Fairey Barracuda

Fairey Aviation Company · United Kingdom · first flew 1940 · bomber

The Fairey Barracuda was a British single-engine carrier-borne torpedo and dive bomber that served as the Fleet Air Arm's primary torpedo bomber during World War II.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Mid-mounted, tapered
E — Engines	1 × piston, nose-mounted
F — Fuselage	Large Fairey-Youngman flaps extending below fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

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Spot it by:

High-set mid-wing giving gull-wing appearance on British carrier torpedo bomber
Large Fairey-Youngman flaps extending below fuselage
Merlin engine with angular radiator bath

Highly distinctive with its shoulder-mounted wing sitting atop a relatively deep fuselage, enormously large Youngman flaps, and fixed tailwheel; from a distance the high-wing stance and slim fuselage are unmistakable.

Specifications

The Fairey Barracuda has a length of 12.12 m (40 ft).
It has a wingspan of 14.99 m (49 ft).
Its maximum speed is 367 km/h (228 mph).
Typical crew: 3.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

First flown in December 1940, the Barracuda entered service in 1943 and is best remembered for the April 1944 strikes on the German battleship Tirpitz in Kåfjord, Norway. Despite an ungainly appearance, it was an effective weapons platform.

Variants

The Barracuda Mk.II was the principal production version powered by the Merlin 32; the Mk.III added ASV radar; the Mk.V was a postwar redesign with the Griffon engine.

Where you'll see it

Served extensively with the Fleet Air Arm in the Atlantic and Pacific theatres; closely identified with British carrier aviation in World War II.

Related aircraft

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