The Fairey Fulmar was a British carrier-borne fighter used by the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm in the first years of World War II. It was the first true, ship-borne monoplane fighter for the Fleet Air Arm. It had been developed from the Fairey P.4/34 light bomber prototype, performing its maiden flight on January 4, 1940. After deck-landing trials aboard the HMS Illustrious, it entered service in mid 1940 in the Mk I version.
As soon as it was introduced, the Fairey Fulmar would see combat action in the Mediterranean Theater of Operation as part of the No 806 Squadron. The fighter aircraft of this unit protected the vital supply convoys to the besieged island of Malta. During the Autumn of 1940, Fulmars from 806 Squadron managed to shoot down ten Italian bombers. They also wiped six enemy fighters out of the sky while giving cover to Fairey Swordfish bombers attack on the Italian fleet at Taranto.
By late 1942, however, the Fairey Fulmar had become obsolete. It was slow, as it was underpowered, with limited maneuverability and rate of climb. It would be adapted to carry out bombing and ground-attack missions as well as to play the night fighter role. It was replaced by the Sea Hurricane, which was the Hawker Hurricane adapted to land and take off from a carrier flight deck.
Technical Characteristics
The Fairey Fulmar was a two-seat, single-engine monoplane. It was fitted with low-wing and a long, all-metal fuselage, with retractable landing gear. The Mk II variant was powered by one Rolls Royce Merlin XXXV, 12-cylinder, 'V' piston engine, generating 1,260 HP.
Aerodynamically, it was a clean design, and, structurally, it was strong due to the fact that it had been developed from a dive-bomber. Thus, the Fairey Fulmar was noted for its capacity to take a lot of beating (enemy machine gun fire) and still be able to return home.
Specifications
Type: carrier-based fighter
Length: 12.24 m (40 feet, 2 inches)
Wing Span:14.14 m (46 feet, 5 inches)
Wing Area: 31.77 m2 (342 square feet)
Height: 3.25 m (10 feet, 8 inches)
Power Plant: one 1,260-HP, Rolls-Royce Merlin XXXV, 12-cylinder, piston engine.
Maximum Speed: 438 km/h (272 mph)
Range: 1,255 km (780 miles)
Ceiling: 8,291 m (27,200 feet)
Crew: 2
Armament: eight 7.7mm (.303-cal.) machine guns mounted in wings.
Below, two Fairey Fulmar Mk I aircraft flying over the Mediterranean
A Fulmar being pushed out of the way to make room on the flight deck for the next one to land.
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