Bristol Beaufighter, part sixteen. Very late & post-war Beaufighters.

 

When World War 2 came to an end in Europe on 8th May 1945, there were fifteen Royal Air Force's (RAF) squadrons equipped with the Bristol Beaufighter. All of those units except for four were UK-based. In the Far East Theatre of Operations, two squadrons, Nos. 42 & 85 operated their Beaufighters and No. 45 Squadron was based at Kuala Lumpur and remained in action until the Japanese surrender in August 1945.
Not listening to the Japanese Emperor, many Japanese soldiers kept on fighting beyond 15th August 1945, when the surrender date for Japan was set, so No. 27 Squadron was allocated as an Air Jungle Search & Rescue unit during that month, undertaking the search & rescue role while offering also support to forward army units engaged with the remnants of the Japanese army. 
No. 27 Squadron was based at Akyab, Burma and, although they were informed during August that they were going to be disbanded, the order was soon rescinded when civil uprisings in Indonesia took place and the squadron was rebased to Mingaladon (Burma) with detachments to Batavia, Bayan Lepas, Kemajoram and Penang. This unit also performed some leaflet-dropping sorties to advise the Japanese troops to surrender, continuing on this type of sorties in some remote regions, like the Shan States as late as January 1946. 
The detachment in Batavia performed some ground-strikes against Indonesian rebels, with the first one taking place on 20th November 1945. The detachment was active in the area until February 1946, when it returned to Mingaladon to be disbanded together with the rest of the squadron.
A new RAF Beaufighter squadron was set up in the UK during the post-war years. This unit was No. 42 Squadron at RAF Thorney Island. This was formed by renumbering No. 254 Squadron and lasted just one year with the Beaufighter TF.X as it was disbanded on 15th October 1947.
During this time period, there were two Beaufighter units stationed in the Far East; No. 84 Squadron at Seletar (Singapore) and No. 45 at Negombo (Ceylon). Both of those units were soon sent to fight communist guerrillas in Malaya under Operation Firedog.

Just after the war, the situation in Malaya was complicated. It was a region formed by nine separate states, each run by its own Sultan, with a lot of help from the British government. The main political party in the whole country was the Malayan Communist Party (MCP), which was lead by the Chinese communist Chin Ping, who sparked an armed insurrection from the end of the war. 
In 1948 the MCP killed some European rubber plantation owners and therefore, in June a state of emergency was enforced in the region. Both British and Commonwealth forces were involved in what would be an anti-communist operation that would last for twelve-years and named 'Operation Firedog'.
The first sortie made by a Beaufighter in this context was performed by No. 84 Squadron, which had a detachment in Kuala Lumpur on the 19th August 1948. This unit maintained a  crew rotation system between their main base at Ceylon and the Kuala Lumpur detachment and, in June 1949 the whole squadron was based at Kuala Lumpur, with detachments at Butterworth (Penang) and Tengah. In October 1949 the unit began to transition to the new Bristol Brigand, but kept operating the Beaufighter side-by-side, until it was moved back to Tengah in December 1949 and finally replaced all of their Beaufighters with Brigands in February 1950. 
No. 84 Squadron was initially equipped with the Beaufighter TF.X from November 1946 and and was moved to Changi (Singapore) in October 1947 before being rebased back to Tengah in February 1948. A detachment was sent to Kuala Lumpur where they joined No. 45 Squadron in Operation Firedog from July of that same year. Here they did not employ the Beaufighter very much as by October 1948 most of the squadron's crews were in the UK training and collecting for the new Bristol Brigand. At that time the squadron was rebased to Habbaniya (Iraq), where it was retrained and fully re-equipped with the Brigand. The squadron did not return to Malaya until April 1950 where they resumed Operation Firedog, this time with the Brigands.

