Fairey Fulmar
| Fulmar | |
|---|---|
.jpg) |
|
| Fairey Fulmar Mk II N4062 | |
| Role | Carrier Fighter |
| National origin | United Kingdom |
| Manufacturer | Fairey Aviation Company |
| Designer | Marcel Lobelle |
| First flight | 4 January 1940 |
| Introduction | 10 May 1940 |
| Retired | 1945 |
| Primary user | Royal Navy |
| Produced | 1940–43 |
| Number built | 600 |
| Developed from | Fairey P.4/34 |
The Fairey Fulmar was a British carrier-borne fighter aircraft that served with the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) during the Second World War. A total of 600 were built by Fairey Aviation at its factory between January 1940 and December 1942. The Fulmar's design was based on that of the earlier Fairey P.4/34 that was in turn developed in 1936 as a replacement for the Fairey Battle light bomber. Although its performance (like that of its Battle antecedent) was lacking, the Fulmar was a reliable, sturdy aircraft with long range and an effective armament of eight machine guns.
The Fairey P.4/34 was built to Specification P.4/34 as a light bomber capable of being used as a dive bomber, in competition with the Hawker Henley and an unbuilt Gloster design. Despite its high speed of 284 mph, it lost out to the 300 mph Henley (which was eventually ordered as a target tug).
The Fulmar, a navalised version of the P.4/34, was submitted to meet Specification O.8/38 for a two-crew fleet defence fighter. As it was not expected to encounter fighter opposition, high performance or maneuverability was not considered important, but long range and heavy armament were. The provision of a navigator/wireless operator was considered essential for the long, over-ocean flights that would be required.
Looking much like its sister, the Battle, the Fulmar prototype was aerodynamically cleaner and featured a folding wing that was 16 in (41 cm) shorter than its bomber lookalike. The prototype P.4/34 serial number K5099 first flew on 13 January 1937 at Fairey Aviation's Great West Aerodrome (now covered by London Heathrow Airport), with Fairey test pilot Chris Staniland at the controls. After the first flight tests, the tail was revised, being raised 8 in (20 cm).
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