Fairey P.4/34

infobox Aircraft
name = P.4/34
type = Light Bomber
manufacturer = Fairey Aviation


caption =
designer = Marcel Lobelle
first flight = 13 January 1937
introduction =
retired =
status = Prototype
primary user =
more users =
produced =
number built = 2
program cost=
unit cost =
developed from =
variants with their own articles = Fairey Fulmar The Fairey P.4/34 was a competitor for an order for a light bomber to serve with the Royal Air Force. Although not produced in that form, it formed the basis for the Fairey Fulmar long range carrier based fighter for the Fleet Air Arm.

Development

In 1934 the Air Ministry issued Specification P.4/34 which called for a light bomber that could also be deployed in a close-support role. Fairey, Gloster and Hawker all supplied proposed designs; authorisation was given for the construction of Hawker and Fairey's designs. The P.4/34 design was a low wing all metal monoplane, powered by a Rolls-Royce Merlin engine, with a crew of two accommodated in tandem under a long glazed canopy. Its layout was similar to the Fairey's earlier Battle bomber, but the P.4/34 was smaller and had a wide track, inwards-retracting undercarriage. The aircraft was stressed for dive bombing, as required by the specification, and carried its load of two 250 lb bombs underwing (the competing Hawker aircraft had an internal bomb bay).

Two Fairey P.4/34s were ordered, with the first (serial "K5099") flying on 13 January 1937. The Hawker prototype followed on 10 March 1937. The Hawker was deemed superior, however the demand for a light bomber had changed and it would enter service as a target tug. The Royal Danish Navy purchased a license to build the P.4/34 and a production line set up at the Danish Naval Workshops (Orlogsvaerftet) in Copenhagen. However, none of the 12 aircraft ordered was completed by the time of the German Invasion of Denmark in 1940. [cite web |url= http://www.navalhistory.dk/English/NavAir/NavalAviation.htm|title= Danish Naval History, Naval Aviation|accessdate=2007-11-05 |last= Balsved |first= Johnny E.|format= |work= ]

The P.4/34 would serve as the basis for a two seat long range carrier based fighter for the Fleet Air Arm to meet the requirements of Specification O.8/38. The second prototype P.4/34 (serial "K7555") was therefore modified (with amonst other things a reduced span wing and lowered tailplane as an aerodynamic prototype for the Fairey Fulmar. It was later used to test retractable Fairey-Youngman flaps to be used on the Fairey Firefly fighter, while the first prototype was used for tests of the effects of flying into barrage balloon cables. Taylor 1974, p.306]

pecifications (P.4/34)

aircraft specifications

plane or copter?=
jet or prop?=

ref=The British Bomber since 1914 Mason 1994, p. 306]
crew=
capacity=
length main= 40 ft 0 in
length alt= 12.20 m
span main= 47 ft 4½ in
span alt= 14.44 m
height main= 14 ft 1 in
height alt= 4.29 m
area main= m²
area alt= ft²
airfoil=
empty weight main= 6,405 lb
empty weight alt= 2,911 kg
loaded weight main= 8,787 lb
loaded weight alt= 3,994 kg
useful load main=
useful load alt=
max takeoff weight main=
max takeoff weight alt=
more general=

engine (prop)=Rolls-Royce Merlin I
type of prop=V-12 liquid cooled piston engine
number of props=1
power main= 1,030 hp
power alt= 768 kW
power original=

max speed main= 246 knots
max speed alt= 283 mph, 456 km/h
cruise speed main=
cruise speed alt=
stall speed main= 48 knots
stall speed alt= 55 mph, 86 km/h Taylor 1974, p.312]
never exceed speed main=
never exceed speed alt=
range main= 800 nm
range alt= 920 mi,1,481 km
ceiling main= 26,600 ft
ceiling alt= 8,110 m
climb rate main= ft/min
climb rate alt= 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=
*One forward firing .303 in machine gun
*Two 250 lb (114 kg) bombs externally

avionics=

ee also

aircontent

related=
*Fairey Battle
*Fairey Fulmar

similar aircraft=
* Hawker Henley

lists=

see also=

References

* Mason, Francis K. "The British Bomber since 1914". London: Putnam Aeronautical Books, 1994. ISBN 0-85177-861-5.
* Taylor, H.A. "Fairey Aircraft since 1915". London: Putnam, 1974. ISBN 0-370-00065-x.

External links

* [http://www.jaapteeuwen.com/ww2aircraft/html%20pages/FAIREY%20P4%2034.htm British Aircraft of WWII]
* [http://www.historicaircraft.org/British-Aircraft/pages/Fairey-P4.html A photograph of the P.4/34 "K7555"]