Aeroplane Monthly 1987-07
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A.Lumsden, T.Heffernan - Per Mare Probare (4)
Fairey Flycatcher Mk IC N9673, fitted with metal floats. It was discovered that longitudinal stability and aerobatic characteristics were better than for aircraft fitted with wooden floats.
The third prototype Fairey Flycatcher, N165, was originally fitted with a pair of flat-bottomed amphibious floats.
The first prototype Flycatcher, N163, was a landplane and was first flown on November 28, 1922 at Hamble.
Production Flycatcher Is were powered by various marks of Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar engine.
Another view of the third prototype Flycatcher, showing the flat-bottomed amphibious floats - the wheels protruded below the flat bottoms of the wooden floats.
The Fairey "Flycatcher" at Croydon "review", 1928: This machine is a single-seater fighter for cooperation with the Navy. It is an amphibian twin-float seaplane and is fitted with a Siddeley "Jaguar" radial air-cooled engine.
Another view of N165, taken after the fitting of a pair of metal Fairey vee-bottomed floats. The former wooden floats were susceptible to water soakage, which added considerably to the aircraft’s weight.