Armstrong Whitworth Whitley, part two

 

After the completion of the first 34 aircraft, the engines were replaced by the more reliable and supercharged Armstrong Siddeley Tiger Mk.VII. The 27th production Whitley is believed to have served as the prototype for this modification which would be known onwards, as the Mk.II. On this standard, a total of 46 machines were completed from 1938 onwards at Baginton and one of them was used as the test bed for the Armstrong Siddeley Deerhound radial engine which yielded 1.200 hp of power. 

On 6th January 1939, the first prototype of this variant made its maiden flight. Another Mk.I was modified to operate with a higher gross weight. 

The 29th production Whitley served also as the prototype for a more advanced variant, the Mk.III, as it featured numerous improvements, such as the replacement of the manually operated nose turret by a powered Nash & Thompson one and a powered retractable dustbin ventral turret equipped with twin-guns. This turret, however, proved to be hard to operate and added considerable drag, so it was removed in subsequent versions and the Mk.III was the only variant to feature it. Another smaller changes include increased dihedreal of the outer wing panels, superior navigational provisions and the installation of new bomb racks. On this variant, a total of 80 machines were completed from August 1938 onwards at Baginton. 

 

Sources:

1. 1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armstrong_Whitworth_Whitley

2. Hall Park Books - Warpaint 21 - Armstrong Whitworth Whitley

3. https://www.valka.cz/Armstrong-Whitworth-A-W-38-Whitley-Mk-II-t6568

4. https://www.valka.cz/Armstrong-Whitworth-A-W-38-Whitley-Mk-III-t61036

Armstrong Whitworth Whitley, part one

 

Back in July 1934 the British Air Ministry issued a specification, the B.3/34 looking for a heavy night bomber with troop transport capabilities that could replace the Handley Page Heyford Biplane bomber that was in service. 

John Lloyd, Armstrong Whitworth's chief designer, answered the specification with a design called the A.W.38, which later was given the name of 'Whitley' after the location of Armstrong Whitworth's main factory. This design, was a development of their previous design, the A.W.23 for a bomber/transport aircraft that had lost to the Bristol Bombay in the earlier C.26/31 specification. 

The Armstrong Siddeley Tiger IX radial engine was selected for the Whitley, as it was capable of generating up to 795 hp. One of the most innovative features of the Whitley was the adoption of a three-bladed two-position variable pitch propeller built by De Havilland, as the Whitley was the first aircraft to fly in such configuration. Considering that Lloyd was unfamiliar with the usage of flaps on large heavy monoplanes, they were initially omitted from the design. So, in order to compensate, the mid-set wings were set at a high angle of incidence (8.5º) to yield a good take-off and landing performance. Although flaps were introduced later in the design stage, the wing remained unaltered and, therefore, the Whitley flew with a pronounced nose-down attitude when flown with the wings in the cruising position, resulting in considerable drag.

The Whitley also holds the distinction of being the first aircraft with a semi monocoque fuselage, which was built using a slab-sided structure to ease production, to serve with the RAF. This method replaced the tubular construction method which was traditionally employed by Armstrong Whitworth. Instead, the frame was constructed from light-alloy rolled sections, pressings and corrugated sheets. This, according to some author, was a huge step forward as it allowed the Whitley to survive severe damage on operations.

Given the urgency to replace the old Heyford biplane, in June 1935 a verbal agreement was reached to produce an initial batch of 80, forty of them being Whitley Mk.I and the other forties being more advanced Mk.II. Production was initially overtaken at three factories in Coventry with assembly works being made at Baginton Aerodrome. During 1935 and 1936 various contracts were placed for the type, with the Whitley being ordered 'off the drawing board', before the first flights of the prototype. 

On 17th March 1936 the first prototype flew for the first time in Baginton Aerodrome, in Warwickshire. It was piloted by Alan Campbell-Orde, who was Armstrong Whitworth's chief test pilot. This prototype was powered by two Armstrong Siddeley Tiger IX radial engines which yielded 795 hp of power. The second prototype, however, was powered by two Armstrong Siddeley Tiger XI engines, which were a medium-supercharged variant of the IX version. 

The prototypes barely differed from the production version and a total of 34 Whitley Mk.I were completed.

