Classic Combat Aircraft     |   home
                                                  
Fairey Firefly
Two-seat reconnaissance fighter. It was a low-wing monoplane with a wide-track undercarriage, smaller than the Fulmar that preceded it, and provided with a more powerful engine. The design was deliberately conventional, to bring it into service quickly. Early Fireflies had a deep 'beard' radiator, later models had wing leading root intakes. The concept of the two-seat fighter may have been mistaken, but the Firefly was a versatile aircraft, taking part not only in W.W.II but also in the Korean war. The last of the 1702 built was delivered in 1956. The Firefly ended its career as a target drone.


 Type: Fighter, reconnaissance, night fighter, antisubmarine aircraft
 Power plant One Rolls-Royce Griffon IIB inline engine
 Wingspan 44.5 ft 13.55 m

  Length 37.4 ft 11.4 m
  Height 13.6 ft 4.15 m
  Speed 316 mph 509 km/h
 Ceiling 22,890 ft 8,500 m

 Range 1,305 mi 2,100 km

Armament 4x 20 mm cannon, 907 kg bombs

Crew Two