Fairey Seal

Infobox Aircraft
name = Fairey Seal
type = torpedo bomber
manufacturer = Fairey Aviation


caption =
designer =
first flight = 1930
introduced = 1933
retired =
status =
primary user = Fleet Air Arm
more users = Royal Air Force
produced =
number built =
unit cost =
variants with their own articles = The Fairey Seal was a British carrier-borne torpedo bomber aircraft, operated in the 1930s. The Seal was derived, like the Fairey Gordon from the Fairey IIIF. To enable the Fairey Seal to be launched by catapult from warships it was able to be equipped with floats.

ervice life and operations

The Seal was designed and built by Fairey Aviation. It first flew in 1930 and entered squadron service with the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) in 1933. Ninety-one aircraft were produced.

The FAA started to replace it with the Fairey Swordfish Mk1 from 1936. By 1938 all FAA torpedo squadrons had entirely re-equipped with the Swordfish. It was removed from front-line service by 1938, but remained in secondary and support roles. By the outbreak of the Second World War only four remained in service. The type was retired fully by 1943. The type was last used in India as an instructional airframe from the Royal Navy Photographic Unit.

The RAF also operated the Seal as a target-tug. Twelve aircraft were part of the RAF's No 10 Bombing and Gunnery School until 1940. A further four aircraft were used by 273 Squadron in Ceylon. These aircraft were used on coastal patrols, some as floatplanes. By May 1942 the type had been retired from RAF service.

Variants

* Fairey IIIF Mk VI : The first prototype was converted from a Fairey IIIF MK IIIB.
* Fairey Seal : Two-seat torpedo bomber for the Royal Navy.

urvivors

There are no known survivors of this type in existence.

Operators

; UK
* Royal Air Force
** No. 273 Squadron RAF
* Royal Navy

pecifications (type)

aircraft specifications
plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=prop
ref=
crew=2 or 3
capacity=
payload main=
payload alt=
length main=36 ft 9 in
length alt= 11.2 m
span main=45 ft 9 in
span alt= 13.94 m
height main= 14 ft 1 in
height alt= 4.32 m
area main=
area alt=
airfoil=
empty weight main= 3,500 lb
empty weight alt= 1,588 kg
loaded weight main=
loaded weight alt=
useful load main=
useful load alt=
max takeoff weight main= 5,904 lb
max takeoff weight alt= 2,679 kg
more general=
engine (jet)=
type of jet=
number of jets=
thrust main=
thrust alt=
thrust original=
afterburning thrust main=
afterburning thrust alt=
engine (prop)= Armstrong Siddeley Panther IIA radial piston engine
type of prop=
number of props=1
power main=605 hp
power alt=450 kW
power original=
max speed main=145 mph @ 3,000 ft
max speed alt=233 km/h @ 915 m
cruise speed main=
cruise speed alt=
stall speed main=
stall speed alt=
never exceed speed main=
never exceed speed alt=
range main= 600 nm
range alt= 966 km
ceiling main= 22,145 ft
ceiling alt= 6,705 m
climb rate main=
climb rate alt=
loading main=
loading alt=
thrust/weight=
power/mass main=
power/mass alt=
more performance=
armament=
* Guns
** 1 fixed forward .303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers machine gun
** 1 rear .303 in (7.7 mm) Lewis Gun
* Bombs
** 500 lb (230 kg) or stores carried on lower wing
avionics=

Operators

*
*
* Latvia
* Peru
*

ee also

aircontent
related=*Fairey IIIF
* Fairey Gordon

similar aircraft=
* Blackburn Baffin
* Vickers Vildebeest
* Fairey Swordfish
lists=

see also=

References

*Sturtivant, R. & Burrow, M (1995), "Fleet Air Arm Aircraft 1939 to 1945", Published by Air Britain (Historians) Ltd, 1995 ISBN 0-85130-232-7

External links

* [http://www.fleetairarmarchive.net/Aircraft/Seal.htm Fleet Air Arm Archive]
* [http://www.jaapteeuwen.com/ww2aircraft/html%20pages/FAIREY%20SEAL.htm Aircraft of WWII]
* [http://latvianaviation.com/Seal.html Latvian Aviation]