The Fairey Fulmar is a British carrier-borne reconnaissance aircraft/fighter aircraft which was developed and manufactured by aircraft company Fairey Aviation. It was named after the northern fulmar, a seabird native to the British Isles. The Fulmar served with the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm (FAA) during the Second World War. The design of the Fulmar was based on that of the earlier Fairey P.4/34, a land-based light bomber developed during 1936 as a replacement for the Fairey Battle light bomber. Fairey had redesigned the aircraft as a navalised observation/fighter aircraft to satisfy the requirements of Specification O.8/38, for which it was selected. Although its performance (like that of its Battle antecedent) was unspectacular, the Fulmar was a reliable, sturdy aircraft with long range and an effective armament of eight machine guns; the type could also be put into production relatively quickly. On 4 January 1940, the first production aircraft made its first flight and delivery commenced shortly thereafter, while production of an improved model, the Fulmar Mk II, started during January 1941. Fairey produced a total of 600 Fulmars at its Stockport factory between January 1940 and December 1942. During July 1940, No. 806 Squadron became the first FAA squadron to receive the Fulmar. It participated in the pursuit of the German battleship Bismarck, having acted as a spotter for the chasing fleet. The Fulmar was heavily used in the North African Campaign, flying convoy protection patrols to and from the island of Malta, and providing air cover for Fairey Swordfish torpedo bombers during attacks such as the Battle of Cape Matapan. By autumn 1940, it had been recorded as having shot down ten Italian bombers and six enemy fighters. The Fulmar was also deployed to the Far East, where it proved largely incapable of matching the Japanese-built Mitsubishi A6M Zero. During the later stages of the conflict, it was relegated from the fighter role by single-seat aircraft such as the British-built Supermarine Seafire and the American-built Grumman Martlet fighters. While continuing service as a trainer and reconnaissance aircraft for a time, the Fulmar was withdrawn from front line service in February 1945. The Fulmar has its origins in the Fairey P.4/34, which had been developed in response to the issuing of Specification P.4/34 by the British Air Ministry. P.4/34 had sought a light bomber that would be capable of being used as a dive bomber; in addition to Fairey's entry, competing submissions came in the form of the Hawker Henley and an unbuilt Gloster design. Despite the P.4/34's relatively high maximum speed of 284 mph, the rival Henley, which was capable of attaining 300 mph, was selected and eventually ordered; in service, the Henley was largely used as a target tug. The Fulmar was basically a version of the P.4/34 which had been adapted for naval use. Fairey submitted their modified design as a response to Specification O.8/38, which called for a two-crew fighter capable of observation and fleet defence operations. As the prospective aircraft was not expected to encounter any major fighter opposition, as Nazi Germany, Britain's only foreseen enemy during this era, possessed no aircraft carriers of its own, factors such as long range and heavy armament were considered to be more important than a high level of either manoeuvrability or speed. As the type was intended to routinely perform lengthy flights over the ocean, the presence of a navigator / wireless operator was considered to be an essential element, especially when flying at nighttime or during poor weather conditions Possessing a substantial resemblance to the earlier Fairey Battle, the Fulmar prototype was an aerodynamically cleaner aircraft and featured a folding wing that was 16 in (41 cm) shorter. On 13 January 1937, the prototype P.4/34 serial number K5099 conducted its maiden flight at Fairey Aviation's Great West Aerodrome (this site has since been occupied by London Heathrow Airport), the Fairey test pilot Chris Staniland was at the controls. Shortly after the initial flight tests, the tail was elevated by 8 in (20 cm).[citation needed] During 1938, the name Fulmar was picked for the type, although this was not announced until deliveries of the type commenced during 1940. Variants Mk.I First production variant powered by a 1,035 hp (772 kW) (1,275 hp at take off) Rolls-Royce Merlin VIII; 8 × .303 Browning Mk.II (750 rounds per gun), 250 built. Mk.II (Specifications below) Updated variant powered by a 1,300 hp (970 kW) Merlin XXX with a new propeller and the addition of tropical equipment; 8 × .303 Browning Mk.II (1,000 rounds per gun) or 4 × 0.5 in (13 mm) Browning AN/M2 – part of the last batch (170 rounds per gun, in other sources specified 370 rounds per gun), some finished as night fighters, one prototype converted from a Mk.I and 350 built. NF Mk.II Mk.II night fighter with an Air Interception AI Mk. IV radar (1 aircraft) or AI Mk.X radar (other); 4 × 0.50 Browning AN/M2 – about 50 aircraft (other 8 × .303 Browning Mk.II), total were converted from the Mk.II nearly 100 aircraft. For details of further development and operational history, click here.
