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The Fairey Fulmar is a British Aircraft carrier 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 Great Britain. 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 ; 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 , 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 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 -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 United States-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 While continuing service as a trainer and reconnaissance aircraft for a time, the Fulmar was withdrawn from front line service in February 1945.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 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.Wragg 2003, p. 61.
Possessing a substantial resemblance to the earlier Fairey Battle, the Fulmar prototype was an aerodynamically cleaner aircraft and featured a folding wing that was shorter.Winchester 2004, p. 85. 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.Mason 1992, p. 287.Lumsden 1990, p. 354. Shortly after the initial flight tests, the tail was elevated by . During 1938, the name Fulmar was picked for the type, although this was not announced until deliveries of the type commenced during 1940.
As a relatively straightforward derivative of an existing prototype, the Fulmar promised to be available in quantity quickly; during mid-1938, an initial order for 127 production aircraft was placed by the Royal Navy. Beyond Britain's own plans for the type, the Danish Navy also took a keen interest in the Fulmar; at one point, plans were in motion to produce the aircraft under licence in Denmark; however, such ambitions were terminated by the outbreak of the Second World War. Furthermore, while a float plane model of the aircraft was designed and promoted, no such aircraft would ever be constructed. On 4 January 1940, the first production aircraft flew from Fairey's facility at RAF Ringway near Manchester; the final of 600 Fulmars was delivered from Ringway on 11 December 1942.Scholefield 1998, p. 35.
During January 1941, production of the improved Fulmar Mk II commenced; the first Mk II aircraft was delivered to an operational squadron in March 1941.Brown 1973, p. 31. This model of the aircraft was furnished with the more powerful Merlin XXX engine; this engine and 350lb of airframe weight savings allowed the aircraft to achieve 272mph at rated altitude, whilst also allowing sea level rate of climb to increase to 1250 feet per minute (15,000ft being obtainable in 12 minutes against 15 minutes in the Mk1) the airframe had provision for a 60-gallon (273 litre) centre-line drop tank and provision to carry a 250 lb (114 kg) or 500 lb (227 kg) bomb in lieu of the drop tank. During October 1941, tests performed at RAF Boscombe Down revealed that the 60-gallon drop tank extended the aircraft's range to . During June 1942, flight testing of the Fulmar II was conducted at Boscombe Down; these tests found that the Fulmar could safely drop a 500 lb bomb during 60-degree dives at up to 310 knots.Mason 1998, p. 269. Fulmars were launched from catapults on merchant ships, a convoy defensive plan that was being evaluated at the time.Winchester 2004, p. 84.
N1854, the first production Fulmar, was later modified to Mk II standard and re-designated G-AIBE, after which it was used as Fairey's hack for some time. During June 1959, it reverted to service markings and was seen at Farnborough at the SBAC show on 8 September 1962; G-AIBE's last flight was conducted three months later on 18 December 1962. During 1972, the aircraft was presented to the Fleet Air Arm Museum, Yeovilton, where it has been preserved and is on static display. "Fairey Fulmar (N1854)." Fleet Air Arm Museum, Retrieved: 1 July 2019.
The Fulmar was one of several British aircraft to participate in the North African Campaign. During September 1940, the Fulmar first saw action while flying convoy protection patrols to and from the island of Malta. When reinforcements were being dispatched to Malta, Fulmars guided flights of carrier-launched Hawker Hurricane and Spitfire fighters. The relatively sturdy Fulmar was able to achieve dozens of victories against its Italian and German adversaries.Brown 1973, p. 42. The first recorded kill by a Fulmar was scored on 2 September 1940. By October of that year, Fulmar pilots had claimed the shooting down of ten Italian bombers. The type proved particularly effective against Italian reconnaissance aircraft.Wragg 2003, p. 63. Later on, thirteen Fulmars onboard the aircraft carrier also participated in the Battle of Cape Matapan, strafing the battleship Vittorio Veneto whilst trying to draw fire away from the attacking Fairey Swordfish and Fairey Albacore torpedo bombers.Stephen, p. 59
The Fulmar was also deployed in other theatres, including the Eastern Front. The type was a common constituent of the numerous Arctic convoys of World War II. Fulmars also played a prominent role in Operation EF, the ill-fated air raid on Axis powers-held facilities Kirkenes and Petsamo conducted during July 1941. During early 1942, multiple Fulmar-equipped squadrons were deployed to the Pacific War against the Japanese Empire, while two squadrons were dispatched to defend Ceylon. On engaging with the nimble and lightly armoured Mitsubishi A6M fighter, the Fulmar quickly proved to have been outclassed against the Zero and six Fulmars were lost in exchange for four Aichi D3A "Vals" and one Nakajima B5N "Kate".Shores, Chapter 10Smith 2014, pp. ix, 85. Despite this, more Fulmars were dispatched to the Far East.Smith 2014, p. 85.
Throughout 1942, the Fulmar was being gradually replaced as a naval fighter by single-seat aircraft that had been adapted from land fighters, such as the British Hawker Sea Hurricane and Supermarine Seafire, or the United States Grumman Martlet, which was designed as a carrier aircraft from the start. The Fulmar was to figure prominently in the Mediterranean during 1941 and 1942 as the primary fighter of the Fleet Air Arm for most of the Malta convoys during those years. Sixteen Fulmars were present on Victorious during the penultimate Operation Pedestal which was to be their last major carrier borne operation. The type continued to be operated, providing useful service as a night convoy escort and intruder, it was also used to train crews for the newer and more advanced Fairey Barracuda. Following their withdrawal from the fighter role, Fulmars were used for long-range reconnaissance missions. Unarmed Fulmars would also see service in Africa as communications and despatch aircraft.
At its peak, twenty squadrons of the Fleet Air Arm were equipped with the Fulmar. It flew from eight fleet aircraft carriers and five . No. 273 Squadron RAF operated them for some months in 1942 from China Bay, Ceylon, seeing action against Japanese forces during the raid on 9 April 1942, though about half the squadron personnel were Navy. "History of No. 273 Squadron." RAF History. Retrieved 25 October 2009. Fulmars are recorded as having destroyed 112 enemy aircraft against the loss of 40 Fulmars,Brown 1973, pp. 42+45. which made the type the leading fighter type in terms of aircraft shot down to be operated by the Fleet Air Arm during the war. In February 1945, the Fulmar was withdrawn from front line service; the last operational aircraft, a Fulmar MK II night-fighter from No. 813 Squadron, was severely damaged in a landing accident at the safety barrier on and was written off.Brown 1973, p. 41.
Approximately 100 Fulmars were converted to a night fighter variant but the type achieved only limited success in this role. Some of the early marks of the aircraft were also operated from .Ireland 2007, p. 75. Vichy French forces reportedly captured a Fulmar Mk I, which had been forced to land while flying a reconnaissance mission over Senegal during March 1941. This Fulmar was repaired and operated for some time by the Group de Chasse I/4.Ovčáčík and Susa 2001, p. 3.
According to pilots, its flight characteristics were considered to be pleasant, while its widely spaced undercarriage provided good deck handling and it had excellent fuel capacity and range. Most Fleet Air Arm scored at least some of their victories while flying Fulmars; the first pilot to score five kills while flying the type was Sub-Lieutenant Jackie Sewell.Thomas 2013, p. 25. Sub-Lieutenant Stanley Orr finished the war with twelve confirmed air victories, the third-highest scoring pilot in the FAA.
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