Fairey Barracuda

Přehled verzí
Fairey Barracuda


- version overview


Barracuda Mk.I - RR Merlin 30 engine, 30 built
Barracuda Mk.II - RR Merlin 32 engine, four bladed propeller, ASV radar, 1688 built
Barracuda Mk.III - modified Mk.II version for anti-submarine purposes, equipped with radar, 852 built
Barracuda Mk.IV - prototype equipped with RR Grifon engine, development stopped in favour of Spearfish
Barracuda Mk.V - RR Grifon 37 engine, equipped with ASH radar, 37 built


Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairey_Barracuda
URL : https://www.valka.cz/Fairey-Barracuda-t54910#202650 Version : 0

Fairey Barracuda - history of type


In 1937, the British Fairey Aviation Company Limited was issued with technical specifications S. 24/37, in which the Air Ministry required a modern and, above all, already single-plane torpedo aircraft for the FAA (Fleet Air Arm). Fairey quickly responded and its designer Marcel Lobele submitted a design for a rather unusual looking aircraft. The unusualness of the aeroplane lay mainly in its upper-plane concept, also the wing was interesting by the use of large Fairey-Yougman flaps, which could be extended at an angle of thirty degrees and then these flaps acted as flaps for braking. The upper-plane concept also necessitated a not-so-common landing gear design, the undercarriage legs were tall with hydraulic-pneumatic dampers and retracted partly into the fuselage sides and partly into the wing. Well, and to make matters worse, the powerplant was not to be conventional either. The original design envisaged the installation of the engine currently under development Rolls-Royce Exe.


This was an air-cooled, four-cylinder, slide-valve engine. The engine was installed in a Fairey Battle aircraft in November 1938 for testing purposes, and over the next year was found to be reasonably successful, the only drawback perhaps being the higher oil consumption, the power was gradually increased to 1,200 hp, but there was a prospect of further growth. This type of engine was originally planned to be installed in naval aircraft by Fairey, but the situation in the UK was becoming more tense and the engine builders at Rolls-Royce lacked the development and especially the production capacity, Therefore, in August 1939, the decision was taken and development of the Vulture and Exe engines was terminated and a year later the Exe, Vulture and Peregrine programme was discontinued, freeing up capacity in the motorcycle factories to produce the much needed and sought after Merlins, leaving the developers to concentrate on the more powerful Griffons. The RR Pennie engine was later developed from the Exe engine, but by then the jet engine era was upon us and so this project was also terminated in 1945. The Fairey Battle test aircraft flew with the Exe engine until 1943.


After the Exe engine project was cancelled and discontinued, the Barracuda project had to be modified for a different type of engine, the choice was simple and so the Barracuda received the tried and tested Rolls-Royce Merlin 30 fork twelve cylinder engine with 1,260 horsepower, however even this power was not quite sufficient for an aircraft of this weight category. The crew was a crew of three and sat behind each other in a spacious glass cockpit, the gunner could hinge the rear of the cockpit and could then defend the rear compartment with a twin Vickers K, this already weak and outdated armament was deemed sufficient as the aircraft was to operate alongside its own deck fighters. The bomb armament could be suspended under the fuselage and under the wings.


Development was protracted and so the first prototype, designated as the Fairey Type 100 (Sn. P1767) flew on 7. December 1940 from the factory's Great West Aerodrome, in May 1941 trials began aboard the aircraft carrier HMS Victorious and in the autumn of that year its flight characteristics were tested at the Aircraft and Armament Research Institute at Bocombe Down. Overall it was not a bad aircraft, the problem was the horizontal tail surfaces which suffered considerable vibration when the flaps were extended, the solution was to modify the flaps and move the VOP high up the vertical tail surfaces so that the tail surfaces then formed almost a letter "T". This placed the VOPs outside of the air stream stirred up by the flaps. This modification made the Barracuda's appearance even more unusual. As the prototype underwent trials and more equipment was fitted, the weight of the aircraft gradually increased, and the growing weight made the lack of engine power even more apparent. The second prototype, with tail surfaces already modified, did not enter testing until 29 June 1941, this delay being due to the heavy workload of British industry.


