Fairey Spearfish

infobox Aircraft
name =Spearfish
type =Torpedo bomber
manufacturer =Fairey Aviation



caption =
designer =
first flight =5 July1945
introduced =
retired =
status = development cancelled
primary user =Fleet Air Arm
more users =
produced =
number built =5
unit cost =
variants with their own articles =

Fairey Spearfish was a Second World War British torpedo bomber. It was one of the largest single-engine aircraft to ever operate from a British aircraft carrier.

Design and development

The Spearfish was designed by Fairey Aviation to Admiralty Specification O.5/43. Having learned the lessons of the Fairey Barracuda, the Spearfish featured a much more powerful engine and an integral ASV anti-submarine radar (the external installation on the Barracuda caused problems with longitudinal stability). Problems with the Bristol Centaurus engine delayed the first flight until 5 July 1945. Only five aircraft were built before victory over Japan at which point further work on the project was stopped.

The Admiralty refused to accept the Spearfish for service use. The aircraft had such heavy controls that in bad weather a pilot circling a carrier whilst waiting to land was forced to fly such a wide circuit that he could not keep the carrier in sight.

Operators

;UK
*Royal Navy, Fleet Air Arm

pecifications (Spearfish)

aircraft specifications

plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=prop
ref=Fairey Aircraft Since 1915 Taylor, H. A. [ "Fairey Aircraft Since 1915". London: Putnam, 1974. ISBN 0-370-00065-X.]

crew=2
length main=45 ft 0 in
length alt=13.7 m
span main=60 ft 0 in
span alt=18.3 m
height main=16 ft 0 in
height alt=4.9 m
area main=530 ft ²
area alt=49.2 m²
empty weight main=12,435 lb
empty weight alt=5,640 kg
loaded weight main=
loaded weight alt=
max takeoff weight main=22,050 lb
max takeoff weight alt=10,000 kg
engine (prop)=Bristol Centaurus 57
type of prop=18-cylinder radial engine driving a five-blade propeller
number of props=1
power main=2,585 hp
power alt=1,930 kW
max speed main=300 mph
max speed alt=480 km/h
cruise speed main=260 mph
cruise speed alt=415 km/h
range main=895 mi
range alt=1,440 km
ceiling main=23,600 ft
ceiling alt=7,200 m
climb rate main=1,720 ft/min
climb rate alt=8.74 m/s
loading main=
loading alt=
power/mass main=
power/mass alt=
guns=
** 4× .50 inch M2 Browning machine guns, two in the wings and two in a Frazer-Nash FN95 remote-controlled dorsal barbette
bombs=carried in an internal weapons bay; either:
** 1× torpedo "or"
** 2,000 lb (907 kg) of bombs or mines
rockets=
** 16× RP-3 rocket projectiles on underwing rails

ee also

aircontent

related=

similar aircraft=
* TBF Avenger
* AM Mauler
* AF Guardian

lists=
* List of aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm

see also=

References

External links

* [http://www.fleetairarmarchive.net/Aircraft/Spearfish.htm Fleet air Arm Archive]
* [http://1000aircraftphotos.com/Contributions/PippinBill/5612.htm Two pictures of a Spearfish]