Fairey Fulmar
| Fairey Fulmar | |
|---|---|
|
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| Type: | Fighter plane |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| First flight: |
January 13, 1937 |
| Commissioning: |
1940 |
The Fairey Fulmar was for the use of aircraft carriers designed two-seat British fighter plane of World War II .
history
It was ordered by the Air Ministry in January 1938 as a fighter aircraft because the Fleet Air Arm urgently needed a replacement for the outdated biplane and to protect itself against a possible failure of the Blackburn Skua fighter. From the prototype of a light bomber Fairey P.4 / 34 developed according to specification P.4 / 34 (which was developed for the same tender as the Hawker Henley ), after a few changes according to specification O.8 / 38, the Fulmar, a two-seater, carrier-based fighter.
Since it was assumed that the crew did not have to defend themselves against enemy fighters above water, flight performance and maneuverability were seen as less important, while the priorities were long range and good armament. A navigator / radio operator was also deemed necessary for the long sea flights. Ultimately, this was a miscalculation, because as early as 1938 British aircraft carriers were successfully equipped with what was then an ultra-modern radio system (homing beacon) with which the aircraft could find their aircraft carrier at a great distance and regardless of visibility, and whose receivers in the aircraft can also be operated by the pilot alone could.
The prototype (K5099), still referred to as Fairey P.4 / 34, made its maiden flight on January 13, 1937, powered by a modified Rolls-Royce Merlin II, which was replaced by a Merlin VIII on the production aircraft Fulmar Mk. I. The first production machine (N1854), which differed quite significantly from the prototype not only in the engine but also in the pulpit and equipment (including the folding wings), flew on January 4, 1940, with the first deliveries to the Fleet Air Arm , the type entered the June 1940 with the squadron 806 (later embarked on the new carrier HMS Illustrious) in the troop service. The introduction of the Fulmar was carried out under exceptional secrecy; the name was officially mentioned for the first time in September 1940.
The pilots found the Fulmar to be easy to control, comfortable to fly and without serious defects, but the longitudinal stability with full payload proved to be inadequate. As expected, speed, climbing ability and service ceiling aroused criticism. It should be noted that the Fulmar was designed as an aircraft that would hardly ever be able to oppose land-based fighters with superior performance. On the other hand, the machine carried twice as much ammunition as the Hawker Hurricane and Supermarine Spitfire fighters and, with a flight time of 5 hours, also achieved twice as much as these land-based fighters.
The armament of the Fulmar consisted of eight 7.7 mm machine guns and proved inadequate in use. Although it was designed for two seats, no defensive armament operated by the radio operator was provided. The Fulmar had self-sealing fuel tanks, but with the exception of an armored glass pane for the pilot of the crew offered no armor protection.
Little known, but significant, was the Fulmar's role in the pursuit of the German battleship Bismarck in May 1941, when the 800Z Fulmar on board HMS Victorious provided crucial reconnaissance data that enabled the HMS Ark Royal's Fairey Swordfish torpedo bombers to make the decisive attack.
After 250 Fulmar Mk. I were built, the Mk. II replaced this model, the new version received the Merlin XXX engine with 1300 hp, a new propeller and tropical equipment. Various other modifications have reduced the weight by 159 kg, and overall the climbing ability has been greatly improved.
About 100 Fulmar Mk. II were converted to night fighters, these were used both for training and for combat. From the beginning of 1942, the Fulmar was able to operate successfully as a long-range reconnaissance aircraft over the Indian Ocean with a new, lighter radio system.
The model was slowly replaced by the Supermarine Seafire and the Fairey Firefly from 1943 , but remained in service as a hunter, reconnaissance aircraft and night fighter until 1945. The last surviving Fairey Fulmar is on display at the Fleet Air Arm Museum in Yeovilton.
Production numbers
The Fulmar was built in Great Britain at Fairey in Heaton Chapel.
| version | number |
|---|---|
| Mk I | 150 |
| Mk II | 450 |
| total | 600 |
| year | number |
|---|---|
| 1940 | 159 |
| 1941 | 315 |
| 1942 | 120 |
| 1943 | 6th |
| total | 600 |
Technical specifications
| Parameter | Data Fairey Fulmar Mk. II |
|---|---|
| crew | 2 |
| length | 12.27 m |
| span | 14.12 m |
| height | 4.25 m |
| Total mass | 4450 kg |
| drive | a Rolls-Royce Merlin XXX V-12 with 1,300 PS (approx. 960 kW) |
| Top speed | 448 km / h |
| Service ceiling | 7930 m |
| normal range | 1280 km |
| Armament | eight 7.7 mm machine guns |
See also
literature
- David Brown: Fairey Fulmar Mks I & II , Aircraft Profile # 254, Profile Publications, Windsor 1973, no ISBN
- Michal Ovcacik, Karel Susa: Fairey Fulmar , 4+ publication, Prague 2001, ISBN 80-902559-5-7 .
- Ron Mackay: Fleet Air Arm - British Carrier Aviation 1939-1945 . squadron / signal publications, Carrollton (Texas) 2001, ISBN 0-89747-432-5 .
- Cdr. DA Hobbs, RN: The Fleet Air Arm in Focus Part I (1914-1950) . Maritime Books, Liskeard o. J., ISBN 0-907771-45-9 .
- Owen Thedford: British Naval Aircraft Since 1912 . 6th edition. Putnam / Conway, London 1991, ISBN 0-85177-849-6 .
Web links
Individual evidence