Fairey Flycatcher

Naval Biplane Fighter Aircraft

United Kingdom | 1923

"Throughout most of the 1920s, the Fairey Flycatcher served as the primary fighter of the British Fleet Air Arm."

Power & Performance
Those special qualities that separate one aircraft design from another. Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the Fairey Flycatcher I Naval Biplane Fighter Aircraft.

1 x Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar IV 14-cylinder radial piston engine developing 400 horsepower.
Propulsion

134 mph
215 kph | 116 kts
Max Speed

18,996 ft
5,790 m | 4 miles
Service Ceiling

311 miles
500 km | 270 nm
Operational Range

1,050 ft/min
320 m/min
Rate-of-Climb

Structure
The nose-to-tail, wingtip-to-wingtip physical qualities of the Fairey Flycatcher I Naval Biplane Fighter Aircraft.

1
(MANNED)
Crew

23.0 ft
7.00 m
O/A Length

29.0 ft
(8.84 m)
O/A Width

12.0 ft
(3.66 m)
O/A Height

2,039 lb
(925 kg)
Empty Weight

3,527 lb
(1,600 kg)
MTOW

Armament
Available supported armament and special-mission equipment featured in the design of the Fairey Flycatcher Naval Biplane Fighter Aircraft .

STANDARD:
2 x .303 Vickers machine guns in fixed, forward-firing mounts synchronized to fire through the spinning propeller blades.

OPTIONAL:
4 x 20 lb conventional drop bombs held underwing.

Variants
Notable series variants as part of the Fairey Flycatcher family line.

Flycatcher - Base Series Name

Flycatcher I (Mk I) - Initial, single-seat production model for FAA.

Flycatcher II (Mk II) - Proposed all-metal derivative of 1926; prototype form; never adopted.

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 09/11/2018 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

The primary Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm (FAA) fighter aircraft of the 1920s and early 1930s became the Fairey "Flycatcher". This biplane was produced in 196 examples and first flew in 1922. It was introduced for service during 1923 and held an active career until retired in 1934, notable production spanning from 1923 to 1926. The Flycatcher was developed to fulfill Specification N6/22 calling for a carrier-based fighter platform with an interchangeable undercarriage (from wheeled to float). The aircraft - along with the competing Parnall Plover (13 examples) - was used to supplant the outgoing fleet of twenty Nieuport "Nightjar" biplane fighters (based on the Nieuport Nighthawk) introduced as recently as 1922.

When the wood-and-metal Flychatcher prototype emerged from development, it carried an Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar II engine to complete its first flight on November 22nd, 1922. The FAA commissioned for nine of the type to serve as evaluation aircraft alongside the Parnall Plover which was also under consideration. Between the two offerings, the Flycatcher was selected for serial production as it gave the carrier performance that the FAA sought in its next fighter, leaving Plover aircraft manufacture at just thirteen aircraft.

With its Jaguar II radial engine (the Bristol Jupiter IV radial was an alternative engine installation), the Flycatcher could manage speeds of over 130 miles per hour with ranges out to 310 miles. Its listed service ceiling was 19,000 feet and rate-of-climb 1,090 feet per minute - it could reach 10,000 feet in under 10 minutes.

The Flycatcher was first fielded with FAA squadron No. 402 and went on to stock Nos. 403, 406, and 801. In practice, the aircraft were well accepted with their good combination of speed, handling, and armament. Twin .303 Vickers were fitted over the nose and a bomb-carrying provision added 4 x 20 lb drop bombs. Flycatchers experienced light combat service during their flying tenures which included tours near China and the East Indies as well as over the Mediterranean.

The primary Flycatcher production model was Flycatcher Mk I. The Flycatcher Mk II stood as a proposed successor with all-metal construction. While flown as a prototype, it was not adopted by the FAA.

Content ©MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.

Operators
Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the Fairey Flycatcher. Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national aircraft listing.

Total Production: 196 Units
Contractor(s): Fairey Aviation Company Ltd - UK

[ United Kingdom ]

1 / 1

Image from the Public Domain.

Going Further...
The Fairey Flycatcher Naval Biplane Fighter Aircraft appears in the following collections:

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