By 1949 the frontline career of the Beaufighter was clearly declining, although the type remained in RAF's inventory in the Far East until 1956. 
The last operational version of the Beaufighter was the target-towing TT. Mk. X, which were airframes converted from existing Mk. Xs, with the prototype for the series being NT813. This variant was stripped from armament and was equipped with a wind-driven winch mounted in the rear fuselage, with its associated windmill projecting from the starboard fuselage side. A total of fifty-nine additional machines were converted and were employed by gunnery co-operation units and many Advanced Flying Schools in the UK and abroad.
In the Middle and Far East the TT. Mk. X was also employed in Flights in Cyprus, Gibraltar and Malta as well as Seletar. It was here where the Seletar Base Flight made the last operational sortie with a Beaufighter, when on 12th May 1960 TT. Mk. X registration number RD761 took off from Seletar for a farewell salute. On landing the aircraft was grounded, struck off charge and scrapped four days later, marking an end to the Beaufighter's career with the RAF.

Sources:
1st Scale Aircraft Modelling - Modellers Datafile 6 - Bristol Beaufighter
2nd  Signal Squadron - Aircraft In action 153 - Bristol 'Beaufighter' in Action
3rd https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bristol_Beaufighter

De Havilland Vampire. Part Twenty. British users, part eight.

 

The de Havilland Vampire is a British jet fighter aircraft designed and manufactured by the de Havilland Aircraft company. It was the second jet fighter to enter service with the Royal Air Force (RAF) and was used by many squadrons through the 1950s until its usage went gradually down until it was replaced by more modern types, namely the de Havilland Venom or, in some cases, the Hawker Hunter.

Some of those squadrons were the following ones:

• No. 3 Civilian Anti-Aircraft Co-Operation Unit: This unit employed some outdated Vampire FB.9s at RAF Exeter. 
• No.5 Flying Training School: This formation unit employed the T.11 (together with some T.5 - the advanced trainer variant of the FB.5) from June 1954 until March 1962 when they were replaced by the Vickers Varsity. The initial aim of the unit was to convert trainee pilots to jet aircraft.
• No. 19 Squadron: This squadron, officially equipped with the Gloster Meteor, employed some T.11 during the late 1950s.
• No. 43 Squadron: The China-British Squadron employed some T.11 trainers when stationed at RAF Fife, Scotland. For some time they were shared with No.151 Squadron.
• No. 62 Squadron: Apparently this unit had in service some T.11 trainers before it was reformed as a pure missile unit. 
• No.151 Squadron: This unit used the T.11 at Scotland, shared with the No.43 Squadron for a brief period of time.
• No.219 Squadron: When this unit transitioned to the de Havilland Venom NF.2 (The night fighter variant of the Venom), they employed some T.11s as trainers during the year 1958.
• Royal Air Force Flying College: The RAF Flying College at Cranwell employed some outdated FB.9 as advanced trainers during the late 1950s.
• Central Flying School: The Central Flying School employed some T.11 trainers during the 1960s and into the early 1970s.

Some Royal Navy units employed the type as well, like the Flag Officer Flying Training or various station flights like RNAS Lossiemouth or RNAS Brawdy, among others, which employed the Sea Vampire T.22 (the naval trainer variant of the regular T.11) well into the 1960s.

Sources:

1st https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Havilland_Vampire

2nd Hall Park Books - Warpaint 27 - De Havilland Vampire

3rd https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._5_Flying_Training_School_RAF

4th https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Flying_School

De Havilland Vampire. Part Nineteen. British users, part seven.

 

The de Havilland Vampire is a British jet fighter designed and manufactured by the de Havilland Aircraft Company. It was the second British jet fighter to enter service with the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was used through the whole decade of the 1950s, albeit its usage decreased as the years passed by. 

