Fairey Seafox

infobox Aircraft
name = Fairey Seafox
type = ship-borne reconnaissance seaplane
manufacturer = Fairey Aviation

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caption =
designer =
first flight = May 27 1936
introduced = 1938
retired =
status =
primary user = Fleet Air Arm
more users =
produced =
number built = 66
unit cost =
developed from =
variants with their own articles = The Fairey Seafox was a reconnaissance floatplane of the British Fleet Air Arm designed to be catapulted from the deck of a light cruiser and serving in the Second World War. Of the total built two were finished as landplanes.

Design and development

Fairey Seafox was built to satisfy specification S.11/32. The prototype appeared in 1936 and the first production versions were delivered to cruisers etc in 1938. The flights were organised as 700 Naval Air Squadron of the Fleet Air Arm.

The fuselage was of all-metal monocoque construction, the wings were covered with metal on the leading edge, otherwise fabric. It was powered by a sixteen cylinder 395 hp (295 kW) air-cooled Napier Rapier engine. It reached speeds of 106 mph (171 km/h), had a range of 440 miles (708 km).

A criticism of the Seafox was although the aircraft handled well it was underpowered, engine cooling was poor and landing speeds were higher than desired.

Operational history

In 1939 a Seafox played a part in the attack on the German pocket battleship "Admiral Graf Spee" by spotting for the naval gunners. This led to the ship's destruction in the Battle of the River Plate.

They were utilised up until 1943. The Seafox was operated during the early part of the war from the cruisers HMS "Emerald", HMS "Orion", HMS "Ajax", HMS "Arethusa", and HMS "Penelope" and the armed merchant cruisers HMS "Pretoria Castle", HMS "Asturias", and HMS "Alcantara". The Royal Australian Navy deployed the Seafox aboard HMAS "Perth", HMAS "Sydney", and HMAS "Hobart".

Operators

;UK
*Fleet Air Arm
** 700 Naval Air Squadron
** 702 Naval Air Squadron
** 703 Naval Air Squadron
** 713 Naval Air Squadron
** 714 Naval Air Squadron
** 716 Naval Air Squadron
** 718 Naval Air Squadron
** 754 Naval Air Squadron
** 764 Naval Air Squadron
** 765 Naval Air Squadron
** 773 Naval Air Squadron

pecification

aircraft specifications

plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=prop

ref=

crew=
capacity=
payload main=
payload alt=
length main= 32 ft 8 in
length alt= 10.0 m
span main= 40 ft 0 in
span alt= 12.2 m
height main= 12 ft 1 in
height alt= 3.7 m
area main= 434 ft²
area alt= 40.3 m²
airfoil=
empty weight main= 3,805 lb
empty weight alt= 1,725 kg
loaded weight main= 5,420 lb
loaded weight alt= 2,450 kg
useful load main=
useful load alt=
max takeoff weight main=
max takeoff weight alt=
more general=

engine (prop)=Napier Rapier VI
type of prop=piston
number of props=1
power main= 380 hp
power alt=280 kW
power original=

max speed main= 124 mph
max speed alt= 200 km/h
cruise speed main=
cruise speed alt=
stall speed main=
stall speed alt=
never exceed speed main=
never exceed speed alt=
range main= 440 miles
range alt=710 km
ceiling main= 11,000 ft
ceiling alt= 3,350 m
climb rate main= 420 ft/min
climb rate alt= 128 m/min
loading main=
loading alt=
thrust/weight=
power/mass main=
power/mass alt=
more performance=

armament=

avionics=

ee also

aircontent
related=

similar aircraft=
* SOC Seagull
* Mitsubishi F1M

lists=
*List of aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm
see also=

References

* Mondey, David. "The Hamlyn Concise Guide to British Aircraft of World War II". Aerospace Publishing Ltd 1982. P.87

External links

* [http://www.britishaircraft.co.uk/aircraftpage.php?ID=352 British Aircraft Directory]
* [http://www.jaapteeuwen.com/ww2aircraft/html%20pages/FAIREY%20SEAFOX.htm British Aircraft of World War II]