1945. New square tipped wings had reduced span and neat leading edge pods housing fuel (left) and radar (right). Radiators were moved to the inboard leading edge, the area of the tailfin was increased, and the aerodynamics improved. New underwing racks could carry up to 907 kg (2000 lb) of bombs, 16 rockets or drop tanks. Production, all by Fairey, amounted to 160 were completed by early 1948, of which 40 went to the Royal Netherlands Navy. Nearly all those in front line service with Royal Navy carriers saw action in Korea in 1950 53. Some later being modified to Firefly TT.Mk 4 standard for target-towing duty. The next basic model to appear was the Mk 5. Similar to the 4, but with the wing folding and locking powered hydraulically, and with additional role equipment. Variants including the Firefly NF.Mk 5 night-fighter, the Firefly FR.5 day reconnaissance fighter and the Firefly AS.Mk 5 antisubmarine patrol aircraft; the last eventually became the most numerous post-war version. All had better communications, navigation and IFF, and the NF and AS having night and search/attack radar. Production totalled 352 between 1947 and 1950, including batches for the Royal Australian and Canadian Navies which served throughout the Korean campaign. The FR.5 carried the same radar in the starboard wing nacelle as the 4 and was equipped with beam approach, IFF and communications radio. The NF.5 had the same basic radio plus a radio altimeter and other night-flying equipment. The AS.5 was an anti-submarine version and carried special submarine-detection equipment under the wings and fuselage. In 1951, the Firefly AS.6 entered service as an interim ASW aircraft pending delivery of the Fairey Gannet. It abandoned all fighter pretensions and carried only radar, sonobuoys and antisubmarine weapons. Fairey built 133. The Firefly 7 of 1953 was produced in two forms, as the AS and T, although it was used mainly as an anti-submarine training aircraft. Powered by a Griffon engine with a ‘chin’ radiator, the three-seat anti-submarine aircraft carried the latest detection devices and sonobuoys for tracking a target at sea. A new blister-enclosed rear cockpit accommodated two radar operators and the aircraft had elliptical long span wings without wing radiators, swept forward wing roots, and a new tail unit.
Firefly U.9
The remaining 160 Mk 7s were all Firefly T.Mk 7 trainers. Firefly production eventually terminated in March 1956 with the delivery of the last of 24 new-build Firefly U.Mk 8 target drones, but 54 Mk 5s were also converted to this mission, these being known as Firefly U.Mk 9 aircraft. The U.8, U.9 and U.10 were all radio controlled drones or targets. The Fairey Firefly 8 (Rolls Royce Griffon 59) had four cameras in each wing tip fairing to photograph missiles which are directed to its vicinity. For test purposes and other duties it may be flown by a crew of two pilot and observer. Unlike the Firefly 7, from which it was developed, has an arrester hook fitted in the aperture under the fuselage. This is for arrested landings on aerodromes while under radio control. It has an 86 gallon fuel tank between the cockpits. The U.9 was the standard target for development and training with the Seaslug ship to air missile, while the U.10 was a similar rebuild of the AS.7.
Firefly 9
All targets had large multi angle high speed camera pods on the wingtips.
In the 1950s more than 450 Fireflys were rebuilt for new roles. The first was the TT.1 target tug, with Mk 2B windmill winch and 2150 m (7053 ft) of cable for a drogue target; some of these had a long career in Sweden. The T.1 operational trainer, 30 of which were supplied to the Royal Navy and a few to other countries, had two separate stepped cockpit canopies, dual control and changed equipment. Most were unarmed, but some had two cannon. Operationally, British Fireflies of various marks saw considerable post-war action, taking part in the Malayan confrontation between 1949 and 1954 as well as the Korean War, whilst the Dutch Firefly FR.Mk 1 aircraft undertook combat duty against rebel forces in the Dutch East Indies. In total, 1623 Fireflies left the assembly lines.