Some of these users were:

• No.8 Squadron: This unit received the Vampire FB.9 to replace their Hawker Tempest and Bristol Brigands in 1952. They served until 1955 when they were replaced by the de Havilland Venom.
• No.45 Squadron: This squadron employed the Vampire T.11 while stationed at RAF Butterworth, Malaysia. The T.11s were used as trainers to adapt the pilots to the more modern de Havilland Venom which acted during the Malayan Emergency.
• No.56 Squadron: The Firebirds had some T.11 trainers in service from February 1954 until July 1959.
• No.501 Squadron: This unit replaced their Supermarine Spitfire LF.16e piston fighters with the Vampire F.1 in November 1948. The F.1s were supplemented with some Gloster Meteor T.7 (the training variant of the Meteor) and were updated in March 1951 by the FB.5. The F.1s were written off in June 1951, while the FB.5s were kept until the squadron was disbanded on 10th March 1957. In February 1957 they received some FB.9 which served alongside the FB.5s until February 1957. During all those years this squadron was stationed at either RAF Filton, Gloucestershire or RAF Tangmere. 
  Flight Lieutenant John Crossley flew a Vampire FB.9 beneath the Clifton Suspension Bridge (Bristol) before an unfortunate fatal crash. That was the last recorded (and only jet aircraft) flight under that bridge.
• No.607 Squadron: This squadron transitioned from the Spitfire F.14 and F.22 officially adopted the Vampire FB.5 in March 1951. They were supplemented with Vampire FB.9s until 10th March 1957 when the Royal Auxiliary Air Force (RxAF), which this squadron was part of, was disbanded. During all that time they were stationed at RAF Ouston, Northumberland.
• No.608 Squadron: This unit received the Vampire F.3 in December 1949 to replace their Spitfire F.22s. The F.3s were complemented with some outdated F.1s in May 1951 (which were only kept in active until June that same year) and the F.3s were written off in July 1953. In April 1952 they received some FB.5s which were kept in active until 10th March 1957 when the squadron was disbanded. They also received some FB.9s in April 1956. They were written off in February 1957. During all that time the Vampires were stationed either at RAF Thornaby, Yorkshire or, for a brief period of time, RAF Leuchars, Fife (Scotland). 
  
  

Sources:

1st https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Havilland_Vampire

2nd Hall Park Books - Warpaint 27 - De Havilland Vampire
3rd https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._607_Squadron_RAF

4th https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._608_Squadron_RAF

5th https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._501_Squadron_RAF

6th https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._56_Squadron_RAF

7th https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._45_Squadron_RAF

8th https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._8_Squadron_RAF

De Havilland Vampire. Part Eighteen. British users, part six.

 

The de Havilland Vampire is a British jet fighter designed and developed by the de Havilland Aircraft Company. It was the second jet fighter to enter service with the Royal Air Force (RAF) only after the Gloster Meteor.

Many squadrons of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force (RAxF) employed the Vampire, among them, the following ones:

• No. 502 Squadron: The Ulster Squadron transitioned from their piston engined Supermarine Spitfire F.22 to the Vampire FB.5 in June 1951, which were reinforced with additional FB.9 in July 1954. The squadron kept flying both types until the RAxF was disbanded, along with all its squadrons on 10th March 1957.
• No. 603 Squadron: This squadron received the Vampire in May 1951. It was kept in active until it was disbanded in March 1957.
• No.605 Squadron: This unit transitioned from a night intruder squadron to a day fighter one, after World War 2. Stationed at RAF Honiley (Warwickshire) they received the Vampire F.1 in July 1948 to replace their de Havilland Mosquitoes NF.30 (the night fighter variant of the Mosquito). The Vampires F.1 were replaced by the more advanced FB.5 in May 1951. They were kept in active until the RAxF squadrons were disbanded on 10th March 1957.
• No. 612 Squadron: This unit received the Vampire in June 1951. They were based in Scotland, at RAF Leuchars (Fife), RAF Edzell (Angus) and finally RAF Dyce (Aberdeenshire) until it was disbanded in March 1957.
• No. 613 Squadron: This squadron was equipped with the Vampire FB.5 in February 1951, although in 1949 they operated a small number of Vampires F.1. The Vampires were flown together with the Gloster Meteor T.7 (the trainer variant of the Meteor). They had also just a single FB.9 in inventory, between June 1954 and December 1956 when the FB.9 suffered an accident killing its pilot. The squadron was based at RAF Ringway (Cheshire) and was disbanded in March 1957.

