Fairey Firefly (биплан)

9 ноября 1925 года специалисты компании "Fairey" облетали прототип одноместного истребителя Firefly I, который был спроектирован в инициативном порядке. Стандартного типа биплан имел преимущественно деревянную конструкцию, с полотняным покрытием и оснащался американским двигателем Curtiss D-12 мощностью 430 л.с. (321 кВт), внедренным ранее на предназначенном для Великобритании дневном бомбардировщике Fox. Несмотря на то, что Firefly I показал на испытаниях хорошие летные данные, наличие американского двигателя означало, что самолет не будет принят на вооружение британских ВВС. Тем не менее, конструкция машины послужила основой для создания более совершенного и существенно отличающегося от него самолета Firefly II, оснащенного двигателем Rolls-Royce Kestrel мощностью 480 л. с. (358 кВт). Первый полет нового самолета состоялся 5 февраля 1929 года, после чего он был представлен на тендер, объявленный Министерством авиации на новый истребитель, но потерпел неудачу, уступив место Hawker Fury. Позже Firefly II был перестроен и стал самолетом цельнометаллической конструкции, оснащенным новой системой охлаждения двигателя и перепроектированным хвостовым оперением. Модифицированная машина получила обозначение Firefly IIM, после чего в 1930 году на него был получен контракт на 25 самолетов - для бельгийских ВВС, в которых он был обозначен как Firefly II. Кроме того, еще 62 таких самолета были построены в самой Бельгии - на заводе компании "Avions Fairey" в Госсели, также поступив на бельгийскую службу, а еще один самолет был продан СССР.


Варианты

   Firefly III: палубный вариант Firefly II с крыльями увеличенной площади и двигателем Rolls-Royce другой марки
   Firefly IIIM: новое обозначение самолета Firefly III после того, как он был перестроен и получил цельнометаллическую конструкцию, усиленную для запуска с катапульты; самолет, оснащенный поплавковым шасси, использовался командой британских ВВС для подготовки к участию в гонках на Кубок Шнейдера
   Firefly IV: новое обозначение двух самолетов Firefly II после установки на них компанией "Avions Fairey" двигателя Hispano-Suiza 12Xbrs мощностью 785 л. с. (585 кВт)


ТАКТИКО-ТЕХНИЧЕСКИЕ ХАРАКТЕРИСТИКИ

   Fairey Firefly IIM

   Тип: одноместный истребитель
   Силовая установка: один V-образный ПД Rolls-Royce Kestrel IIS мощностью 480 л. с. (358 кВт)
   Летные характеристики: макс. скорость на высоте 4000 м - 359 км/ч; набор высоты 6000 м - за 10 мин 54 с; практический потолок 9400 м
   Масса: пустого 1083 кг; максимальная взлетная 1490 кг
   Размеры: размах крыла 9,60 м; длина 7,52 м; высота 2,85 м; площадь крыльев 22,00 м2
   Вооружение: два фиксированных стреляющих вперед 7,7-мм пулемета Vickers по бортам в передней части фюзеляжа

Flight, June 1929

BRITISH AIRCRAFT AT OLYMPIA

THE FAIREY AVIATION CO., LTD.

   ONE of the most imposing individual exhibits at Olympia will be found on the Fairey stand, where no less than eight complete aircraft will be exhibited, in addition to smaller items such as airscrews, etc. These eight machines will be :-
   One Fairey III F, Napier "Lion XI," to be shown in skeleton.
   One III F 3-seater ("Lion XI") Fleet Air Arm Seaplane.
   One III F 2-seater (" Jaguar VI") General Purpose landplane.
   One "Fox" 2-seater (Rolls-Royce F) high-performance light day bomber.
   One Long-Distance Monoplane (Napier "Lion").
   One "Firefly II" (Rolls-Royce F) single-seater interception fighter.
   One single-seater fighter Ship 'plane with alternative land undercarriage (Rolls-Royce F).
   One Fairey two-seater Fleet fighter reconnaissance seaplane (Rolls-Royce F).
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   Concerning the remaining three Fairey types to be exhibited at Olympia comparatively little may be said, these machines being still on the "Part Publication" list of the British Air Ministry. Nor, we very much regret, has it been found possible to include three-view general arrangement drawings of them. The general appearance of these three Fairey machines is, however, shown by photographs.

