Fairey Fleetwing
Fairey Aviation · United Kingdom · first flew 1929 · reconnaissance aircraft
The Fairey Fleetwing was a British two-seat, single-engine biplane designed to an Air Ministry contract for carrier-based reconnaissance in the late 1920s.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 8.94 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Single-bay biplane with a lower wing of much narrower chord than the upper
- Water-cooled Rolls-Royce Kestrel in a streamlined installation
- Folding wings for carrier storage
Two cockpits in tandem, N-type interplane struts and a fin and rudder that evolved alongside those of the Fairey Firefly.
Specifications
- The Fairey Fleetwing has a length of 8.94 m (29 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 11.28 m (37 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 272 km/h (169 mph).
- Typical crew: 2.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
It was Fairey's response to Specification 22/26 for a carrier-borne spotter reconnaissance aircraft, stressed for catapulting. It first flew on 16 May 1929, at first with wooden wings.
Variants
Only one was built, so there were no variants.
Where you'll see it
It was intended for the Fleet Air Arm, with limited interceptor fighter capability.
Related aircraft
- Fairey Firefly IIM
- Fairey Hendon
- Fairey Gordon
- Fairey Fox
- Aichi E3A
- Breguet 270
- Canadian Vickers Vancouver
- Hall PH
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