Sources:

1st https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Havilland_Vampire

2nd Hall Park Books - Warpaint 27 - De Havilland Vampire

3rd https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._502_Squadron_RAF

4th https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._603_Squadron_RAF

5th https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._605_Squadron_RAF

6th https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._612_Squadron_RAF

7th https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._613_Squadron_RAF

De Havilland Vampire. Part Seventeen. British users, part five.

 

The de Havilland Vampire is a British jet fighter aircraft designed and developed by the de Havilland Aircraft Company. It was the second jet fighter to enter service with the Royal Air Force (RAF) after the Gloster Meteor.

The Vampire NF.10 (a radar-equipped night fighter variant, powered by the Goblin engine) entered service with the RAF in 1951 with three squadrons, Nos. 23, 25 and 151 until 1954. It was, however, often flown both in day and night times. The NF.10 was replaced by the de Havilland Venom NF.2 and its sub-variants, in the night fighter role. 

After the Vampires were replaced by the Venoms, they underwent trainer conversion to the NF.(T) 10 standard to serve in the Central Navigation and Control School at RAF Shawbury, Shropshire. By the year 1953 the Vampire FB.5 was considered to be obsolete as it couldn't compete with the technological advanced introduced in the Gloster Meteor F.8, so the RAF decided to relegate the Vampire to advanced training roles in the mid-1950s and the type was, generally, out of service by the end of the decade.

The Sea Vampire flew for the first time on 15th October 1948. Two prototypes soon followed by 18 production machines, which were used to gain experience in carrier operations before the arrival of the two-seater Vampire T.22 trainer (a navalized variant of the T.55 trainer built for the Fleet Air Arm). The Sea Vampire served initially with 700 and 702 Naval Air Squadrons, replacing their piston-powered de Havilland Sea Hornets. 

Sources:

1st https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Havilland_Vampire

2nd Hall Park Books - Warpaint 27 - De Havilland Vampire

De Havilland Vampire. Part Sixteen. British users, part four.

 

The de Havilland Vampire is a British jet-fighter aircraft developed and manufactured by the de Havilland Aircraft Company. 

In terms of power/weight ratio, the Vampire showed good numbers and was quite manoeuvrable at the 400-500 mph (640-800 km/h) range. Heavy usage of the rudder was required at slower speeds, forcing the pilots to be cautious to avoid stalls during shallow turns. However, this wasn't too dangerous as it was relatively easy to recover, via a positive elevator application. 

The Vampire could execute a wide range of aerobatic manoeuvres and as such its regarded as the last British jet fighter aircraft capable of performing hammer stalls, stall turns and wingovers. 

The set-up procedure for taking off was relatively simple as it only required six vital actions to be taken; set the trim to neutral, open the high and low-pressure fuel cocks, activate booster pump, set the flaps and retracting the air brakes. If the Vampire was loaded with bombs or rockets, the landing gear had to be quickly retracted upon leaving the ground or else the increased airflow could prevent the undercarriage doors from closing. 

Landing procedure was also relatively simple; disengage wheel brakes, lower the undercarriage, flaps full down and air brakes active. Given the slow response of the engine to throttle changes, power-on landings were very typical and wheel brakes were to be applied very carefully to prevent wheel locking as the fighters were not equipped with anti-locking system. Training variant, however, was equipped with one.

The experience of the Vampire in tropical areas led to the development of new models with refrigeration equipment for the pilot and a more powerful version of the Goblin engine, to counter the degradation of performance in hot climates. That's why the Royal Air Force (RAF) decided to adopt a new model of the Vampire powered by the Goblin 3 engine. Therefore, in January 1952 the first Vampire Mk.9 (AKA FB.9) was introduced to service with the Far East Air Force, replacing the FB.5s. The FB.9 also saw service in Middle East and Africa, with a brief deployment in 1954 against the Mau Mau rebels in Kenya. The FB.9 was gradually replaced by the de Havilland Venom. 
The Royal Navy employed the Vampire, albeit in limited numbers. The Sea Vampire had some key differences, as it was equipped with a V-shaped arrester hook that retracted to a high-mounted position above the jet pipe. It was fitted with larger air brakes and landing flaps for better low-speed control during carrier approaches. It was also equipped with stronger construction for the higher stresses involved in carrier landings and catapult launches. The Sea Vampire F.20 was a navalised variant of the FB.5.

