Supermarine Attacker
Supermarine · UK · first flew 1946 · fighter
The Supermarine Attacker was the Royal Navy's first operational jet fighter, a straight-wing carrier aircraft powered by a Rolls-Royce Nene.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Low-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × turbojet, fuselage-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 11.43 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Early jet fighter with tailwheel undercarriage
- Single Rolls-Royce Nene turbojet
- Straight laminar-flow wing
Unusual among jets for its tailwheel undercarriage and straight wing, giving a nose-high stance on deck.
Specifications
- The Supermarine Attacker has a length of 11.43 m (37 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 11.25 m (37 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 950 km/h (590 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
First flown in 1946, it mated a new jet fuselage to a laminar-flow wing derived from the Spiteful, entering Fleet Air Arm service in 1951.
Variants
Built as fighter and fighter-bomber marks for the Fleet Air Arm and for export to Pakistan.
Where you'll see it
Served with the Fleet Air Arm in the early 1950s; a genuinely British naval type soon overtaken by swept-wing fighters.
Related aircraft
- Supermarine Seafang
- Supermarine Seafire Mk 47
- Supermarine Spitfire Mk 24
- Supermarine Seafire Mk XV
- Avia S-92
- Bell X-1
- Commonwealth CA-15
- Hughes XF-11
AircraftIQ — the aircraft field guide: 5,024 recognition guides, live overhead identification, works offline.