Fairey Firefly T.1/T/2 "Navy Trainer

Name: Special Hobby SH72050 Fairley Firefly T.1 'Navy Trainer' (MLD decals)
Brand: Special Hobby
Price: 21.95 EUR
Availability: OutOfStock

The Fairey Firefly was designed to the British Admiralty Specification N5/40 wich called for a two-seat reconnaissance fighter to replace the Fairey Fulmar. The preliminary designs were completed in September 1939 and the first of four prototypes flow on 22nd December 1941. Following further testing, carrier trails were carried out aboard HMS Illustrious at the end of 1942. The first operational aircraft were then deliverd to the Fleet Air Arm by March 1943, becoming operational with 1771 Sqn at RNAS Yeovilton on 1st October 1943. with ist distinctive eliptical-shaped wing and ''chin'' radiator, the Firefly was the first Fleet Air Arm aircraft to employ the Rolls royce Griffon II engine. This powerplant gave the Firefly much higher performance than the Fulmar and made it easier to handler on the flight deck as well as in the air. The four 20mm cannon armament also gave it a much greater '' punch '' than its predecessor. Following the initail production run of 459 Firefly F MK.I is a further 236 were modified by fitting an ASH radar pod under the engine. This variant became known as the Firefly FR MK.I. Fairey then experimented with a night fighter version of the Firefly, firstly producing a number of NF MK.II aircraft, wich had a 15inch extension behind the engine firewall and was fitted with the AI MK.X radar. This proved to be unsuccesful and difficult to handle, so 140 FR MK.I aircraft were designated as NF MK.I `s, as their ASH radar proved to be suited to be Airborne intercept role. In the European Theatre of Operations the firefly`s most notable succes was on maritime strike and reconnaissance missions along the coast of Norway, flying from HMS Implacable. The most famous missions was against the German battleship Tirpitz in Alten Fjord ,wich eventually led to the RAF raid, wich sank the battleship. It was .however in the Far East that the Firefly was to prove a very able air-to-air combat aircraft, flying against a Japanese-held oil refinery on Sumatra and on 24th July 1945, the Fireflies of 1772Sqn were the first British aircraft to fly over Tokyo. Just afther the end of the war designs works on the Firefly trainer begun. The maiden flight of the prototype bearing civil registration G-AHYA took part in July 1946. It was converted from Firelfy serial no.MB473. The batch production was ordered in virtue of succesful flights trails performed in flying schools in Great Brittain, France and Holland. These were also converted from standard Firefly MK.I`s. Two versions were produced, unarmed version designated T.1 (30 produced) and version T.2 (54 produced) equipped with two cannons. Several other aircraft were modified in Holland and Canada.

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