The Fairey Flycatcher was a British, carrier-based fighter aircraft in service with the Royal Navy during the interwar period. It was an extremely maneuverable and easy-to-fly aircraft, with good handling. Being compact, with a short fuselage, made the Flycatcher an excellent biplane to operate from the deck of an aircraft carrier. However, it was used during peace time and, as a result, only 196 units were made. It would be retired in 1935. Some of these biplanes were made in a twin float version, taking off from water.
Designed by F. Duncanson and manufactured by Fairey Aviation Company, the prototype of the Flycatcher (No 163) made its maiden flight on November 28, 1922. The test pilot was Lt. Col. Vincent Nicholl and it was powered by an Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar III engine that delivered 400 HP. After completion of flight and deck handling trials on HMS Argus, it was officially introduced on March 20, 1923, to become one of the most popular fighters ever in British service, superseding the Nieuport Nightjar. Its first assignment was No 402 Flight of Fleet's Air Arm.
Below, three of the last Flycatchers built from a batch that had been ordered in 1930.
The Fairey Flycatcher was built exclusively for the Fleet Air Arm as none was ever sold to a foreign country. After a long and ubiquitous career, the type was declared obsolete. It had served aboard HMS Argus (China Station), Eagle (Mediterranean Sea), Furious (Home Fleet), Courageous (Mediterranean Sea).
Technical Characteristics
The Fairey Flycatcher was a single-seat, single-engine biplane. The aircraft wing upper plane was dihedral and it was set slightly forward in relation to the lower plane, and above and in front of the pilot. Both planes were joined by "И"-shaped struts. Construction: wings were made of wood, with fabric covering, while fuselage was made of both wood and metal. The center of fuselage structure consisted of steel tubes meeting in spool joints attached by bolts. Landing gear was fixed.
Specifications
Type: fighter
Length: 7 m (23 ft)
Wing Span: 8.8 m (29 ft)
Wing Area: 26.76 m2 (288 sq. ft)
Height: 3.66 m (12 ft)
Powerplant: one 400-HP, Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar III/IV
Maximum Speed: 214 km/h (133 mph)
Range: 423 km (263 miles)
Crew: one
Armament: two .303-cal. Vickers machine guns, synchronized to fire forward through the airscrew. Four 20-pound bombs.
Below, a Fairey Flycatcher from the HMS Hermes in 1929.
The prototype, No 163, on the ground of a military base in late 1922.
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