Fairey Seafox (1936) RNAS/FAA 1936-39: 66 built. The Fairey Seafox was designed and built by Fairey Aviation to be catapulted from light cruisers. It entered service in 1937 and stayed active until 1943 with just 66 produced, in service with 11 naval air squadrons. This biplane was powered as pet an admiralty request by the … Read more
Carrier Bornes Torpedo Bomber RNAS/FAA 1930-35: 92 built. The early 1930 Blackburn Torpedo Bomber The Blackburn T.5 Ripon was a carrier-based torpedo bomber and reconnaissance biplane, a basis for the Japanese license-produced Mitsubishi B2M and for the bomber Blackburn Baffin. Designed as a successor to the Dart it flew for the first time on 17 … Read more
Supermarine Walrus (1936) RNAS/FAA 1936-44: 740 built. The common British WW2 spotter seaplane Supermarine Walrus I parked on catapults in HMS Exeter, 1930s Supermarine, headed by lead designer Reginald Joseph Mitchell which practically died at his desk on 11 June 1937 (aged 42), giving birth to the war-winning Spitfire to his beloved country, also spawn … Read more
Fairey Fulmar (1940) RNAS/FAA 1940-43: 600 built. The Fairey Fulmar was a British carrier-borne reconnaissance and fighter aircraft developed and manufactured by Fairey Aviation in 1939-40. Named after the northern fulmar (British Isles seabird) it became one of the most used Fleet Air Arm (FAA) model during WW2. Production ceased in 1943 as the new, … Read more
Fairey Seal (1930) RNAS/FAA 1930-36: 90 built. The Fairey Seal was designed and built by Fairey Aviation, first flying in 1930, entered service with the Fleet Air Arm in 1933. Only 91 were produced, many also exported. Although largely forgotten today, this model was a derivative of the Fairey III, sharing practically everything but the … Read more
Fairey IIIF (1927) RNAS/FAA 1917-42: 964 built all types combined. The Fairey III: A two world wars veteran The biplane formula seemed to the interwar engineers the only one really fitting aeronautics at large, for all its advantages. So much so that some in 1938 still believed the monoplanes were a mere “fad” and everybody … Read more
Fairey Swordfish (1935) Fleet Air Arm 1935-43: 2,391 built. The proverbial British torpedo bomber The “string bag”, Swordfish, made by the British Fairey company, is fondly remembered now, cementing its place in the hall of fame of aviation due to its actions during WW2 and showing fighting qualities that outshined many other biplanes of the … Read more
