Fairey Seal
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The Fairey Seal was an inter-war bi-plane design. The Seal was derived, like the Fairey Gordon from the Fairey IIIF. To enable the Fairey Seal to be lauched by catapult from warships in a floatplane configuration it was able to be equipped with floats.
Service life ond operations
It first flew in 1930 and enterted squardrom service with the Fleet Air Arm( FAA) in 1933. 91 aircraft were produced for the FAA. The FAA had removed it from front-line service by 1938, but remained in secondary and support roles after that time. The FAA started to replace it with the Fairey Swordfish Mk1 from 1936. By 1938 all FAA torpedo squardons had entirely re-equipped with the Swordfish. By the outbreak of the Second World War only four remained in service with the FAA. The type was retired fully by 1943. The last example of the types use saw it being sent to India to be used as an instructional airframe from The Royal Navy Photographic Unit.
The RAF also operated the type as a target-tug. 12 aircraft were part of the RAF's No 10 Bombing and Gunnery School until 1940. A further 4 aircraft were used with 273 Squadron in Ceylon. These aircraft were used on coastal patrols, some as floatplanes. By May 1942 the type had been retired from RAF service.
Survivors
There are no known survivors of this type in existence.
Specifications
General characteristics
- Crew: 3
- Wingspan: 13.94 m
- Length: 11.2 m
- Height: 4.32 m
- Empty Weight: 1,588 kg
- Maximum Take Off Weight: 2,679 kg
- Powerplant: One 55 hp Armstrong-Siddeley Panther IIA radial piston engine.
Performance
- Speed: 233 km/h at 915 metres
- Range 966 km
- Service Ceiling 6,705 m
Armarment
- One fixed 0.303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers machine gun in forward fuselage
- One 0.303 in (7.7 mm) Lewis in rear cockpit
- Bombs 500 lb (230 kg) or stores carried on lower wing
Operators
- Argentina, Chile, Lativa, Peru, United Kingdom.
References
- Sturtivant, R. & Burrow, M (1995) 'Fleet Air Arm Aircraft 1939 to 1945' Published by Air Britain (Historians) Ltd, 1995 ISBN 085130 232 7
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