Production of production Barracuda Mk.I machines did not begin until 18 May 1942, five years after the specifications were issued! The first production batch of Barracudas still had to make do with Rolls-Royce Merlin 30 engines, and only 30 aircraft in total were produced in this design.


The Barracuda Mk.II version was of combat value, it received Merlin 32 engines with 1,680 horsepower, this version was produced from 17 August 1942. The first unit to be armed with these aircraft was 827th Squadron FAA at Stetton. The aircraft of this version proved successful in dive-bombing duties, but were deployed sporadically for torpedo attacks. They were more often engaged in anti-submarine warfare, and were retrofitted with ASV radar for this task. This version numbered 1,688 aircraft produced by Fairey and other suppliers.


In 1943, one Barracuda Mk.II was modified into a Barracuda Mk.III, this new version was already adapted from the factory for anti-submarine service, the ASV Mk.IIN or ASV Mk.X search radar with parabolic antenna was carried in a protrusion under the fuselage. The MK.III aircraft lasted in anti-submarine service with 815th Squadron until 1953, 852 of them were produced.


The Barracuda Mk.IV was a modified Mk.II (P9976), in which a powerful Rolls-Royce Grifon VIII engine was installed, but only this single aircraft remained.


The last version was the post-war anti-submarine Barracuda Mk.V. This was a substantially modified design and featured a 2,030 hp Rolls-Royce Griffon 37 engine, with the ASH anti-submarine radar carried under the left wing. This version of the Barracuda had very good flight characteristics and finally got rid of the under-engining. The crew was now only two men, the defensive armament in the form of a machine gun twin was completely omitted, on the contrary, the fuel tank capacity was increased. Thirty-seven aircraft were produced, and only after the new Fairey Spearfish ran into problems.


A total of 2,572 aircraft were produced.


Operational deployment


Barracudas began to enter FAA armament and carrier decks in January 1943. The aircraft underwent their combat christening in September 1943 by the 810th Squadron operating from the aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious during the bombing of Salerno, Italy. Undoubtedly the most famous action was the attack on the German battleship Tirpitz, anchored in Kaafjord, Norway. Under the command of Admiral Sir Deny on 3 April 1944, the carriers Furious, Victorious, Emperor, Fencer, Pursuer and Searcher from their decks the Barracudas attacked the large and resilient battleship, the first wave attack was successful, catching the Germans off guard and fifteen hits were scored with anti-tank bombs. The attacks continued intermittently until August 1944. The Tirpitz's deck superstructures were damaged, but that was all. The Barracudas then operated in anti-ship and anti-submarine operations off Norway until the end of the war, using Rotog launchers for launches from the decks of small ships.
The next battlefield the Barracudas reached was Sabang, Sumatra (16-21 April 1944) HMS Illustrious, together with American carriers, attacked Japanese submarine bases.
After the war, FAA squadrons armed with Barracudas were rearmed with Fairey Firefly fighter-bombers, the exception being the re-formed 815th Squadron.



Sources used:
David Brown, Fairey Barracuda Mks. I-V, Aircraft in profile No. 240, Windsor, Berkshire, UK: Profile Publications Ltd, 1972.
Václav Němeček Fairey Barracuda I-III; L+K 26/1996 Aircraft 39-45
www.jaapteeuwen.com
http://www.airvectors.net/avsword.html
avia.russian.ee
http://www.theplanpage.com/esp/baracuda.htm
http://www.airwar.ru/enc/sww2/barrac.html
http://www.cofe.ru/avia/F/F-19.htm
author archive
URL : https://www.valka.cz/Fairey-Barracuda-t54910#228466 Version : 0
own collection

Fairey Barracuda -


URL : https://www.valka.cz/Fairey-Barracuda-t54910#643536 Version : 0
Discussion post Fact post
Attachments


Join us

We believe that there are people with different interests and experiences who could contribute their knowledge and ideas. If you love military history and have experience in historical research, writing articles, editing text, moderating, creating images, graphics or videos, or simply have a desire to contribute to our unique system, you can join us and help us create content that will be interesting and beneficial to other readers.

Find out more