Fairey Firefly Mk I
Fairey · UK · first flew 1941 · fighter
The Firefly Mk I is the original production carrier fighter-reconnaissance aircraft, combining a Griffon with a deep chin radiator, the unusual Youngman flaps — whose ~3-degree cruise setting let Fireflies out-turn Seafires and Zeros — and a tandem two-seat cockpit under separate framed sliding hoods.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, elliptical |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 11.46 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Fairey-Youngman flaps: the trailing-edge panel first drops bodily below the wing with a visible slot gap (an almost biplane look), then slides aft and rotates down — deployed, nothing else in the fleet looks like it
- Deep chin 'beard' radiator bath below the Griffon cowling with a three-blade propeller — the bluff, wide nose that later marks lost to wing-root radiators
- Rounded fin and full-span 13.56 m elliptical wing — the AS.5 clipped the wing to 12.55 m and squared the fin
Against AS.5: use nose, fin, and prop — the Mk I's deep chin radiator bath, rounded fin, and three-blade prop against the AS.5's clean pointed nose, squared fin, and four blades. Canopy shape does not discriminate: both marks carry the same two separate framed sliding hoods. The Mk I also lacks the AS.5's underwing radar and fuel pods and keeps the full-span elliptical wing. Against the Barracuda: the Firefly has a mid-set elliptical wing and conventional tail vs the Barracuda's high-braced wing and strutted tailplane.
Specifications
- The Fairey Firefly Mk I has a length of 11.46 m (38 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 13.56 m (44 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 509 km/h (316 mph).
- Typical crew: 2.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
First flew 22 December 1941; 459 Mk Is built. The Firefly replaced the Fulmar in Fleet Air Arm service from 1943. Mk Is attacked the Tirpitz in Norwegian fjords and participated in operations against Japanese forces in the Pacific from 1945. The tag-team of pilot and observer made it effective for long-range strike work.
Variants
FR.I (fighter-reconnaissance with cameras), NF.II (night fighter, AI Mk.X radar in wing nacelles, only 37 built), F.III (development only), FR.IV (Griffon 74, larger radiator), AS.5 (post-war anti-submarine), AS.6, AS.7 (redesigned).
Where you'll see it
Fleet Air Arm 1943–1950 in frontline service, training roles into the mid-1950s. Survivors at Fleet Air Arm Museum Yeovilton and RNZAF Museum Wigram.
Related aircraft
- Fairey Firefly AS.5
- Swordfish
- Bisnovat SK-2
- Boulton Paul P.92
- Brewster SB2A Buccaneer
- Curtiss P-40 E Kittyhawk
AircraftIQ — the aircraft field guide: 4,893 recognition guides, live overhead identification, works offline.