General Aircraft G.A.L.38 Fleet Shadower
General Aircraft · United Kingdom · first flew 1940 · reconnaissance aircraft
The General Aircraft G.A.L.38 Fleet Shadower was a British long-range patrol aircraft design of the immediate pre-Second World War period.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 4 × piston, wing-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 11 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Twin fin |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- High-wing aircraft with fixed landing gear
- Four small Pobjoy Niagara V engines spread across the wing
- Three tail fins on the first flight, later replaced by a single large fin
The wing folds back for carrier stowage. It has a glazed observer's compartment in the nose.
Specifications
- The General Aircraft G.A.L.38 Fleet Shadower has a length of 11 m (36 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 17.02 m (56 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 185 km/h (115 mph).
- Typical crew: 3.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
It was built to Specification S.23/37 to follow enemy fleets at night. The first aircraft flew on 13 May 1940 with Niagara III engines and flew again in June 1941 with the Niagara V engines.
Variants
One flew. A second, incomplete aircraft was used as a spares source and then scrapped.
Where you'll see it
The aircraft had stability problems and the project was cancelled in February 1941. Propwash over the full-span flaps gave a minimum speed of 39 mph.
Related aircraft
- General Aircraft GAL.45 Owlet
- General Aircraft GAL.56
- Airspeed AS.39 Fleet Shadower
- Bellanca YO-50
- Beriev KOR-2
- Blackburn B-20
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