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armstrong_Whitworth_Whitley

2. Hall Park Books - Warpaint 21 - Armstrong Whitworth Whitley

3. https://www.valka.cz/Armstrong-Whitworth-A-W-38-Whitley-Mk-I-t6567

Shenyang F-6, Pakistan users, part two

 

The F-6 was operated by the No.15 Squadron 'Cobras' of the No.33 Wing based at Kamra. Nos. 17 and 23 Squadrons 'Talons' also operated the type based at Samunghi Air Base, in Quetta. No.19 Air Superiority Squadron 'Phoenix', based at Masroor also employed the type. 
Practically almost every Pakistani pilot began their flying careers with the F-6 or another Chinese aircraft. In spite of not being specially sophisticated, the F-6 allowed the pilots to gain valuable jet experience before transitioning to more advanced types. 

Initially, Pakistan Air Force's (PAF) F-6s flew in natural metal colour, often with colourful squadron markings. Later, Olive drab or two tone grey or grey/green camouflage patterns were introduced, always keeping their flashy squadron markings. As an example of this, No.15 Squadron often had red/white checkered rudders and noses. 

In the late 1980s the surviving F-6s had been relegated to the advanced training role being assigned to two operational conversion units (OCU). These were the No.1 Fighter Conversion Unit (FCU) and No.14 Squadron OCU at Mianwali Air Base which was the first stop for student pilots fresh from the PAF academy at Risalpur. No.25 Squadron OCU based at Sargodha Air Base also was one of those units. In this training process, five weeks of ground training were followed by five to six months of flying training in which the trainees logged some 70-80 sorties including 30 on the FT-6 trainer. 

Sargodha also hosted the Combat Commanders School (CCS), which is at the top of training process. This unit had one F-6 squadron. However they phased it out, together with the FT-6 during the mid 1990s as they converted to the Chengdu F-7P 'Skybolt' and Guanzhou FT-7, which was a Chinese variant of the MiG-21UM trainer. 

By 1991 many of the F-6s were already been retired and replaced by the Martin/Lockheed F-16A and the Chengdu F-7P. By April 1992 two squadrons of F-6s were donated to the Bangladesh followed by some few more. According to some sources, in late 1991 a total of 80 plus F-6Cs and 15 FT-6 were still in active service with the PAF.

Sources:

1. Midland Publishing - Aerofax - Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19. The Soviet Union's First Production Supersonic Fighter

2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shenyang_J-6

3. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters

Shenyang F-6, Pakistan users, part one

 

Pakistan was one of the first export customers of the Shenyang F-6 and also the largest one as they took delivery of more than 260 units in total. 

As Pakistan clashed with India in 1964, the USA placed a weapons embargo on both countries so Pakistan that traditionally relied on the USA as a weapons supplier, faced a dilemma: Unlike India, they couldn't count on the USSR to get military assistance, so when the Chinese offered to sell the F-6 which, back then was considered as quite modern, they accepted.

In September 1965 a contract was signed and in October a group of Pakistani pilots were sent to China to overtake conversion training. The first 60 F-6s began to arrive at Sargodha Air Base, close to Faisalabad, in December 1965 and by March 1966 the delivery was completed. Those 60 machines were assigned to the Pakistani Air Force (PAF), with a further 125 late-model F-6C plus an unknown number of FT-6 trainers being delivered later from 1978 onwards at a nominal price. In fact, entire batches were set aside at Shenyang's factory to be sent to Pakistan. However, some other sources claim that, in 1965, only 40 machines were exported and 100 were sent later.

China also built an overhaul plant for the PAF's F-6 at Kamra, close to Peshawar, at no cost, which was commissioned on 8th November 1980. This plant was absolutely needed because the airframe of the F-6 had a time between overhauls (known commonly with the acronym of TBO) of just 800 hours. Hence, the fighters had to be taken back to China for overhaul at frequent intervals and, as the overhaul could take as long as two years, the PAF's combat capability was severely affected with just 40 F-6 out of service at any time, it was completely unacceptable. 

