Rahul Sharma (Editor)

Fairey F.2

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Top speed
  
150 km/h

Length
  
12 m

Wingspan
  
23 m

First flight
  
May 17, 1917

Manufacturers
  
Avions Fairey, Fairey Aviation Company

The Fairey F.2 was a British fighter prototype in the late 1910s. It was the first aircraft designed entirely by the Fairey Aviation Company.

Contents

Development

The F.2 was ordered by the Admiralty in 1916 as a massive, three-seat long-range fighter. Powered by two Rolls-Royce Falcon engines, it was a three-bay biplane with a four-wheel "bedstead" main undercarriage, the wings folding aft from a point outboard of the engines. Armament consisted of a .303 in (7.7 mm) Lewis Gun on a Scarff ring on the extreme nose and a similar installation immediately aft of the wings.

Operational history

Built at Harlington the F.2 was transported by road to Northolt Aerodrome where it first flew on 17 May 1917; however, by then Admiralty interest in the project had waned. The fighter was found to be hard to handle and slow, and therefore no further production was continued.

Operators

 United Kingdom
  • Royal Naval Air Service
  • Specifications

    General characteristics

  • Crew: three
  • Length: 40 ft 6 in (12.34 m)
  • Wingspan: 77 ft 0 in (23.47 m)
  • Height: 13 ft 6 in (4.11 m)
  • Wing area: 814.00 ft2 (75.36 m2)
  • Gross weight: 4,880 lb (2,213 kg)
  • Powerplant: 2 × Rolls-Royce Falcon 12-cylinder water-cooled engines, 190 hp (142 kW) each
  • Performance

  • Maximum speed: 93 mph (150 km/h)
  • Endurance: 3 hours  30 min
  • Armament

  • 2 × .303 in (7.7 mm) Lewis Guns
  • References

    Fairey F.2 Wikipedia