Fairey Fulmar
Although its performance (like that of its Battle antecedent) was unspectacular, the Fulmar was a reliable, sturdy aircraft with long range and an effective armament of eight machine guns; the type could also be put into production relatively quickly.The Fulmar was heavily used in the North African Campaign, flying convoy protection patrols to and from the island of Malta, and providing air cover for Fairey Swordfish torpedo bombers during attacks such as the Battle of Cape Matapan.Fairey submitted their modified design as a response to Specification O.8/38, which called for a two-crew fighter capable of observation and fleet defence operations.As the type was intended to routinely perform lengthy flights over the ocean, the presence of a navigator / wireless operator was considered to be an essential element, especially when flying at nighttime or during poor weather conditions.[5][6] Possessing a substantial resemblance to the earlier Fairey Battle, the Fulmar prototype was an aerodynamically cleaner aircraft and featured a folding wing that was 16 in (41 cm) shorter.[10] The first prototype Fulmar, which acted as a "flying mock-up", was powered by a single Rolls-Royce Merlin III engine, which was capable of generating up to 1,030hp hp (810 kW).Following the adoption of the more powerful Merlin VIII engine – a variant unique to the Fulmar and with supercharging optimised for low-level flight, as well as various aerodynamic improvements made to the airframe, the prototype's speed was increased to 265 mph (426 km/h) when flown at an altitude of 7500 ft (2286m).[11][12][13] As a relatively straightforward derivative of an existing prototype, the Fulmar promised to be available in quantity quickly; during mid-1938, an initial order for 127 production aircraft was placed by the Royal Navy.[14] This model of the aircraft was furnished with the more powerful Merlin XXX engine; this engine and 350lb of airframe weight savings allowed the aircraft to achieve 272mph at rated altitude, whilst also allowing sea level rate of climb to increase to 1250 feet per minute(15,000ft being obtainable in 12 mins against 15 mins in the Mk1)the airframe had provision for a 60-gallon (273 litre) centre-line drop tank and provision to carry a 250 lb (114 kg) or 500 lb (227 kg) bomb in lieu of the drop tank.[18] The Navy had specified a two-seat machine so that the pilot would have the assistance of another crew member in reporting back to the fleet the observations made, which were done using wireless telegraphy (W/T) and to navigate over the ocean.Fulmars also played a prominent role in Operation EF, the ill-fated air raid on Axis-held facilities Kirkenes and Petsamo conducted during July 1941.The type continued to be operated, providing useful service as a night convoy escort and intruder, it was also used to train crews for the newer and more advanced Fairey Barracuda.[32] According to pilots, its flight characteristics were considered to be pleasant, while its widely spaced undercarriage provided good deck handling and it had excellent fuel capacity and range.
ManufacturerFairey Aviation CompanyMarcel LobelleRoyal NavyRoyal Air ForceFairey P.4/34carrier-bornereconnaissance aircraftfighter aircraftFairey Aviationnorthern fulmarBritish IslesFleet Air ArmSecond World WarFairey Battlelight bombermachine gunsStockportNo. 806 SquadronGerman battleship BismarckNorth African CampaignFairey Swordfishtorpedo bombersBattle of Cape MatapanFar EastJapaneseMitsubishi A6M ZeroSupermarine SeafireAmericanGrumman MartletAir Ministrydive bomberHawker Henleytarget tugobservationfleet defenceNazi Germanynavigatorwirelessprototypefolding wingserial numbermaiden flightGreat West AerodromeLondon Heathrow Airporttest pilotChris Stanilandmock-upRolls-Royce Merlin IIIMerlin VIIIsuperchargingDanish Navyunder licencefloat planeRAF RingwayManchesterdrop tankRAF Boscombe DownSBAC showFleet Air Arm MuseumYeoviltonHMS Illustriouswireless telegraphyMediterranean TheatreHMS VictoriousbattleshipHurricaneSpitfireHMS FormidableVittorio VenetoFairey AlbacoreEastern FrontArctic convoys of World War IIOperation EFKirkenesPetsamoPacific TheatreJapanese EmpireCeylonMitsubishi A6MAichi D3ANakajima B5N "Kate"Hawker Sea HurricaneMalta convoysOperation PedestalFairey Barracudareconnaissanceescort carriersNo. 273 Squadron RAFChina BayHMS Campanianight fighterCAM shipsVichy FrenchSenegalfighter acesSub-LieutenantStanley OrrRolls-Royce Merlin VIIIAI Mk. IV radarAI Mk.XUnited Kingdom731 Naval Air Squadron740 Naval Air Squadron746 Naval Air Squadron748 Naval Air Squadron759 Naval Air Squadron760 Naval Air Squadron761 Naval Air Squadron762 Naval Air Squadron766 Naval Air Squadron767 Naval Air Squadron768 Naval Air Squadron769 Naval Air Squadron772 Naval Air Squadron775 Naval Air Squadron777 Naval Air Squadron778 Naval Air Squadron784 Naval Air Squadron787 Naval Air Squadron790 Naval Air Squadron795 Naval Air Squadron800 Naval Air Squadron803 Naval Air Squadron804 Naval Air Squadron805 Naval Air Squadron