The Kamra overhaul plant also undertook some upgrade works on the F-6, integrating some Western avionics and AIM-9B/J Sidewinder air-to-air missiles when the US embargo was lifted. The missile racks for the Sidewinder missiles were set outboard of the drop tank hardpoints. An IFF blade aerial antenna was also fitted on the port side of the nose, immediately aft of the air intake. Some F-6 were also fitted with Martin-Baker Mk.10L zero-zero ejection seats, while other were fitted with a locally-designed 750 L (198 Us Gal/164 UK Gal) conformal belly tank, freeing the regular drop-tank hardpoints for additional weapons. Some Pakistani F-6 fighters also flew with non-standard drop tanks, known as Misawa tip tanks borrowed from the Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star.

Sources:

1. Midland Publishing - Aerofax - Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19. The Soviet Union's First Production Supersonic Fighter

2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shenyang_J-6

3. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters

Fairey Firefly, British Users, Part five

 

The Fairey Firefly was a British World-War 2 era carrier-borne fighter and anti-submarine aircraft. On this post we're going to cover the many variants that were made:

• Firefly F.MkI/F.I: A carrier-borne fighter developed as a replacement of the Fairey Fulmar. Four-hundred and twenty nine machines manufactured by Fairey Aircraft.
• Firefly NF.Mk.I/NF.I: Night-fighter variant produced in parallel to the F.I. This version was equipped with an ASH radar (AN/APS-4) placed inside a small pod hanging under the nose. Its main screen was in the radio area and had another auxiliary one for the pilot. 
• Firefly FRMk.I/FR.I: Fighter-Reconnaissance variant which progressively replaced the F.I. This differed from the F.I in having an ASH radar fitted in a different manner than the NF.I. Until the start of the Korean War, it was the main two-seater fighter aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm (FAA). Some of them were also manufactured by General Aircraft Ltd. 
• Firefly F.MkIA/F.IA: Some Fireflies F.I converted into FR.I standards. 
• Firefly T.MkI/T.1: An advanced pilot trainer. Forty-one machines were converted by Fairey in 1946, of which 36 were destined to the FAA and four for the Royal Dutch Navy. The radio operator's area was replaced by an elevated second cockpit and every armament was removed. Some machines, however, kept two machine guns, instead of the four ones.
• Firefly TT.Mk.I/TT.I: Surplus Mk.I machines converted into target tugs. Exported to Canada, Denmark, India and Sweden.
• Firefly NF.Mk.II/NF.II: The original fighter prototype, equipped with an Al Mk.X radar placed inside a radome on the wing. Given the shift on the centre of gravity, the bow was extended 18 inches (45.7 cm). The production was brief after just 37 machines were converted in June 1944 due to problematic radar and manoeuvrability. All of them were reconverted to the NF.I standard. 
• Firefly T.Mk.II/T.2: F.I/FR.I fighters reconverted to aerial combat trainers. Just like the T.1, the rear cockpit was replaced by an elevated second cockpit and was armed by two 20 mm Hispano cannons. It also had provision for underwing bombs and flares. Fifty-four machines were converted in 1949. 
  Every machine until this variant was powered by a single Rolls-Royce IIB engine yielding 1.730 hp of power or, as later variants were, a single Rolls-Royce Griffon XII rated at 1.990 hp which drove a three-bladed propeller.
• Firefly F.Mk.III/F.3: Prototype for a single-seat fighter powered by the Rolls-Royce Griffon 61 engine. It was rebuilt from the 10th exemplar of the F.I and took off for the first time in spring 1943. Results were, however, unsatisfactory and the project was abandoned in favour of the Mk.4, which this prototype worked as.
• Firefly T.Mk.III/T.3: The third and last training variant based on the FR.I. This variant was aimed for observer training and was equipped with additional equipment. Armament and arrestor hook were removed. Fifty machines were converted between 1949 and 1951.
• Firefly FR.Mk.IV/FR.4: Second main fighter-reconnaissance variant, with a shortened wing, a Rolls-Royce Griffon 74 engine which yielded 2.200 hp of power and reworked cooling system with coolers placed in the wings. The ASV radar was placed in a radome on the leading edge of the starboard wing and an additional fuel tank was placed inside another radome-ish looking fuel tank integrated at the leading edge of the port wing. Tail was also modified. More than 160 machines were manufactured between September 1946 and February 1948 and they were kept as FAA's main fighter until 1950.