Sources:

1st https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Havilland_Vampire

2nd Hall Park Books - Warpaint 27 - De Havilland Vampire

De Havilland Vampire. Part Fifteen. British users, part three.

 

The de Havilland Vampire is a British jet fighter developed and manufactured by the de Havilland Aircraft Company. It was the second jet fighter to enter service with the Royal Air Force (RAF).

It was initially powered by the Halford H1 engine, known as the de Havilland Goblin in its production variant, as it was designed by Frank Halford and manufactured by de Havilland. This engine, a centrifugal-flow type, was superseded in 1949 by the slimmer axial-flow units. 

Due to the initial high fuel consumption of the Goblin engine, early models of the Vampires had very limited range. This problem was, however, very common in every first generation jet-fighter aircraft. As a result, later models featured increased internal fuel capacity. The H1 engine remained practically unchanged for 13 years, since its inception in 1941 and was considered to be one of the most reliable turbojet engines. Successive models featured increased turbine temperature and thrust.

The Goblin I (or Halford H1) was initially rated at 2.100 lbf (9.3 kN) of thrust. This H1 powered most of Vampires Mk. I, however, the latest batch of the Mk. I featured the improved Goblin II and the Vampire Mk. III was powered by the Goblin III. By the mid-1950s an export variant, Goblin Mk. 35 was available, rated at 3.500 lbf (15 .5 kN).

The Vampire was light and sensitive to control as its elevator arrangement enabled generous acceleration from relatively little control inputs, together with highly balanced ailerons that could enable high roll rates. The rudder, however, required more vigorous actuation to achieve meaningful effect. This meant a problem for pilots converted from piston-engines as they found themselves having to adapt to slower acceleration rates of turbojet engines and its corresponding need to moderate rapid throttle movements to avoid compression stalls. 

During the Malayan Emergency, some Vampires were used in combat operations during the late 1940s and the early 1950s, specially the FB.5 which was widely employed as a fighter bomber thanks to its underwing combination of bombs and rockets, against Communist Malayan Guerrillas often located in remote jungle areas. The FB.5 was also the most produced variant of the Vampire with 473 machines having been produced. 

Sources:

1st https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Havilland_Vampire

2nd Hall Park Books - Warpaint 27 - De Havilland Vampire

De Havilland Vampire. Part Fourteen. British users, part two.

 

Mass production of the Vampire began on 13th May 1944 when an order for 120 Vampire Mk. I was put, and was quickly increased to 300 machines shortly later. Due to wartime requirements for already existing aircraft (namely, the Mosquito) ,production Vampire didn't fly until April 1945. English Electric Aircraft overtook some production at their factory in Preston, Lancashire. At the end of World War 2, just half a dozen were built, and, as mentioned in the previous post, it didn't enter operational service with the Royal Air Force (RAF) until 1946. 

Although many other aircraft types of the war suffered from post-war cuts, resulting in the end of their production lines, this didn't happen with the Vampire. 

The Vampire was a twin-boom jet-powered aircraft. Its design was very basic as it had not radar, had only manually operated controls, a simple airframe and made use of conventional practices and technologies. The twin-boom tail was the most unorthodox feature the Vampire had. Compared to later aircraft, its cockpit was rather disorganized and lacked ergonomic features, such as the fuel gauges being difficult for the pilot to see without pulling the control column back. Some controls were known to be difficult to handle, or were even obstructed by other systems. This was the case, for instance, with the fuel cock. On the other hand, the pilot had a extremely good external view, aided by the small size of the Vampire. 

