Fairey Flycatcher
| Flycatcher | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Fairey Flycatcher of 401 Flight over HMS Eagle, 1930 | |
| Role | Fighter |
| National origin | United Kingdom |
| Manufacturer | Fairey |
| First flight | November 1922 |
| Introduction | 1923 |
| Retired | 1934 |
| Primary user | Fleet Air Arm |
| Produced | 1923-1926 |
| Number built | 196 |
The Fairey Flycatcher was a British single-seat biplane carrier-borne fighter aircraft made by Fairey Aviation Company which served in the period of 1923 to 1934. It was produced with a conventional undercarriage for carrier use, although this could be interchanged with floats for catapult use aboard capital ships.
The Flycatcher was designed to meet the requirements of Specification N6/22 for a carrier and floatplane fighter to replace the Gloster Nightjar, powered by either the Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar or the Bristol Jupiter radial engines. Both Fairey and Parnall submitted designs to meet this specification, with Fairey producing the Flycatcher, and Parnall, the Parnall Plover. The first of three prototype Flycatchers made its maiden flight on 28 November 1922, powered by a Jaguar II engine, although it was later fitted with a Jupiter IV. Small orders were placed for both the Flycatcher (for nine aircraft) and Plover (for ten aircraft) to allow service evaluation. After trials, the Flycatcher was ordered for full production.
The Flycatcher was a remarkable design for its time and was one of the earliest aircraft specifically designed for operation from aircraft carriers.Flaps ran the entire trailing edges of both wings. These could be lowered for landing and takeoff, providing the aircraft with the capability of using only 50 yd (46 m) of deck space "to come and go."
The fuselage was made of both wood and metal with fabric covering. A rather cumbersome undercarriage could be changed for twin floats or a wheel/float combo for amphibian use.
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Wikipedia