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The Fairey Firefly is a Second World War-era aircraft carrier fighter aircraft and anti-submarine aircraft that was principally operated by the Fleet Air Arm (FAA). It was developed and built by the United Kingdom aircraft manufacturer Fairey Aviation Company.
Development of the Firefly can be traced back to a pair of specifications issued by the British Air Ministry in 1938, calling for new naval fighter designs. Designed to the contemporary FAA concept of a two-seat fleet reconnaissance/fighter, the pilot and observer were positioned at separate stations. In flight, the Firefly was superior in terms of both performance and firepower to its predecessor, the Fairey Fulmar. Due to a protracted development, the type only entered operational service towards the end of the conflict, at which point it was no longer competitive as a fighter. The limitations of a single engine in a relatively heavy airframe reduced its performance, but the Firefly proved to be a fairly sturdy, long-ranged, and docile aircraft during carrier operations.
The Fairey Firefly served in the Second World War as a fleet fighter. During the post-war era, it was soon superseded in the fighter role by the arrival of more modern jet propulsion, thus the Firefly was adapted to perform in other roles, including strike operations and anti-submarine warfare. In these capacities, it remained a mainstay of the FAA until the mid-1950s. Both British and Australian Fireflies routinely performed ground–attack operations from various aircraft carriers during the Korean War. In foreign service, the type was in operation with the naval air arms of Australia, Canada, India and the Netherlands. As late as 1962, Dutch Fireflies were used to carry out attack sorties against Indonesian infiltrators in Dutch New Guinea. Its final uses were in various secondary roles, such as trainer aircraft, and drone aircraft.
Further changes to the official specification followed, such as the turret fighter specification being eliminated, while a modified specification was issued to cover single and dual-seat fighters capable of respectively. Fairey offered designs that could accommodate either a single or twin-seat arrangements, either powered by the Rolls-Royce Griffon engine, or combining a larger airframe with a Napier Sabre engine. After consideration of the manufacturer's responses, Specification N.5/40 replaced the earlier specifications. Due to the necessity of navigating over open sea, it was decided to opt for a two-seater aircraft alone.Buttler 2004, pp. 167–168, 171–173 For defence of naval bases, a separate single seater design would lead to the Blackburn Firebrand.Buttler, Tony. Blackburn Firebrand – Warpaint Number 56. Denbigh East, Bletchley, UK: Warpaint Books Ltd., 2000. .
The Firefly was designed by a team led by H.E. Chaplin at Fairey Aviation which reportedly used the Fulmar as a starting point.Dunstan, Kim. "Heritage – The Fairey Firefly." Fleet Air Arm Association of Australia, Accessed: 39 June 2019. During June 1940, the Admiralty placed an initial order for 200 aircraft "off the drawing board", the first three of which were to function as prototypes. On 22 December 1941, the first prototype of the Firefly performed its maiden flight.Thetford 1978, p. 164. Although the aircraft was heavier than the preceding Fulmar (largely due to the adoption of the heavier Griffon engine and the armament of two Hispano cannon in each wing), the Firefly was faster due to improved aerodynamics, as well as the increased power of the Griffon IIB engine, being capable of generating a maximum of .
The Firefly was a low-wing cantilever monoplane, featuring an oval-section metal semi-monocoque fuselage and a conventional tail unit with forward-placed tailplane. It was powered by a Rolls-Royce Griffon liquid-cooled piston engine, which drove a four-blade Rotol-built propeller. A large chin-mounted radiator was present to provide cooling for the engine. The Firefly had retractable main landing gear and tail wheel, the -actuated main landing gear retracting inwards into the underside of the wing centre-section. This undercarriage was widely-set, a highly useful feature for carrier landings. The aircraft was also fitted with a retractable arrester hook mounted underneath the rear fuselage. The pilot's cockpit was located above the leading edge of the wing while the observer/radio-operator/navigator was positioned aft of the wing's trailing edge. These positions provided better visibility for operating and landing and both crew were provided with separate jettisonable canopies.
The Firefly was equipped with an all-metal wing which could be Folding wing manually, the wings ending up along the sides of the fuselage when folded. When in the flying position, the wings were hydraulically locked in place.Bridgman 1988, pp. 118–119. The wing itself featured square tips and large Fairey-Youngman flaps, which provided relatively good handling while flown at low speeds. "A Servicing Innovation: Details of a Recent Modification to the Fairey Firefly." Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, 1950. Vol. 22 Issue: 3, pp. 84–84. Four 20 mm cannon were buried within the wings, which was considered to be relatively heavy armament for the era. According to pilots, the general handling of the Firefly was relatively well-balanced but strength was required for aerobatics.
During 1942, handling and performance trials were first undertaken at RAF Boscombe Down by Admiralty test pilots Mike Lithgow and Roy Sydney Baker-Falkner. By 1944, the Firefly had been cleared to use under-wing rocket projectiles and, by April 1944, tests involving a double under-wing load of 16 rockets and a pair of still provided acceptable handling.Mason 1998, p. 277. Further testing with two 90 gallon (410 L) drop tanks or two deemed acceptable albeit with "...a small adverse effect on handling..." while "...handling with a single bomb was unpleasant, but manageable." Performance trials at indicated a maximum speed of at while a climb to took 12.4 minutes, with a maximum climb rate of at , and a service ceiling of .Mason 1998, p. 306.