   The Fairey "Firefly II" is a Single-seater Interception Fighter fitted with Rolls-Royce "F"-type supercharged engine. It has been designed to combat high-speed day bombers and single-seater fighters, and therefore combines great climbing power and extreme manoeuvrability with very high speeds at altitudes of 20,000 ft. or more.
   The "Firefly II" is of extremely "clean" aerodynamic design, and is a single-bay biplane of all-metal construction except for the covering, which is fabric. All metal parts are specially protected against corrosion. The upper wing is of considerably greater chord than the lower, and the two wings are heavily staggered in relation to each other, an arrangement which helps to give the pilot a good view in all directions. The fuselage is very carefully streamlined, and has quickly-detachable cowling covering all working parts.
   In view of the requirements of manoeuvrability at high speeds, the greatest care has been taken to develop light and effective controls. The ailerons, for instance, are of narrow chord and high aspect ratio. The tail plane incidence can be altered during flight.
   A Rolls-Royce "F"-type supercharged engine is fitted as standard, and has a cooling system somewhat similar to that of the "Fox" i.e., a wing radiator on the top centre-section in addition to the retractable radiator. The fuel supply is carried within the section of the main planes.
   The undercarriage is a simple Vee type with cross axle, and incorporates a special type of shock-absorber leg and pneumatic wheel brakes. The tail skid is of the self-tracking type, and is readily accessible through its inspection panels.
   Following are the main dimensions of the Fairey "Firefly II": Length overall, 24 ft. 6 in.; wing span overall, 32 ft.; chord of upper wing, 5 ft. 1 1/2 in.; chord of lower wing, 4 ft. 1 in.; height overall, 8 ft. 8 in.

   The Fairey Single-seater Fighter Shipplane has been developed essentially for Fleet Air Arm duties, and provision has been made in its design for the use of an alternative float-type undercarriage converting it to a single-seater fighter seaplane.
   As either a shipplane or seaplane it is capable of very high maximum speeds, extreme manoeuvrability and abnormal climb, while, as a shipplane, the special form of wheel brakes, combined with the low speeds obtainable, enable easy landing to be made in a restricted space such as the deck of an aircraft carrier. Like the "Firefly II," the shipplane is of all-metal construction with the exception of the covering, and the wings are of unequal chord and heavily staggered. The pilot's seat can be adjusted for height, so that what with the wing arrangement and location in relation to the top plane, he obtains an excellent view.
   A supercharged Rolls-Royce "F"-type engine is fitted as standard, and like the "Firefly II" the shipplane has both retractable and wing radiators. The fuel tanks are carried within the fuselage and are fitted with jettison valves. The shipplane undercarriage is of the Vee type, with oleo legs and pneumatic wheel brakes. The seaplane version is fitted with anodically treated duralumin floats.
   The main dimensions of the Fairey single-seater fighter shipplane are: Length overall, 25 ft. 6 in.; span, upper plane, 33 ft. 6 in.; upper chord 6 ft. 9 in.; lower chord, 4 ft. 1 in.; height overall, 8 ft. 7 1/2 in.
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Flight, July 1930

THE FAIREY "FIREFLY IIM"
An Interceptor Fighter with Rolls-Royce "F" Engine

   AMONG the new types of aircraft which took part in the fly-past at the R.A.F. Display at Hendon this year, none attracted greater attention than the Fairey "Firefly II M." This was partly because of the exceptionally clean and beautiful lines of this machine, and partly due to the performance, which had a "snap" about it that singled out the machine as one capable not only of great speed, but also of remarkable manoeuvrability.
   The "Firefly II M" is the latest development of the original "Firefly" and now has a supercharged Rolls-Royce "F" type.
   The interceptor fighter class of aircraft is, as its title implies, intended for intercepting enemy aircraft which has already crossed our coastline, and is making for some objective. It must have a very high performance for a relatively short period, so as to be able to reach the altitude of the invader in the minimum of time, and be able quickly to overtake him in horizontal flight at that height. For a starting point one may assume that the raider will be coming over at not less than 20,000 ft., and that his speed at that height will be not less than 150 m.p.h. From this it is obvious that an interceptor fighter must, to be of any practical use, be able to climb to 20,000 ft. in the shortest possible time, say, 10 minutes or so, and must have a speed of some 200 m.p.h. at that altitude, if it is to be capable of overtaking the raider at a useful rate.
   Although complete performance figures of the "Firefly II M" may not be given, it can be said that the machine fulfils the conditions outlined above. And it can reach a height of 10,000 ft. in under 5 minutes, an average rate of 2,000 ft. per minute. The landing speed is by no means high, compared with the top speed, and is further reduced by the fitting of improved wing flaps, the development of which has been a speciality of the Fairey Aviation Co. for many years.
   While performance is the first consideration in an interceptor fighter, manoeuvrability and view are also vitally important factors. Put in another way, high performance is required to reach the raiding machine in a minimum of time. Manoeuvrability and view are the qualities which count when the raider has been reached.
   In the "Firefly II M" the control surfaces have received very special attention, and the machine is quite remarkable for the rapidity with which the pilot can, for example, change from a vertical left to a vertical right bank. Nor is the effectiveness of the controls confined to high speed. At angles above the stall the controls are still very powerful, and a tail-incidence gear which works easily and quickly assists materially in the manoeuvrability under all conditions, as do also the variable camber wing flaps.
   View in all directions has been carefully studied. The pilot's seat can be raised and lowered very readily, and normally is so placed that the pilot's eyes are on a level with the top plane centre-section. Raising and lowering the seat enables the pilot to look over or under the wing. The cowling over the front portion of the fuselage slopes down to the nose, and is made of very small curvature, so as to restrict the view to a minimum extent. The amount of equipment to be carried by a machine of this class is considerable, and it is no easy matter to install it all in accessible positions within the narrow confines of a fuselage the cross section of which has been reduced as much as possible, due to performance considerations. In the "Firefly II M" the covering over the cockpit is made in the form of large detachable panels, the removal of which lays bare the structure and equipment.
   Structurally the "Firefly II M" is of usual Fairey all-metal construction, welding being used in the fuselage structure, and various steel sections in wing spars and other parts of the main structure. Secondary structure, such as wing ribs, fairing stringers, and supports for equipment, &c. are made of duralumin. The various metals are treated to enable them to resist corrosion.

Flight, November 1932

British Aircraft at the Paris Aero Show

The Fairey Aviation Co., Ltd.

   TWO complete aircraft will be exhibited on the stand of the Fairey Aviation Co., Ltd., a "Fox" and a "Firefly," both fitted with Rolls-Royce Kestrel engine.
   It will be remembered that after very strenuous competition with aircraft firms of other nations, the Fairey Company was awarded the Belgian order, the award causing some rather heated comment abroad, notably in France, where it was felt that the French constructors had been outwitted. The move on the part of the Fairey Company in exhibiting at Paris the two particular types of Fairey aircraft which succeeded in beating all-comers in Belgium is thus a very timely one, as it will afford not only all the foreign visitors to Paris, but the French constructors themselves, an excellent opportunity to examine the Fairey machines in detail. We believe that after such an inspection all fair-minded critics will come to the conclusion that, to use the English sporting phrase, "the best man won."
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   The "Firefly" to be exhibited will be of the Mark II type. Being a single-seater fighter instead of a two-seater, and having a fully supercharged engine, the "Firefly II" is, of course, considerably faster than the "Fox II." Actually a speed of 220 m.p.h. (354 km./h.) is claimed for it at an altitude of 13,000 ft. (4 000 m.).
   Both machines are of the well-known Fairey type of metal construction, and we have no doubt that both will be very much admired.

Flight, November 1932

British Aircraft

The Fairey Aviation Co.,
Hayes, Middlesex Ltd.

   MR. C. R. FAIREY holds in Great Britain a position somewhat similar to that occupied in France by M. Louis Breguet in that his company has produced probably a greater number of general purpose aircraft than any other firm, not only for use in Great Britain, but in a large number of other countries. Some years ago Mr. Fairey introduced the "Fox," which set a new fashion in high-performance two-seaters, and which led later to the design and production of the now famous III.F which has been used for a variety of purposes in many countries, and has been fitted with many different types of engine.
   At the Paris Aero Show the Fairey Company will exhibit the latest type of "Fox," similar to the model with which squadrons of the Belgian Air Force are now being equipped, and a "Firefly II.M" which also has been adopted by the same Air Force.
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"Firefly II.M"

   The "Firefly" Mark II.M is designed to combat high-performance day bombers and single-seater fighters, and combines extraordinary climbing powers with great manoeuvrability at high speeds at all altitudes. The engine is a Rolls-Royce Kestrel supercharged, which is claimed to give the "Firefly" a speed of 220 m.p.h. (354 km. /h.) at an altitude of 13.000 ft. (4 000 m.). As in the "Fox" so in the "Firefly" are special cockpit heating arrangements employed, which successfully overcome extreme cockpit temperatures right up to the service ceiling of the machine, which is 31,000 ft. (9 450 m.). The main dimensions of the "Firefly" are :- Span, 30 ft. 8 in. (9,35 m.); overall length, 24 ft. 6 in. (7,47 m.); height, 9 ft. 6 in. (2.9 m.).