On 23rd June 1948 the Vampire FB.5, carried out its maiden flight. The first machine on this variant was made from a modified F.3. The FB.5 was powered by the same Goblin III engine of the F.3 but had more armour protection around the engine, wings clipped back at 1 ft (30 cm) and longer stroke main landing gear to better handle bigger take-off weights and provide clearance for either external fuel tanks or additional weapons. The typical payload consisted on a 500 lb (227 kg) bomb under each wing or eight 3 inch rockets stacked in pairs of four attachments inboards of the booms. 

The Cold War theatre where most Vampires were stationed was, by far, Germany. This measure was took as the emerging Cold War climate between the east and the west escalated, specially during the events of the Berlin Blockade or the Korean War. Vampires were also operated by a number of reserve squadrons of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force stationed in the British Isles. 

Sources:

1st https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Havilland_Vampire

2nd Hall Park Books - Warpaint 27 - De Havilland Vampire

Fairey Gannet, part five

 

The Fairey Gannet AEW.3 is a variant of the regular Fairey Gannet adapted for use in the Airborne Early Warning (AEW) role on boards Royal Navy's aircraft carriers. 

In the late 1950s the Royal Navy operated the piston-engined Douglas A-1 Skyraider from its aircraft carriers in the AEW role. However, as that design dated back to the World War 2, although it was in active with the Royal Navy since 1951, it was considered obsolete. Therefore, the Royal Navy issued a directive, called "AEW.154", looking for a replacement for the Skyraider. The contestants were the Blackburn B-54/B-88 and the Fairey Type Q/17, which was the one who won. 

The AEW.3 prototype flew for the first time in August 1958 with carrier trials taking place on board HMS Centaur (R06) in November and the first production aircraft being delivered in December. In August 1959, the 700 Naval Air Squadron was formed as the trial squadron of the AEW.3. This unit tested thoroughly the new Gannet, until January 1960, when the unit was renamed as 'A' flight of 849 Naval Air Squadron and was embarked into the HMS Ark Royal (R09). A total of 44 AEW.3 were ordered by the Royal Navy to replace the Skyraider. 

The Royal Navy developed its AEW tactics with the Skyraider, and then evolved them with the increased capabilities of the Gannet.

It served as the Royal Navy's main AEW aircraft until December 1978 when 849 Squadron, the main operator of the type, was disbanded after the decommissioning of HMS Ark Royal (R09), leaving the Royal Navy without embedded airborne early warning.

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairey_Gannet_AEW.3

2.  https://www.thunder-and-lightnings.co.uk/gannet/history.php

3. Hall Park Books - Warpaint 23 - Fairey Gannet

4. https://www.valka.cz/Fairey-Gannet-AEW-Mk-3-t1756

Fairey Gannet, part four

 

The prototype of the Fairey Gannet flew for the first time on 19th September 1949 and made the first carrier landing by a turboprop aircraft on HMS Illustrious (87) later, on 19th June 1950, at the hands of Lt. Cdr. G. Callingham. After having changed the operational requirements with the addition of a radar and a third crew member to operate it, the type began to be produced in 1953, with initial deliveries being called Gannet AS.1 and delivered to RNAS Ford (West Sussex) in April 1954. Shortly after a trainer variant, called T.2 was developed and flew for the first time in August 1954. The Fleet Air Arm's first operational Gannet squadron, 826 Naval Air Squadron, was embarked on board HMS Eagle (R05). 

The initial production order called for 100 Gannet AS.1. Eventually, a total of 348 Gannets were manufactured, of which 44 were re-designated as AEW.3, of the airborne early warning type. Production ranged from 1953 until the late 1950s and was shared between Fairey's factories at Hayes in Middlesex, Heaton Chapel in Stockport and Manchester Ringway airport. 

By mid-1960s the AS.1 and AS.4 (an improved version) had been replaced by the Westland Whirlwind HAS.7 helicopter. However, some Gannets were kept in active service as Electronic Counter-Measures aircraft as the ECM.6 and some other AS.4 were converted to Carrier On Board Delivery role, the aerial supply of mail and light cargo to the fleet.