• Firefly NF.Mk.4/NF.4: A small number converted from the basic FR.4, modified for night-fighting. They barely differed from the FR.4.
• Firefly TT.Mk.4/TT.4: Target tow conversion from the FR.4 made for the FAA. Twenty-eight machines converted, with additional 5 delivered to Australia and the Netherlands.
• Firefly FR.Mk.5/FR.5: Modified fighter-reconnaissance version of the FR.4. This version differed from the FR.4 in having hydraulic folding of the wings instead of the traditional hand-made one. Additional protection was also provided for the radar to protect it from excessive vibration. Many FR.4 were upgraded to this standard at the outbreak of the Korean War.
• Firefly NF.Mk.5/NF.5: Night fighter variant of the FR.5. Equipped with the usual night-fighter equipment like exhaust covers. It also featured a new radio altimeter (of the ARI 5284 model) and a new radar of the ARI 5664 "Monica" model which warned if an aircraft approached from behind. 
• Firefly AS.Mk.5/AS.5: Anti-submarine variant of the FR.5. Production period ranged from 1948 until 1950, however, those built from 1949 onwards were equipped with an ARI 5284 radio altimeter and could be fitted with sonobuoys and depth charges. Many of them served during the Korean War, however as the naval combat during that conflict was residual, most of them were converted to the FR.5 standard to be used as ground attack aircraft.
• Firefly AS.Mk.6/AS.6: Anti-submarine variant based on the AS.5 but with various improvements like longer landing gear, the capacity to carry either British or American-made sonobuoys, a total of 16 underwing rockets and its cannons were removed. The prototype of this variant flew for the first time on 23rd May 1949 and a total of 189 machines were built, 56 of them converted from AS.5 machines.
• Firefly TT.Mk.6/TT.6: Four Australian machines adapted for target towing duties in a similar manner as the TT.4.
• Firefly AS.Mk.7/AS.7: Interim variant intended to serve until the Fairey Gannet was available. Manufactured from 1951 until 1953, this new variant featured a new redesigned wing, a two-seater rear cockpit, a new rudder, it was powered by the Rolls-Royce Griffon 59 engine which could yield 1965 hp of power and it lacked any offensive armament. The new engine featured a semi-circular radiator under the bow. It flew for the first time on 22nd March 1951 and with just 151 machines having been manufactured, production ceased in December 1953. It wasn't very popular as it suffered of poor handling and was unsuitable for carrier landings.
• Firefly T.Mk.7/T.7: As the Grumman Avenger AS.4 was introduced in the FAA, the Firefly AS.7 was retired from active duty and sent for training duties. They were reassigned to coastal bases to train observers and radar operator and were given this designation.
• Firefly U.Mk.8/U.8: Between the years 1953 and 1956 eight T.7 machines were reconverted into unmanned flying drones for missile testing at the Llanbedr proving range, in Wales. Eventually 32 machines were built.
• Firefly U.Mk.9/U.9: In 1956 forty AS.5/FR.5 machines were converted into unmanned target drones in a similar way as the U.8. Most of these were tested at the RAF Hal Far Base, in Malta.

Sources:

1. https://www.valka.cz/Fairey-Firefly-t43239

2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairey_Firefly

3. Hall Park Books - Warpaint 28 - Fairey Firefly

4. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters

Fairey Firefly, British users, part four

 

During the Korean War (1950-1953) both British and Australian Fireflies performed anti-shipping patrols and ground strikes from aircraft carriers positioned offshore. 

They also performed other mission roles like anti-submarine patrols and aerial reconnaissance as well as assisting battleships in providing effective naval gunfire support. Many Fireflies of the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) were loaned during this period to the Royal Australian Navy as we've seen in our previous two posts. In spite of the many incidents with anti-aircraft fire, the Firefly proved to be relatively sturdy. In fact, it was routinely used for strike operations against targets such as bridges and railway lines to damage North Korean logistics and communications. Furthermore, as the war was going on, pilots developed new low-level dive bombing techniques to achieve greater accuracy. In fact, the Firefly was present until the very final part of the conflict, when the Korean Armistice Agreement was signed on 27th July 1953 and they kept on flying post-armistice patrols for many years afterwards. 

