Fairey Barracuda
| Fairey Barracuda | |
|---|---|
 Barracuda Mk. II, the Fairey Youngman flaps, which practically formed a wing of their own, are clearly visible |
|
| Type: | Torpedo bombers |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| First flight: |
December 7, 1940 (prototype) |
| Production time: |
1941-1945 |
| Number of pieces: |
2607 |
The Fairey Barracuda was a single-engine fighter aircraft produced by the British manufacturer Fairey Aviation Company . The shoulder- wing wing was mainly used in World War II as a carrier-based torpedo bomber and dive fighter aircraft. The first flight of the prototype took place on December 7, 1940. On March 18, 1942, the first series aircraft Barracuda Mk. I was delivered to the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy , as other types of aircraft were more urgently needed in the first two years of the war. After the war, the Barracuda was mainly used as a training aircraft .
history
The Fairey Barracuda was developed on the basis of the specification sheet p. 24/37 of the British Air Ministry , which required a new carrier-supported machine for the Fleet Air Arm, which could carry various external loads ( torpedoes , bombs , lifeboats , radar containers ). It was the first British carrier-based all-metal torpedo bomber, had a high, braced horizontal stabilizer and large Fairey Youngman flaps on the wing trailing edges, which enabled the low minimum speed required for aircraft carrier use. If the flaps were given a negative angle of attack by the pilot, they could also be used as dive brakes.
Since the originally planned Rolls-Royce Exe aircraft engine was no longer manufactured, testing of the first prototype of the Barracuda (RAF serial number P1767) was delayed. Equipped as a replacement with a " Rolls-Royce Merlin 30" engine with 1,260 hp, it finally made its maiden flight on December 7, 1940.
Since other types of aircraft were more urgently needed than the Barracuda during this phase of the war , the first production aircraft, the Barracuda Mk. I (also known as the Barracuda I ), did not make its maiden flight until March 18, 1942. 30 of this model were built (5 of them by Westland ). The Barracuda Mk. I were mostly used for pilot tests and retraining.
It was followed by the Barracuda Mk. II (also Barracuda II ) in 1,688 copies with the stronger Merlin 32, which allowed a larger payload, but slightly worsened the overall performance. The "No. 827 Squadron ”was the first unit to receive the Barracuda Mk. II in January 1943. The first combat operations were carried out by the“ No. 810 Squadron “eight months later during the Allied landing at Salerno ( Operation Avalanche ).
The last version built during the war was the Barracuda Mk. III with a four-blade propeller and a tub for an ASV radar (ASV = Air to Surface Vessel ) to combat submarines in motion .
The Mk. II was built by Fairey 675, Blackburn Aircraft 700, Boulton Paul 300 and Westland Aircraft 13 aircraft. The Mark III were made by Fairey (460) and Boulton Paul (392).
A Mk. II was equipped with a 1,850 hp Rolls-Royce Griffon VII as a prototype for the unarmed version Mk. V (a Mk. IV was not built). This aircraft (P9976) flew on November 16, 1944. A total of 30 Mk. V with significantly changed tail construction and other modifications were only completed by Fairey after the war. They were mainly used as training aircraft.
commitment
In practical use, the Barracuda was used exclusively as a dive bomber and not as a torpedo bomber. 42 Barracuda from four squadrons of the aircraft carriers Victorious and Furious flew the attack on Tirpitz in Kåfjord in northern Norway in April 1944 . They scored 15 direct hits with 500-pound (227-kg) and 1000-pound (454-kg) armor-piercing bombs. Only three barracudas were lost.
In the same month of 1944, Barracuda of the porter Illustrious made their first attack in the Pacific War against Japan .
Production numbers
The Barracuda was built in the UK at Fairey in Heaton Chapel, Blackburn in Brough, Westland and Boulton Paul.
| version | Fairey | Blackburn | Westland | Boulton Paul | total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mk I | 23 | 4th | 5 | 1 | 33 |
| Mk II | 1059 | 695 | 13 | 281 | 2048 |
| TRIII | 371 | 371 | |||
| total | 1082 | 699 | 18th | 653 | 2452 |
| year | number |
|---|---|
| 1942 | 51 |
| 1943 | 618 |
| 1944 | 1257 |
| until July 31, 1945 | 526 |
| total | 2452 |
At the end of the war, the Mk III was still in series production.
Countries of operation
Technical specifications
| Parameter | Barracuda Mk. II |
|---|---|
| crew | 3 |
| length | 12.11 m |
| span | 14.98 m folded 6.00 m |
| height | 4.60 m |
| Wing area | 34.09 m² |
| Empty mass | 4241 kg |
| Takeoff mass | normal 6396 kg maximum 6950 kg with jump starters |
| drive | a 12-cylinder V-engine Rolls-Royce Merlin 32 (1223 kW / 1640 PS) |
| Top speed | 367 km / h at an altitude of 535 m |
| Marching speed | 311 km / h at an altitude of 1525 m |
| Rate of climb | 250 m / min |
| Service ceiling | 5060 m |
| Range | maximum 1101 km |
| Radius of action | 790 km |
| Flight duration | 3 to 6.7 h |
| Armament | two posable 7.7 mm Browning machine guns |
| Drop ammunition | one 735 kg torpedo or 726 kg bombs or six 113 kg depth charges or 744 kg mines |
See also
literature
- David Donald, Jon Lake (Eds.): Encyclopedia of World Military Aircraft. AIRtime Publishing, London 1996, ISBN 1-880588-24-2 .
- Bill Gunston: Classic World War II Aircraft Cutaways. Osprey, London 1995, ISBN 1-85532-526-8 .
- D. Hadley: Barracuda pilot. Airlife Publishing, London 2000, ISBN 1-84037-225-7 .
- HA Taylor: Fairey Aircraft Since 1915. Putnam, London 1974, ISBN 0-370-00065-X .