Sources:

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

2. https://www.thunder-and-lightnings.co.uk/gannet/history.php

3. Hall Park Books - Warpaint 23 - Fairey Gannet

4. https://www.valka.cz/Fairey-Gannet-t94590 (translated)

Fairey Gannet, part three

 

In the Fairey Gannet, the pilot was seated forward, having this way a good view over the nose for carrier operations, and sat over the Double Mamba engine, behind the gearbox and propellers. The aerial observer sat under a separate canopy, directly behind the pilot. After prototype tests, a third crew member, with the role of second observer, was included, in his own separate cockpit, placed over the wing trailing edge. This change altered the airflow over the horizontal stabilizer, which required small finlets on either side to be included. The Gannet was also fitted with a large internal weapons bay, capable of holding up to 2.000 lbs. (907 kg) of either bombs, torpedoes, depth charges and/or rockets, and a retractable radome under the rear fuselage, where the Ekco ASV Mk.19 radar's antennae was placed.

The wings folded in two places with a distinctive "Z"-shape on each side. The first fold was upwards, at about a third of the wing span where the inboard anhedral (down-sweep) changed to the outboard dihedral (up-sweep) of the wing (often described as an inverted gull wing). The second wing fold was downward, about two-thirds of the wing span. The length of the nosewheel shock absorber caused the Gannet to have a peculiar nose-high altitude, characteristic which was common in every carrier aircraft.

When serving with the Fleet's Air Arm (FAA) most of them were painted in the standard camouflage scheme of a Sky (duck-egg blue) underside and fuselage sides, with upper surfaces in Extra Dark Sea Grey. Fuselage demarcation line ran from the nose behind the propeller spinner in a straight line, to then curve and join the fin line. Code numbers were generally painted on the side of the fuselage, ahead of the wing and round and serial markings were behind the wing. The T.2 and T.5 dual-control trainer variants were left in silver overall with a yellow or orange "trainer" band on the rear fuselage and wings.

Sources:

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

2. https://www.thunder-and-lightnings.co.uk/gannet/history.php

3. Hall Park Books - Warpaint 23 - Fairey Gannet

Fairey Gannet, part two

 

The Fairey Gannet was a carrier-borne anti-submarine/strike aircraft that was designed and developed by Fairey Aviation after World War 2.

The Gannet was build as a response to the GR.17/45 Admiralty requirement made in 1945, for which both Fairey (Fairey Type Q, AKA Fairey 17) and Blackburn (Blackburn B-54/B-88) presented their prototypes. 

Initially, the Rolls-Royce Tweed engine was considered, however, Fairey discarded it in favour of the Armstrong-Siddeley Mamba turboprop, the Double Mamba. These engines were mounted side-by-side and coupled through a common gearbox to coaxial contra-rotating propellers with each engine driving its own propeller. Power was transmitted by a torsion shaft engaged through a series of sun, planet, epicyclic and spur gears to give a suitable reduction ratio and correct propeller-shaft rotation. 

The ASMD.1 engine, capable of achieving up to 2.950 hp of power, was equipped in the Gannet AS.1 (first anti-submarine version) and the AS.4 (an improved anti-submarine variant) was powered with a ASMD.3 engine with 3.875 hp of power. The Double Mamba engine could be run with one engine off and its propeller feathered to conserve fuel and extend endurance when cruising. In a traditional twin-engined aircraft, this would create thrust asymmetry, however, this was avoided thanks to the centerline-mounted propellers. Mamba exhausts were placed on each side of the fuselage, at the root of the wing trailing edge. The gas turbine engine could run on kerosene, "wide-cut" turbine fuel or diesel fuel, allowing the Admiralty to discard the dangerous high-octane petroleum spirit required to operate piston-engined aircraft from aircraft carriers. 

