Fairey Albacore

The Fairey Albacore was a British torpedo-bomber which was used by the Royal Navy during World War II. It entered service in 1940 and saw combat action both in the Atlantic and the Pacific Theater of the war. Although it had been designed to replace the Swordfish, it did not have the success of its predecessor, which was more maneuverable, with better handling. Production of this biplane amounted to a total of 798 aircraft, plus two prototypes.

The Fairey Albacore made its maiden flight on December 12, 1938, taking off from Fairey's Great West Aerodrome. Then the prototype would spend two years making test flights. Aside from its fixed landing gear, it was also tested on floats. At the beginning the test pilots and engineers encountered several technical troubles; ailerons and elevators were too heavy, the stall with the slots free was uncomfortable, and the rear cockpit was cold and drafty. However, it would be accepted into mass production, because it had three combat qualities; it was steady and reliable during dives, it had a smooth recovery after dropping the torpedo, and the pilot had an excellent view of the target down ahead.

Although the Fairey Albacore had been designed for carrier operations, about half of them would take off from land bases. Nevertheless, the moment of glory arrived when the Albacores from the carrier HMS Formidable attacked and severely damaged the Italian battleship Vittorio Veneto during the Battle of Cape Matapan in March 1941. It would also carry out ground-attack missions against Italian troops in North Africa during the Western Desert Campaign, attacking during the night to avoid the German fighters.

Technical Characteristics

The Fairey Albacore as a three-seat, single-engine biplane. Its airframe was all-metal, made of welded steel tubes, and covered with plywood and hardened fabrics. The upper plane of wing had a slight upward inclination (dihedral), while the lower plane was straight. The cockpit was comfortable and enclosed, with heating. The pilot seat was located forward and ahead of wing planes, allowing him to have an excellent view of ground/target. Landing gear was fixed.

Specifications

Type: naval torpedo-bomber

Length: 12.13 m (39 feet, 9 inches)

Wing Span: 15.24 m (50 feet)

Wing Area: 57.88 m2 (623 square feet)

Height: 4.65 m (15 feet, 3 inches)

Powerplant: one 1,130-HP, Bristol Taurus XII, radial piston engine.

Maximum Speed: 259 km/h (161 mph)

Range: 1,497 km (930 miles)

Ceiling: 6,310 m (20,700 feet)

Armament: one 730-kg (1,610 pounds) torpedo, or up to 901 kg of bombs. For defense, it had three 7.7mm (.303-cal.) machine guns.

Below, the Fairey Albacore flying over the Mediterranean in 1942.

Three torpedo-bomber biplanes in the skies over Sicily.

The Albacore flying a reconnaissance sortie over North Africa.