The Korean War, however wasn't the end of the operational history for the Firefly, as it was deployed again in the Far East amid the Malayan Emergency, where it was employed in ground attack operations against Malayan Communist Party insurgents. However, it was replaced shortly after the introduction of the Fairey Gannet which eventually fully replaced it.

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairey_Firefly

2. Hall Park Books - Warpaint 28 - Fairey Firefly

3. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters

Fairey Firefly, Australian users, part two

 

The second Royal Australian Navy's (RAN) Carrier Air Group (CAG) was formed at RNAS St. Merryn, in Cornwall, on 25th April 1950 as the 21st CAG formed by 808 and 817 Naval Air Squadrons (NAS).

Those two squadrons embarked in October 1950 on board HMAS Sydney after having been trained in the UK by aircraft loaned to the RAN. A second batch of aircraft was also boarded consisting on two Fireflies AS.5 and 30 Fireflies AS.6. They were shipped to Nowra, where the 817 Naval Air Squadron was settled down on 6th December. They operated a mixed composition of AS.5 and AS.6 anti-submarine fighters. 817 NAS was attached to HMAS Sydney in May and, on their second embankment, they saw action in the Korean War. 

At the end of their war career, they were again assigned to HMAS Sydney on several cruises except for three periods spent on board HMAS Vengeance between the autumn 1953 and the spring 1954. Finally, they were disbanded in 1955 in order to be refitted with Fairey Gannets.

The RAN received further Fireflies in 1952 and 1953, reaching Australia on board merchant vessels, HMAS Vengeance and HMAS Sydney. Overall, two FR.4, 37 AS.5s and 69 AS.6 served with the RAN. All those amounts allowed for the creation of a third Firefly squadron on 3rd August 1954; 851 Naval Air Squadron, dedicated to operational training, also at Nowra. This squadron received an initial complement of 16 Fireflies FR.6 and T.5s (AKA T.Mk.5) but they remained ashore, except for a brief period of DLT programe aboard HMAS Sydney in March 1956. This squadron kept on flying their Fireflies long after the other two squadrons were reconverted to Gannets and it was disbanded on 13th January 1958. 

However, as the RAN was in need of trainers and target-towing aircraft, many airframes were converted to fulfil this role. Four AS.5s were converted into T.5s through adaptation and some redesign work thanks to the kits provided by Fairey to produce the T.1 and T.2. Similar kits were also provided by Fairey to convert two AS.5 and 6 AS.6 into TT.5 and TT.6 target tugs. These trainers and target-tugs supplemented another Fireflies and aircraft in the three RAN's second-line squadrons; 723, 724 and 725 NAS. The first squadron (723) acted as the Fleet Requirement Unit (FRU) from 1957 until 1963. 725 was also a FRU unit until it went through ASW training in 1959. Finally, 724 NAS was the last Australian Firefly operator as they kept the Fireflies trainers until March 1966. The 851 NAS also operated the Firefly trainer from August 1954 until January 1958 when they were disbanded, operating also from Nowra.

Sources:

1.  Hall Park Books - Warpaint 28 - Fairey Firefly

2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairey_Firefly

3. https://www.navy.gov.au/aircraft/fairey-firefly-as5as6

4. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters

Fairey Firefly, Australian users, part one

 

The Fairey Firefly was a British Second World War fighter and anti-submarine that saw service mainly with the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) but also with the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).

Shortly after the creation of the Royal Australian Navy Fleet Air Arm (RANFAA) in 1947, they acquired two aircraft carriers from the United Kingdom, the first one, (ex-HMS Terrible) was commissioned on 5th February 1949 as HMAS Sydney, and the second one (ex-HMS Majestic) had to be heavily modified to incorporate an angle deck, a steam catapult, a mirror landing system and larger deck lifts, so it wasn't until 28th October 1955 that she was commissioned as HMAS Melbourne. Meanwhile, the RAN had ordered Fireflies and Hawker Sea Furies in order to form three carrier air groups and had commissioned a shore base at Nowra, in New South Wales. 