Sources:

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

2. https://www.thunder-and-lightnings.co.uk/gannet/history.php

3. Hall Park Books - Warpaint 23 - Fairey Gannet

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, 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

Airspeed AS.10 Oxford, part ten, British users part three

The Oxford, which was nicknamed 'the Ox-Box', was used to prepare complete aircrews for the Royal Air Force's Bomber Command. It could in fact, train pilots, navigators, bomb aimers, gunners and radio operators in the same flight. Additionally, the Oxfords were also used in the Middle East, East Africa and other theatres of the war as communications, anti-submarine and air ambulances thanks to its versatility.
The Oxford was the favourite trainer of both Empire Air Training Scheme and British Commonwealth Air Training Plan which is why it was distributed all along the British Empire.
Amy Johnson, the first woman to fly solo from London to Australia, was flying an Oxford when she when missing over the Thames Estuary, where she presumably and unfortunately crashed in 1941.
The Oxford continued in service with the Royal Air Force (RAF) well after the war, until 1956 to be more precise. They were used as trainers and light transports.
Most Oxfords in the United Kingdom were equipped with a knotted rope which went from the pilot's seat to the rear door to assist in the evacuation should the plane entered into an uncontrollable spin, which was almost impossible to recover from. When the pilots released their seat belts centripetal force would hurl them to the rear of the plane, beyond the exit door, from where it was impossible to crawl forward to the door. The rope was installed as an answer to a test made by four engineers who tried to recover from a spin at 18.000 ft (5.484 m) high. When the aircraft didn't recover no matter how hard they tried, the four released their harness and were immediately hurled to the rear of the plane where they remained helpless as the spiral descent continued. However, the plane was in such flat spin when it reached the ground that it skidded sideways over the surface of a field until the tail section hit a haystack and broke off. The four engineers walked away with minor injuries and the valuable lesson that the knotted rope was the only positive remedy for the Oxford in case it entered a spin.

Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airspeed_Oxford
2. https://www.baesystems.com/en/heritage/airspeed-horsa-glider
3. https://www.airvectors.net/avanson.html

Airspeed AS.10 Oxford, part nine, British users part two

The Airspeed AS.10 Oxford was a low-wing twin-engine cantilever monoplane with a semi-monocoque fuselage, a conventional landing gear configuration and a wooden tail. It was thanks to its configuration that it could replicate the flying characteristics of any frontline aircraft of the moment. It was specifically designed for a wide range of training missions such as navigation, flying instruction, night flying, instrument flying, wireless radio training, direction finding, gunnery and vertical photography. The Oxford was specifically designed to include various modern innovations and equipment fittings like a full array of instruments and controls within the cockpit which were very useful in the trainer role. Additionally it could also be used in additional roles such as air ambulance or maritime reconnaissance.
Regarding the flying experience, the Oxford was representative enough to give the pilots the experience needed to migrate onto larger aircraft with ease while possessing smooth flying characteristics.
It was operated by a crew of three, with the seating arrangement being interchangeable to better suit various purposes, such as to better enable a specific training role. The cockpit featured dual controls and a pair of seats in order to accommodate a pilot and either a navigator or a second pilot alongside. When used for bomb aimer training, the second set of controls was removed and the freed space was used for a bomb-aimer in prone position. When used as a navigator trainer, the second seat was pushed back so it would be in-line up with the chart table. Aft of the cockpit was a wireless operator station facing aft of the starboard side of the fuselage. The turret present in the Mk.I version of the Oxford, could also be used for gunnery, navigation, wireless, bomb-aimers or camera operators. The centre section could host up to 16 11 lb (4.98 kg) which could be released via bomb-release switches installed at the pilot and bomb-aimers' stations.
The Oxford was normally powered by a pair of Armstrong-Siddeley Cheetah X air-cooled radial engines which yielded 340 hp each. Those were initially outfitted with wooden fixed-position De-Havilland-built propellers but it was initially designed to have variable-pitch propellers. The starboard engine drove a hydraulic pump and air compressor with this one being used to actuate the undercarriage and flaps and the pump being used on the brake system. The port engine drove a 500 -watts electrical generator. The engine cowling featured an inlet that drew cooling air into a tank. A pair of tinned steel oil tanks were also contained within the cowling. Welded steel construction was used for the nacelles.

Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airspeed_Oxford
2.  https://www.valka.cz/Airspeed-Oxford-Mk-I-t6612
3. https://www.valka.cz/Airspeed-Oxford-Mk-II-t47500