Supermarine Seafang

Infobox Aircraft
name = Seafang
type = Naval fighter
manufacturer = Supermarine Aviation Works (Vickers) Ltd.



caption = Seafang Mk 32
designer =
first flight = 1946
introduced =
retired =
status =
primary user = Fleet Air Arm
more users =
produced =
number built = 18
unit cost =
developed from = Supermarine Spiteful
variants with their own articles =

The Supermarine Seafang was a British Rolls-Royce Griffon-engined fighter aircraft designed by Supermarine to Air Ministry specification N.5/45. It was a further development of Supermarine's famous Spitfire and Spiteful aircraft, becoming "a Spitfire too far." Price, 2001]

Design and development

The Type 383 Seafang was essentially a Spiteful redesigned for Royal Navy carrier use, with the addition of an arrestor hook and with a contra-rotating propeller to eliminate engine torque effects. The F.32 had folding wings, increased fuel capacity, and a Griffon 89 engine rated at 2,350 hp driving two three-bladed contrarotating propellers. Two aircraft of this type were completed, VB893 and VB895, although there is no evidence as to whether either actually flew before the end of hostilities.

Testing and evaluation

The Seafang first flew in 1946. Production of this aircraft never commenced but, in all, 18 prototypes and test machines were built, but some were never flown. Seafang FR.32 "VB895" was flown by noted test pilot Mike Lithgow in May 1947 during deck landing trials on HMS Illustrious. Compared to the Seafire F.47, its performance advantage was not deemed to be enough to disrupt series production of new navalised Meteor and Vampire fighters. Also,the Seafang's low speed handling characteristics were not as good as hoped, and the contemporary Hawker Sea Fury was preferred as a Fleet fighter.

During testing, it was claimed Spiteful achieved a speed of 494 mph, making it, if the claim is valid, the fastest propeller driven aircraft ever built in the UK. Another distinction of the Seafang has is that its wing was adopted for later Supermarine Attacker jet fighter.

Variants

;Seafang F.31:10 built, 9 assembled, engine Griffon 61, five-bladed constant-speed Rotol airscrew.;Seafang F.32:8 built, but only 2 assembled, engine 2,350 hp Giffon 89, folding wings, increased fuel capacity, Dual contra-rotating 3 bladed propellers.

Operators

; UK
* Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm

pecifications (Seafang 32)

aircraft specifications
plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=prop

ref=The British Fighter since 1912, British Naval Aircraft since 1912 Mason, Francis K. "The British Fighter since 1912". Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1992. ISBN 1-55750-082-7.] Thetford, Owen. "British Naval Aircraft since 1912, Fourth Edition". London: Putnam, 1994. ISBN 0-85177-861-5.]

crew=
capacity=
length main= 34 ft 1 in
length alt= 10.39 m
span main= 35 ft 0 in
span alt= 10.67 m
span more= (37 ft (8.23 m) folded)
height main= 12 ft 6½ in
height alt= 3.82 m
area main= 210 ft²
area alt= 19.5 m²
airfoil=
empty weight main= 8,000 lb
empty weight alt= 3,636 kg
loaded weight main= 10,450 lb
loaded weight alt= 4,750 kg
useful load main=
useful load alt=
max takeoff weight main=
max takeoff weight alt=
more general=

engine (prop)=Rolls-Royce Griffon 89
type of prop=V12 liquid cooled piston
number of props=1
power main= 2,350 hp
power alt= 1,755 kW
power original=
max speed main= 413 knots
max speed alt= 475 mph, 765 km/h
cruise speed main=
cruise speed alt=
never exceed speed main=
never exceed speed alt=
stall speed main=
stall speed alt=
range main= 342 nm
range alt= 393 mi, 633 km
ceiling main= 41,000 ft
ceiling alt= 12,500 m
climb rate main= 4,630 ft/min
climb rate alt= 23.5 m/s
loading main= lb/ft²
loading alt= kg/m²
thrust/weight=
power/mass main= hp/lb
power/mass alt= W/kg
more performance=

armament=
*Four 20 mm Hispano Mk V cannon,
*Provision for two 1,000 lb (454 kg) bombs "or" four rocket 60 lb rockets.

avionics=

References

Notes

Bibliography

* Humphreys, Robert. "The Supermarine Spitfire, Part 2: Griffon-Powered (Modellers Datafile 5)". Bedford, UK: SAM Publications, 2001. ISBN 0-9533465-4-4.
* Morgan, Eric B. and Shacklady, Edward. "Spitfire: The History". London: Key Publishing, 1992. ISBN 0-946219-10-9.
* Price, Alfred." The Spitfire Story". London: Silverdale Books, 1995. ISBN 1-85605-702-X.
* Price, Alfred. "A Spitfire too far: the Supermarine Spiteful". "Aeroplane Monthly", July 2001, p.36-41.
* Robertson, Bruce. "Spitfire-The Story of a Famous Fighter". Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, UK: Model & Allied Publications Ltd., 1960. Third revised edition 1973. ISBN 0-900435-11-9.

External links

* [http://www.supermarine-spitfire.co.uk/the_seafang.htm Supermarine-Spitfire.co.uk: The Seafang]
* [http://www.britishaircraft.co.uk/aircraftpage.php?ID=183 Spiteful and Seafang and British Aircraft Directory]
* [http://1000aircraftphotos.com/Contributions/PippinBill/5604.htm A picture of the Seafang F.Mk.32 "VB895"]
* [http://avia.russian.ee/air/england/supermarine_seafang.html Seafang at Avia]