The RNAS Eglinton, in Northern Ireland, saw the birth of the RANFAA when the 28th Carrier Air Group (CAG) was commissioned there on 28th August 1948. This CAG was composed by 805 and 816 Naval Air Squadrons (NAS) which received training in the United Kingdom on Sea Furies and Fireflies respectively. Initially loaned by the Royal Navy, the aircraft were handed over to Australia on 27th October 1948 and, after having been worked up, they embarked on HMAS Sydney on 12th April 1949. 

The 816 NAS was initially equipped with two instructional FR.4 and 24 FR.5. Shortly later, in 1950, Fairey at Bankstown, in Sydney, modified 20 FR.5 to AS.5 with the installation of ASW equipment and the removal of the guns. 

816 NAS arrived in Australia on 25th May and the aircraft were towed by road to Nowra. They were complemented with the introduction of Fireflies AS.6 in July 1951 and in the summer of 1953 they were prepared to operate off Korea and worked up along with two Sea Fury squadrons aboard HMAS Vengeance. All the FR.6 were superseded by FR.5 at this time. The intended Korean War tour didn't materialise and the Fireflies returned ashore on 9th August. Even so 816 NAS was present off Korea when HMAS Sydney was involved in peace keeping activities after the cease fire, from November 1953 until June 1954. The other embarkations were all aboard HMAS Sydney. Four cruises with deployments at Hong Kong and Singapore, were carried out until 816 NAS was disbanded on 27th April 1955.

Sources:

1. Hall Park Books - Warpaint 28 - Fairey Firefly

2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairey_Firefly

3. https://www.navy.gov.au/aircraft/fairey-firefly-as5as6

4. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters

Fairey Firefly, British Users, part three

 

After completion of the prototype, handling trials were executed at RAF Boscombe Down, in Wiltshire. In 1944 the Firefly was cleared for using underwing rockets and, by April that same year, a payload of 16 rockets plus a pair of 45 gallon (205 L) drop tanks were successfully carried out with an acceptable handling. Various further testing was also carried out with different, albeit acceptable, results. 

During the Second World War, the primary used variant was the Firefly Mk.I, which saw action in every theatre of the conflict. 

In March 1943 the first Firefly Mk.I was delivered to the Fleet Air Arm (FAA), but their entry into operational service was delayed until July 1944 when they were assigned to the 1770 Naval Air Squadron on board of HMS Indefatigable (R10) Aircraft Carrier. 

Their first operations took place in the European Theatre where the Fireflies performed many armed reconnaissance flights and anti-shipping strikes along the Norwegian coast. 

Throughout its operational career, the Firefly assumed on more demanding roles, from fighter to anti-submarine warfare, while being stationed in the Far East with the British Pacific Fleet and the Pacific Theatre. In these theatres the type was used against both Japanese ground targets and fighters aircraft. FAA's Fireflies performed attacks on both oil refineries and airfields and they were dispatched numerous times to attack many Japanese-controlled islands until Victory over Japan Day. 

The Firefly gained public renown when it became the first British designed and built aircraft to overfly Tokyo, the Japanese capital. 

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairey_Firefly

2. Hall Parks Books - Warpaint 28 - Fairey Firefly

3. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters

Fairey Firefly, British Users, part two

 

The Fairey Firefly was a low-level cantilever monoplane which featured an oval shaped metal semi-monocoque fuselage and a conventional tail unit with a forward-placed tailplane. 

The initial versions were powered by the Rolls-Royce Griffon liquid-cooled piston engine which drove a four-blade Rotol-built propeller. 

The aircraft also featured a large chin-mounted radiator in order to provide extra cooling for the engine. 

It had a retractable undercarriage and tailwheel with the hydraulically-actuated main landing gear retracting inwards into the underside of the central section of the wing. This undercarriage arrangement was was very common and useful for carrier landings. The Firefly was also fitted with an arrestor hook mounted underneath the rear fuselage. Pilot's cockpit was located above the leading edge of the wing and the observer/radio operator/navigator's one was located aft of the wing's trailing edge. Both of those positions were optimum for better visibility when operating and landing. Both crew members were provided with separated jettisonable canopies. 

