Firefly
Role Fighter
National origin United Kingdom
Manufacturer Fairey
Designer Marcel Lobelle
First flight 9 November 1925
Number built 1

The Fairey Firefly was a British fighter of the 1920s from Fairey Aviation. It was a single-seat, single-engine biplane of mixed construction.

Development

The Firefly was a private-venture design, penned by Marcel Lobelle. It was first flown on 9 November 1925 by Norman Macmillan.[1] The Air Ministry did not pursue the project, partly because of the American Curtiss engine used [2] and partly because of its wooden construction [1] and the Firefly I did not enter production.

Specifications (Firefly I)

Data from The Complete Book of Fighters[2]

General characteristics

  • Crew: 1
  • Length: 24 ft 10 in (7.57 m)
  • Wingspan: 31 ft 6 in (9.60 m)
  • Height: 9 ft 1 in (2.77 m)
  • Wing area: 236.8 sq ft (22.00 m2)
  • Gross weight: 2,724 lb (1,236 kg)
  • Powerplant: 1 × Curtiss D-12 V-12 liquid-cooled piston engine, 430 hp (320 kW)
  • Propellers: 2-bladed fixed-pitch propeller

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 185 mph (298 km/h, 161 kn)
  • Time to altitude: 5,000 ft (1,524 m) in 2 minutes 24 seconds

Armament

See also

Related development

References

  1. 1 2 Mason, Francis K (1992). The British Fighter since 1912. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-082-7.
  2. 1 2 Green, W; Swanborough, G (1994). The Complete Book of Fighters. Smithmark. ISBN 0-8317-3939-8.
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