Fairey Seafox
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| Fairey Seafox | |
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| Type | ship-borne reconnaissance seaplane |
| Manufacturer | Fairey Aviation |
| Maiden flight | May 27 1936 |
| Introduced | 1938 |
| Primary user | Fleet Air Arm |
| Number built | 66 |
The Fairey Seafox was a reconnaissance floatplane of the British Fleet Air Arm designed to be catapulted from the deck of a light cruiser and serving in the Second World War. Of the total built two were finished as landplanes.
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[edit] Design and development
Fairey Seafox was built to satisfy specification S.11/32. The prototype appeared in 1936 and the first production versions were delivered to cruisers etc in 1938. The flights were organised as 700 Naval Air Squadron of the Fleet Air Arm.
The fuselage was of all-metal monocoque construction, the wings were covered with metal on the leading edge, otherwise fabric. It was powered by a sixteen cylinder 395 hp (295 kW) air-cooled Napier Rapier engine. It reached speeds of 106 mph (171 km/h), had a range of 440 miles (708 km).
A criticism of the Seafox was although the aircraft handled well it was underpowered, engine cooling was poor and landing speeds were higher than desired.
[edit] Operational history
In 1939 a Seafox played a part in the attack on the German pocket battleship Admiral Graf Spee by spotting for the naval gunners. This led to the ship's destruction in the Battle of the River Plate.
They were utilized up until 1943. The Seafox was operated during the early part of the war from the cruisers HMS Emerald, HMS Orion, HMS Ajax, HMS Arethusa, and HMS Penelope and the armed merchant cruisers HMS Pretoria Castle, HMS Asturias, and HMS Alcantara. The Royal Australian Navy deployed the Seafox aboard HMAS Perth, HMAS Sydney, and HMAS Hobart.
[edit] Operators
- Fleet Air Arm
- 700 Naval Air Squadron
- 702 Naval Air Squadron
- 703 Naval Air Squadron
- 713 Naval Air Squadron
- 714 Naval Air Squadron
- 716 Naval Air Squadron
- 718 Naval Air Squadron
- 754 Naval Air Squadron
- 764 Naval Air Squadron
- 765 Naval Air Squadron
- 773 Naval Air Squadron
[edit] Specification
General characteristics
- Length: 32 ft 8 in (10.0 m)
- Wingspan: 40 ft 0 in (12.2 m)
- Height: 12 ft 1 in (3.7 m)
- Wing area: 434 ft² (40.3 m²)
- Empty weight: 3,805 lb (1,725 kg)
- Loaded weight: 5,420 lb (2,450 kg)
- Powerplant: 1× Napier Rapier VI piston, 380 hp (280 kW)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 124 mph (200 km/h)
- Range: 440 miles (710 km)
- Service ceiling 11,000 ft (3,350 m)
- Rate of climb: 420 ft/min (128 m/min)
[edit] See also
Comparable aircraft
Related lists
[edit] References
- Mondey, David. "The Hamlyn Concise Guide to British Aircraft of World War II". Aerospace Publishing Ltd 1982. P.87
[edit] External links
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