Throughout its operational career, the Firefly took on increasingly demanding roles from fighter to anti-submarine warfare while being stationed mainly with the British Pacific Fleet in the Far East and Pacific War theatres. The type was used against Japanese ground targets and fighter aircraft. FAA Fireflies carried out attacks on refinery and and were repeatedly dispatched against Japanese-controlled islands up until Victory over Japan Day. The Firefly gained a level of public renown when the type became the first British-designed and -built aircraft to overfly the Japanese capital of Tokyo.Thetford 1978, p. 168.Fredriksen 2001, p. 108.
During May 1945, in anticipation of a major naval offensive against the Japanese mainland, the Canadian government accepted a British offer to loan a pair of Colossus-class aircraft carriers to the Royal Canadian Navy.Pigott 2005, p. 114. To equip these carriers, it was necessary to procure naval fighters. Based upon the feedback of veteran pilots, Canada opted to acquire the Firefly over opposition that favoured procuring American aircraft instead. As a stop-gap measure, Royal Navy Fireflies were loaned while more advanced purpose-built aircraft were being constructed.Pigott 2005, pp. 114–115. Between 1946 and 1954, the Canadian Navy employed 65 AS Mk.5 Fireflies on its aircraft carriers. The service also flew a handful of Mk.I Fireflies. During the 1950s, Canada decided to sell off its Fireflies and buyers included the armed forces of Ethiopia, Denmark, and the Netherlands.Pigott 2005, p. 115.
After the Second World War, the Firefly remained in front line service with the Fleet Air Arm, continuing in this capacity until the mid-1950s. During this time, British-built Fireflies were also supplied to a number of overseas nations, including Canada, Australia, Denmark, Ethiopia, the Netherlands, India and Thailand.
During 1947, the Australian government approved of formation of the Royal Australian Fleet Air Arm and the acquisition of a pair of s from Britain. Following a consultation with the Royal Navy, the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) opted to procure both the Firefly and the Hawker Sea Fury to equip its new aircraft carriers. These two types formed the backbone of the newly formed Australian Carrier Air Groups (CAGs), which would operate a total fleet size of 108 Fireflies, acquired across multiple orders. The first aircraft was delivered in May 1949, and the final Firefly arrived during August 1953. aircrew training predominated in early RAN operations ahead of achieving operational status during 1950.
During the Korean War of the 1950s, both British and Australian Fireflies carried out anti-shipping patrols and ground strikes from various aircraft carriers positioned offshore.Smith 2008, p. 359. Additional missions roles including anti-submarine patrols and aerial observation, as well as assisting battleships in providing effective naval gunfire support. Numerous FAA Fireflies were loaned to the Australian Navy during the conflict as many of its aircraft did not feature cannons when configured for anti-submarine warfare. Despite several incidents of aircraft being struck by anti-aircraft fire, the Firefly proved to be relatively rugged. The type was routinely used for strike operations against targets such as and railway lines to damage logistics and communications. As the war went on, pilots developed new low-level dive-bombing techniques to achieve greater accuracy. Combat use of the Firefly in the theatre continued until the signing of the Korean Armistice Agreement on 27 July 1953, although post-armistice patrols involving the type continued for several years afterwards. "Fairey Firefly AS.5/AS.6." navy.gov.au, Accessed: 29 June 2019.
FAA Fireflies were again deployed in the Far East amid the Malayan Emergency, where it was used to conduct ground-attack operations against Malayan Communist Party insurgents. The Firefly's front line career with the FAA came to an end shortly following the introduction of the newer and larger Fairey Gannet, which effectively replaced the type. The RAN also decided to relegate their Fireflies to secondary duties following the adoption of newer aircraft, such as the Gannet and the jet-powered de Havilland Sea Venom. Several versions of the type were developed later in its career to serve in a number of secondary roles, including as trainer aircraft, and drone aircraft. As an example, the Indian Navy acquired a batch of 10 aircraft during the mid-1950s for target tug purposes. By the end of the 1950s, many operators were disposing of their remaining Fireflies, typically as scrap.
In the late 1940s, the Royal Netherlands Navy deployed a Firefly squadron to the Dutch East Indies, as part of the forces countering Indonesian nationalists. When talks broke down in July 1947, the Dutch launched multiple air strikes. Three Fireflies were shot down by ground fire.Oliver, D. British Combat Aircraft in action since 1945 1987 pp. 17-18 During 1960, in response to territorial demands and threats issued by Indonesia, the Netherlands chose to deploy a number of Firefly AS.Mk 4s to Dutch New Guinea. As Indonesian forces began to retake the territory, the Fireflies carried out attack operations during early 1962. These strikes continued until the Royal Netherlands Navy withdrew following the negotiation of a political settlement between the two countries.Bishop and Moeng 1997, p. 73.
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