The Firefly was equipped with an all-metal wing which could be folded manually with the wings ending up along the sides of the fuselage when folded in order to store them inside the aircraft carrier. When deployed in flying position, they were locked hydraulically in place. The wing itself featured square tips and large Fairey-Youngman flaps which provided relatively good handling when flying at low speeds. The Mk.I (AKA FR.1/NF.1) variants were armed with four 20 mm Hispano Mk.V cannons buried in the wings, armament which was considered as heavy for the time. According to the pilots, the general handling of the Firefly was relatively well balanced, but a level of physical strength was required to effectively execute aerobatics. 

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairey_Firefly

2. Hall Park Books - Warpaint 28 - Fairey Firefly 

3. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters

Shenyang F-6, Vietnamese users

 

The Shenyang F-6 is the export denomination that the Chinese gave to their own version of the Soviet Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19 supersonic fighter. 

During the 1960s, the North Vietnamese government was supplied with an unknown number of F-6s and FT-6 trainers by the Chinese to employ them against the American-backed South Vietnamese state.  

These fighters, when compared to the more modern MiG-21, which were active with the North Vietnam Democratic Republic Air Force (NVDRAF), were more successful than expected as the supersonic capabilities of the MiG-21 weren't as useful in combat as originally thought because aerial dogfights at the time were conducted almost entirely at sub-sonic speeds. 

The F-6 (and the MiG-19 too) was found to be more manoeuvrable than the MiG-21 and, although slower, its acceleration during dogfights was considered adequate. 

In fact, one unit of the NVDRAF was almost entirely equipped with the F-6, the 925th Fighter Regiment, from 1969 onwards. They served until late 1970s when they were replaced by more modern types.

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shenyang_J-6

2. Midland Publishing - Aerofax - Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19. The Soviet Union's First Production Supersonic Fighter

3. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters

Shenyang F-6, various Asian users

 

The Shenyang J-6 (F-6 denomination for the export variants) is the Chinese-built version of the Soviet Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19. It started as a "pure" copy of the MiG, but it evolved until being a fighter of its own. As it has been massively produced, it has been also, exported to various countries around the globe, among them, the following ones:

• Bangladesh: Beginning in 1978 the Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) received at least 40 F-6C and FT-6 as a gift from Pakistan as they were phased out of service with the Pakistan Air Force. The F-6C was operated by the No.25 Squadron "Trendsetters" based initially at Patenga Air Base and later at other various air bases scattered around the country. By 1998 the types were being retired with the FT-6 being replaced in the trainer role by the Czech Albatross L-39ZA and the F-6C were replaced by Russian built MiG-29s.
• Burma/Myanmar: The Burmese Air Force ordered 36 F-6s, together with some Guizhou F-7M (the Chinese copy of the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21F-13) from China in 1990. However, by 1991 none of them were delivered. As with many other cases in this blog, we drawn it in Burmese colours in an imaginative exercise.
• Iraq: In 1983 Iraq bought 40 ex-Egyptian F-6C machines to supplement their MiG-19S. Their fate is unknown because many times they are taken by MiG-19s. However, it's most likely that many of them were destroyed during the First Gulf War and other sold to various customers like Uganda and North Korea. As we couldn't find graphical evidence of a Shenyang F-6C in Iraqi colours, the drawing should be considered as speculative.
• Iran: Apparently the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF) acquired 24 F-6 fighter-bombers from North Korea which arrived via a cargo ship in April 1983. Apparently, during the Iran-Iraq they saw some action against Iraqi forces as they served as ground-attackers. Later, they bought additional FT-6 trainers. As we couldn't find any photo or pic of Iran's F-6 nor fighters, nor trainers, the FT-6 depicted below should be considered as speculative.
• North Korea: In 1988 (some sources claim 1980) as the North Korean Air Force (NKAF) looked on expanding the size of their air force, they acquired 100 F-6 fighter-bombers which were delivered in 1988 and 1989. They are still active nowadays based around the various air bases around the country.

