Fairey Spearfish

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairey_Spearfish

The Fairey Spearfish was a British carrier-based, single-engined, torpedo
bomber/dive bomber that was ordered from Fairey Aviation for the Fleet Air Arm
during World War II. Designed during the war, the prototype did not fly until
July 1945. Much larger than earlier naval bombers, it was designed for use
aboard the large Malta-class aircraft carriers that were cancelled after the war
and was itself cancelled thereafter. Seven prototypes were ordered, but only
five were built, of which four actually flew. They were mostly used for
experimental work until the last aircraft was scrapped in 1952.

The Spearfish was designed by Fairey Aviation to Admiralty Specification O.5/43
as a replacement for the Fairey Barracuda in the torpedo/dive bomber role. In
comparison to the Barracuda, the Spearfish had a much more powerful engine, an
internal weapons bay and a retractable ASV Mk.XV surface-search radar mounted
behind the bomb bay. The Spearfish was half as large again as the Barracuda, as
it was designed to be operated from the 45,000-long-ton (46,000 t) Malta-class
aircraft carriers then under development.

In August 1943, the company received an order for three prototypes to be built
against Specification O.5/43 and the first prototype, serial number RA356, was
constructed at Fairey's Hayes factory and first flew on 5 July 1945 from Heston
Aerodrome; the other two did not fly until 1947. In November 1943 the company
was ordered to build a dual-control dive-bombing trainer variant against
Specification T.21/43 and this was built at the Heaton Chapel factory and
assembled and flown at Ringway on 20 June 1946. Three further development
aircraft were ordered in May 1944 to be built at Heaton Chapel, with the last
two to be fitted with a Rolls-Royce Pennine engine; only the first
Centarus-engined aircraft was built but never flew.

Production orders for 150 aircraft were placed to be built at Heaton Chapel; the
first ten aircraft were intended to use 2,600-horsepower (1,900 kW) Bristol
Centaurus radial engine, Centaurus 59 engines on the next 22, and Centaurus 60s
of the remainder. In addition, the flaps were to be enlarged and lateral control
was to be provided by spoilers with small "feeler" ailerons. With the
cancellation of the Malta-class carriers, the Fleet Air Arm no longer had a
requirement for new torpedo bombers and the programme was cancelled. Work
continued on the two other prototypes built at Hayes after the cancellation of
the contract, albeit very slowly.


Role
Torpedo bomber/dive bomber

National origin
United Kingdom

Manufacturer
Fairey Aviation

First flight
5 July 1945

Status
Cancelled

Primary user
Fleet Air Arm

Number built
5

Specifications (Spearfish)

General characteristics
Crew: two
Length: 44 ft 7 in (13.59 m)
Wingspan: 60 ft 3 in (18.36 m)
Height: 13 ft 6 in (4.11 m)
Empty weight: 15,200 lb (6,895 kg)
Gross weight: 21,642 lb (9,817 kg)
Max takeoff weight: 22,083 lb (10,017 kg)
Fuel capacity: 409 imperial gallons (1,860 l; 491 US gal)
Powerplant: 1 × Bristol Centaurus 57 18-cylinder radial engine, 2,825 hp (2,107
kW)
Propellers: 5-bladed Rotol VH 65, 14 ft (4.3 m) diameter

Performance
Maximum speed: 292 mph (470 km/h; 254 kn)
Cruise speed: 196 mph (315 km/h; 170 kn)
Range: 1,036 mi (900 nmi; 1,667 km)
Combat range: 349 mi (303 nmi; 562 km)
Service ceiling: 25,000 ft (7,600 m)
Time to altitude: 7.75 minutes to 10,000 feet (3,048 m)

Armament

Guns: 4 × .50 in (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine guns, two in the wings and two in
a Frazer-Nash FN95 remote-controlled dorsal barbette
Rockets: 16 × RP-3 rocket projectiles on underwing rails
Bombs: carried in an internal weapons bay; either: 1 × torpedo or
2,000 lb (907 kg) of bombs or depth charges



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