Firefly F.I c/n 1-470 Engine: Rolls-Royce Griffon IIB, 1730 hp Wingspan: 44 ft 6 in / 13.56 m Wing area: 327.979 sq.ft / 30.47 sq.m Length: 37 ft 7 in / 11.4 m Height: 13 ft 7 in / 4.15 m Empty weight: 9750 lb / 4422 kg Loaded weight: 14,020 lb / 6359 kg Wing loading: 42.85 lb/sq.ft / 209.0 kg/sq.m Max speed: 316 mph / 509 kph / 275 kts ROC: 1700 fpm / 518 m/min Service ceiling: 28,000 ft / 8534 m Range internal fuel: 580 mi / 933 km Range w/max.fuel: 1720 km / 1069 miles Armament: 4 x 20mm Hispano cannon Bombload: 2000 lb / 906 kg Crew: 2
Firefly I c/n 471- Engine: Rolls-Royce Griffon XII, 1990 hp Wingspan: 44 ft 6 in / 13.56 m Length: 37 ft 7 in / 11.4 m Height: 13 ft 7 in / 4.15 m Empty weight: 9750 lb / 4422 kg Loaded weight: 14,020 lb / 6359 kg Max speed: 316 mph / 509 kph ROC: 1700 fpm / 518 m/min Service ceiling: 28,000 ft / 8534 m Range internal fuel: 580 mi / 933 km Armament: 4 x 20mm Hispano cannon Bombload: 2000 lb / 906 kg
Firefly II Wingspan: 44 ft 6 in / 13.56 m Length: 37 ft 7 in / 11.4 m Height: 13 ft 7 in / 4.15 m
Firefly III Wingspan: 44 ft 6 in / 13.56 m Length: 37 ft 7 in / 11.4 m Height: 13 ft 7 in / 4.15 m
Firefly FR.Mk 4 Engine: one 2,245-hp (1674-kW) Rolls-Royce Griffon 74 Wingspan 12.55 m (41 ft 2 in) Wing area 30.66sq.m (330 sq ft) Length 11.58 m (38 ft 0 in) Height 4.24 m (l3ft 11 in) Empty weight: 4388 kg (9,674 lb) Loaded weight clean: 13,927 lb / 6317 kg Maximum take-off: 7083 kg (15,615 lb) Maximum speed: 591 km/h (367 mph) at 4265 m (14,000 ft) ROC: 2050 fpm / 625 m/min Service ceiling 9725 m (31,900 ft) Range internal fuel: 760 mi / 1223 km Range max: 2148 km (1,335 miles) Armament: four 20-mm Hispano cannon Bombload: 16 27-kg (60-lb) rockets or two 454-kg (l,000-lb) bombs.
AS.5 Engine One 2,259hp Rolls Royce Griffon 74 Wing span: 12.55 m (41 ft 2 in) Length: 11.56 m (37 ft 11 in) Height: 14 ft 4 in Empty weight 9,674 lb Gross weight: 7300 kg (16100 lb) Maximum speed: 618 km/h (384 mph) Initial Rate of Climb: 6 mins 50 secs to 10,000 ft Ceiling: 28,400 ft Endurance: 6.5 hours Armament: 4 x 20 mm cannon Hispano Bombload: 2 x 1,000 lb bombs or 16 x 60 lb rockets Crew 2
Firefly Mk. 6 ASR Engine: Rolls-Royce Griffon 74, 2245 hp Wing Span: 41ft (12.50m) Length: 37ft (11.28m) Height: 15ft 6in(4.7m) Range: 1,070 miles(1,772 km) w/ 2 @ 90Imp.Gal drop tanks Speed: 345 mph (555 km/h) Armament: two or four 20mm canon two drop tanks or ASR equipment Bombload: 3000 lb / 1359 kg
Firefly 7 Engine: Rolls-Royce Griffon 74, 1145 hp Wingspan: 44 ft 6 in / 13.56 m Length: 38 ft 3 in / 11.65 m Height: 14 ft 4 in / 4.37 m Empty weight: 11,016 lb / 4997 kg Loaded weight: 13,970 lb / 6337 kg Bombload: 3000 lb / 1359 kg
Firefly 8 Engine: Rolls-Royce Griffon Span: 43 ft 6 in Length: 38 ft 3 in
The Spearfish was designed by Fairey Aviation to Admiralty Specification O.5/43 as a replacement for the Fairey Barracuda in the carrier-based torpedo/dive bomber role. In comparison to the Barracuda, the Spearfish had a much more powerful engine, an internal weapons bay and a retractable ASV Mk.XV surface-search radar mounted behind the bomb bay. The Spearfish was half as large again as the Barracuda, as it was designed to be operated from the 45,000-long-ton (46,000 t) Malta-class aircraft carriers then under development.
The Spearfish was a cantilever, mid-wing monoplane, with an all-metal, monocoque fuselage. The centre wing section was built integral with the fuselage and the outer wing panels could be hydraulically folded for carrier operations. A distinguishing feature of the wing was the large Fairey-Youngman flaps that spanned 73.5% of the wing’s trailing edge. The Spearfish had an outward-retracting conventional landing gear with a tailwheel. The wings housed a pair of 183-imperial-gallon (830 l; 220 US gal) fuel tanks, plus a 43-imperial-gallon (200 l; 52 US gal) tank in the leading edge of the starboard wing for a total of 409 imperial gallons (1,860 l; 491 US gal) of fuel. The two-man tandem cockpit had a hydraulically operated canopy.
