Supermarine Type 322
Supermarine · United Kingdom · first flew 1943 · bomber
The Type 322 was a British carrier-borne torpedo, dive-bomber and reconnaissance prototype of the Second World War. Only two were built.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, tapered |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Corpulent fuselage that earned the nickname Dumbo |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- High-wing monoplane with a variable-incidence wing
- Fixed tailwheel undercarriage
- Corpulent fuselage that earned the nickname Dumbo
A tubby single-engine high-wing monoplane with a fixed tailwheel undercarriage. Its wing could change incidence between 2 and 16 degrees and could also fold.
Specifications
- The Supermarine Type 322 has a length of 12.19 m (40 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 15.24 m (50 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 449 km/h (279 mph).
- Typical crew: 3.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
It was designed to Specification S.24/37 as a replacement for the Fairey Albacore, and was first intended to use the Rolls-Royce Exe before the Merlin was substituted. The first prototype flew on 6 February 1943, by which time the rival Fairey Barracuda was entering service.
Variants
The second prototype had a Merlin 32 with a four-blade propeller, a larger tail and alclad outer wings. A developed version was planned as the Type 380.
Where you'll see it
It was not ordered and the two aircraft were used as experimental machines. The second was used in 1946 for chase flying in low-speed trials of the Supermarine Attacker.
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