Fairey Battle
Fairey Aviation · UK · first flew 1936 · bomber
The Fairey Battle was a British single-engine light bomber powered by the Rolls-Royce Merlin.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Low-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 12.9 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Single Merlin light bomber
- Long glasshouse canopy for three crew
- Slender low-wing monoplane
A long slim Merlin-engined monoplane with an extended glazed canopy seating three crew in tandem.
Specifications
- The Fairey Battle has a length of 12.9 m (42 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 16.46 m (54 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 414 km/h (257 mph).
- Typical crew: 3.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
First flown in 1936, it was modern for its day but proved vulnerable and hopelessly outclassed by 1940.
Variants
Served as a bomber and later widely as a gunnery and pilot trainer in Commonwealth air forces.
Where you'll see it
Suffered heavy losses over France in 1940 with the RAF before being relegated to training; a British type.
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