The large internal weapons bay could alternatively carry up to four 500-pound (230 kg) bombs, four depth charges, a torpedo, or a 180-imperial-gallon (820 l; 220 US gal) auxiliary fuel tank. The Spearfish was intended to carry four 0.5-inch (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine guns, two in a remote-controlled Fraser-Nash FN 95 barbette behind the cockpit and two in the wings. The only external offensive armament was 16 RP-3 rockets that could be carried underneath the outer wing panels.
In August 1943, the company received an order for three prototypes to be built against Specification O.5/43 and the first prototype, serial number RA356, was constructed at Fairey’s Hayes factory and first flew on 5 July 1945 from Heston Aerodrome; the other two did not fly until 1947. In November 1943 the company was ordered to build a dual-control dive-bombing trainer variant against Specification T.21/43 and this was built at the Heaton Chapel factory and assembled and flown at Ringway on 20 June 1946. Three further development aircraft were ordered in May 1944 to be built at Heaton Chapel, with the last two to be fitted with a Rolls-Royce Pennine engine; only the first Centarus-engined aircraft was built but never flew.
Production orders for 150 aircraft were placed to be built at Heaton Chapel; the first ten aircraft were intended to use 2,600-horsepower (1,900 kW) Bristol Centaurus radial engine, Centaurus 59 engines on the next 22, and Centaurus 60s of the remainder. In addition, the flaps were to be enlarged and lateral control was to be provided by spoilers with small “feeler” ailerons. With the cancellation of the Malta-class carriers, the Fleet Air Arm no longer had a requirement for new torpedo bombers and the programme was cancelled. Work continued on the two other prototypes built at Hayes after the cancellation of the contract, albeit very slowly.
Test pilot Eric Brown evaluated the first prototype and found “the controls in cruising flight were very heavy and, in fact, lateral control was so solid that I could barely move the ailerons with one hand at 130 knots (240 km/h; 150 mph).” In bad weather a pilot circling a carrier while waiting to land would have been forced to fly such a wide circuit that he could not always keep the carrier in sight. The later prototypes had ailerons boosted by hydraulic power and artificial feel to the stick from a spring, as an interim measure but Brown found “the second prototype was much less the pleasant aircraft to fly as the stick continually hunted either side of neutral and there was no build-up of stick force with increase in speed.” The Spearfish lacked any sort of stall warning, which would have been a problem in operational use as the stall and approach speeds were fairly close. For the landing, the aircraft proved quite docile.
The first prototype was later used by Napier & Son at Luton for trials of the firm’s inflight de-icing systems. It was then briefly used for ground-training purposes beginning on 30 April 1952, until it was scrapped shortly afterwards. The second prototype was used by the Royal Navy Carrier Trials Unit at RNAS Ford, Sussex, until it was sold for scrap on 15 September. The third prototype conducted ASV Mk.XV radar trials, but was damaged in a heavy landing on 1 September 1949 and sold for scrap on 22 August 1950 as uneconomical to repair. The fourth prototype never flew and was used as a source of spares. The sole Heaton Chapel-built aircraft was the closest to the planned production configuration and it was used for engine-cooling and power-assisted flying-control trials, until it was struck off charge on 24 July 1951.
In a follow-up, to meet Specification O.21/44 for a two-seat strike fighter, the Spearfish was redesigned to accommodate a twin-coupled Rolls-Royce Merlin engine and contra-rotating propellers. A variety of other engines were considered and although a production order was placed for three examples in 1944, the programme was eventually shelved, remaining as an unfulfilled paper project.
Engine: 1 x Bristol Centaurus 57, 2,825 hp (2,107 kW) Propeller: 5-bladed Rotol VH 65, 14 ft (4.3 m) diameter Wingspan: 18.36 m / 60 ft 3 in Wing area: 49.24 sq.m / 530.01 sq ft Length: 13.59 m / 44 ft 7 in Height: 4.11 m / 13 ft 6 in Max take-off weight: 10026 kg / 22104 lb Empty weight: 6901 kg / 15214 lb Fuel capacity: 409 imperial gallons (1,860 l; 491 US gal) Max. speed: 470 km/h / 292 mph / 254 kn Cruise speed: 196 mph (315 km/h, 170 kn) Service ceiling: 7620 m / 25000 ft Time to 10,000 ft / 3,048 m: 7.75 min Range: 1,036 mi / 1,667 km / 900 nmi Combat range: 349 mi (562 km, 303 nmi) Armament: 4 x 12.7mm M2 Browning machine guns Bombload: 1 × torpedo or 2,000 lb (907 kg) Crew: 2