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shenyang_J-6

2. Midland Publishing - Aerofax - Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19. The Soviet Union's First Production Supersonic Fighter

3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_aircraft_of_the_Iranian_Air_Force

4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_historic_Bangladesh_military_aircraft

5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_People%27s_Army_Air_and_Anti-Air_Force

6. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters

Fairey Firefly, British users, part one

 

The Fairey Firefly was a British Second World War fighter and anti-submarine aircraft that was mainly operated by the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) and was produced and developed by the Fairey Aviation Company.

Its origins can be traced back to 1938, at which point British Authorities were preparing for a major conflict against Germany. In that context, the Air Ministry issued a specification calling for naval fighter, a conventional one and a "turret-fighter". The performance requirements for both was to be able to achieve a speed of 275 knots (509.3 km/h - 316.4 mph) at 15.000 (4.572 m) high while carrying an armament, for the conventional fighter of eight 0.303 in Browning machine guns or four 20 mm Hispano cannons. This new design was intended to replace the Fairey Fulmar which was already seen as an interim solution. These specifications were altered in 1939 while various manufacturers presented their ideas. Further changes to the official specification were made, such as the complete elimination of the turret fighter and the modification of the conventional one calling to cover single and double-seat fighters capable of achieving speeds of 330 and 300 knots (611.16 km/h - 380 mph and 555.6 km/h - 345.23 mph) respectively. 

Fairey presented designs that could fit either single or double-seats, powered either by the Rolls Royce Griffon engine or, combined with a larger airframe, the Napier Sabre engine. 

After some consideration of the manufacturer's feedback, the next year, the specification N.5/40, replaced the earlier specifications and, given the necessity of flying over open sea, it was decided to call only for a two-seater aircraft. In order to protect naval bases, a parallel single-seat design would eventually lead to the design of the Blackburn Firebrand. 

The Firefly was designed by H.E. Chaplin at Fairey and used the Fulmar as a departing point. In June 1940 the Admiralty placed an order for 200 aircraft "off the drawing board" given the imminent fall of France. Of those 200 fighters, the first three of them would function as the prototypes. It wasn't until 22nd December 1941 that the prototype of the Firefly made its maiden flight. As it was powered by the Griffon engine and was armed with two 20 mm Hispano cannons in each wing, it was 4.000 lb (1.810 kg) heavier than the Fulmar though it was 40 mph (60 km/h) faster due to improved aeronautics and the increased power of the Griffon IIB engine, which could generate a power of 1.735 hp.

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairey_Firefly

2. Hall Park Books - Warpaint 28 - Fairey Firefly

3. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters

Fairey Firefly, Dutch users

 

The Fairey Firefly is a British World War 2 era fighter and anti-submarine aircraft that was produced during and specially after the World War 2. With more than 1.000 exemplars, it was exported to various countries, among them the Netherlands, which is the subject of this post.

The Dutch Naval Aviation service showed interest about the Firefly already in 1945, when they ordered 30 Fireflies F.1 which would be delivered on January 1946. The first 15 of that order served with the 860 Naval Air Squadron, assigned to the HNLMS Karel Doorman (R81) aircraft carrier which was deployed, during the late 1940s in the Dutch East Indies, as part of the forces countering Indonesian nationalists. When talks broke down in July 1947, the Fireflies were deployed to bases located close to Surabaya, from where some aerial strikes were launched and three Fireflies were shot down by ground fire. 
After that, the eleven surviving Fireflies were returned to their homeland where seven of them were later converted into T.1 trainers. Meanwhile, back in 1946, the Dutch Naval Aviation had ordered fourteen new aircraft (of the FR.4 series) and later another fourteen FR.5, in 1949. These new aircraft were deployed at Dutch mainland, in Netherlands Antilles and Dutch New Guinea. In this last territory they were deployed in as late as 1960 in response to territorial demands and threats issued by Indonesia. As Indonesian forces began to infiltrate the territory, the Fireflies FR.4 carried out ground attack operations during early 1962, and these strikes continued until a political settlement was negotiated between the two countries. 

Shortly later, the Dutch Fireflies (some of which were had been converted into target tugs) were written off, and most of them were scrapped. 

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairey_Firefly

2. https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairey_Firefly#Paesi_Bassi (translated)

3. Hall Park Books - Warpaint 28 - Fairey Firefly

4. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters