Fairey Firefly Mk.IV/V/VI
| GENERAL DATA | |||
| Other Designation(s) | - |
||
| Type | Carrier-borne
Fighter, Reconnaissance |
Crew | 2 (pilot, observer-navigator) |
| Manufacturer(s) | Fairey Aviation
Company, Ltd. |
||
| Production | 1702 all-variants, between 1941–1955 |
||
| First Flight | 22 December 1941 (Mk.I) |
Introduction | March 1943 (Mk.I) |
| Variants | |||
| Firefly Mk.4 | Equipped with the 2330 hp Griffon 72 engine and first flew in 1944, but did not enter service until after the end of the war. | ||
| Firefly FR.Mk.4 | Fighter-reconnaissance version based on the Firefly Mk IV. | ||
| Firefly NF.Mk.5 | Night fighter version based on the Firefly Mk 5. | ||
| Firefly FR.Mk.5 | Fighter-reconnaissance version based on the Firefly Mk 5. | ||
| Firefly AS.Mk.5 | Anti-submarine aircraft, which carried American sonobuoys and equipment. | ||
| Firefly AS.Mk.6 | Anti-submarine aircraft, which carried British equipment. | ||
| Firefly TT.Mk 4/5/6 | Small numbers of AS.4/5/6s were converted into target tug aircraft. | ||
| Firefly AS.Mk 7 | Anti-submarine aircraft, powered by a Rolls-Royce Griffon 59 piston engine. | ||
| Firefly T.Mk 7 | Interim ASW training aircraft. | ||
| Firefly U.Mk 8 | Target drone aircraft; 34 Firefly T.7s were diverted on the production line for completion as target drones. | ||
| Firefly U.Mk 9 | Target drone aircraft; 40 existing Firefly Mk AS.4 and AS.5 aircraft were converted to this role. | ||
| DIMENSIONS | |||
| Length | 11.56 m |
Empty Weight | 4388 kg |
| Wingspan | 12.55 m, 4.11 m (wings folded) |
Loaded Weight | 5773 kg *, 6114 kg ** |
| Height | 4.37 m (including prop disc) |
Max takeoff weight | 7083 kg (with two drop-tanks) |
| Wing area | 31 m² |
Wing loading | 210 kg/m² |
(*) stripped for fighter mission, (**) normal
| ARMAMENT | |||
| Main Guns | 4x 20 mm (0.787 in) Hispano Mk.V
cannon* |
Ammunition Carried | 2 x 175 (inner), 2 x 145 (outer) |
| Secondary Guns | - |
Ammunition Carried | - |
| Other Armament | maximum 16x RP-3 27.2 kg rockets
on 8x zero-length launchers maximum 2x 454 kg on underwing pylons |
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(*) wing mounted
| POWERPLANT | |||
| Engine | 1 × Rolls-Royce Griffon 74 |
Type & Displacement | V-12 liquid-cooled piston engine,
36.7 L |
| Horsepower (maximum) | 2300
hp |
Power/Weight Ratio | 374.35 hp / ton * |
| Fuel Capacity | 680 L (Main)
or 527 L (Main) + 209 L (aux., wings) + 2 x 410 Ldrop-tanks
|
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(*) with loaded weight
| PERFORMANCES | |||
| Maximum Speed | 591–621 km/h at 4267 m, 531 km/h at sea level |
Cruise Speed | 336 km/h |
| Stall Speed * | ? km/h |
Service Ceiling | 9700 m |
| Rate of Climb | ? m/s |
Range | 1220 km, 2148 kmwith drop tanks |
(*) vitesse de décrochage
| Sources | |||
| Wikipédia | armouredcarriers.com | - |
|
Drawings |
