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Aviation History
1949
1949 - 0006.PDF
FLIGHT JANUARY 6TH, 1949 Some degree of comparison is afforded by this collection of views showing British and American single-seat Naval strike aircraft. Reading dia- gonaliy from the Blackburn Firebrand (above), they are the Blackburn S.28/43, West- land Wyvern, Douglas Sky- raider and Martin Mauler. A Ferocious Breed .... power and exceptional tractability) may yet be perpetuated in Naval air arms for anti-submarine duties, but the war proved quite conclusively, that if it were to survive in face of modern fighter opposition and A.A. defences, the Naval torpedo-bomber must have a greatly improved all-round performance, particularly in respect of speed, and present a smaller target. Improvements in navigational aids enabled the crew to be reduced to the pilot alone, and the Royal Navy, in its search for a suitable machine, hit happily upon the Black- burn Firebrand, originally conceived as a Naval fighter, and offering excellent possibilities of development. The type had been designed round the liquid-cooled Napier Sabre engine, but available Sabres were required for R.A.F. Typhoons, and conversion for the Bristol Centaurus radial was put in hand. The built-in armament of four 20-mm guns was retained, and provision made for alternative loads of a torpedo, bombs, or the newly developed rocket pro- jectiles. Adaptation was by no means easy, especially as rigid deck-landing requirements were to be met, but the Firebrand torpedo-fighter (as the type was officially re- classified) evolved through various sub-types to the Mark 5a in service to-day. War Load Space does not allow discussion of otner than those "functional" features which characterize the Firebrand as an example of a Naval strike aircraft. Alternative external "stores," to use British official terminology, are a torpedo, a 2,000-lb bomb load, or sixteen R.P.s with 60-lb heads. The "tin fish" is attached to a Black- burn torpedo or bomb carrier beneath the fuselage, and allows the fitting of the "Mat. 4 " tail device to ensure directional stability in the air after release. The carrier is so designed that, when the undercarriage is retracted, the tail of the torpedo is lowered so that, in flight, the mis- sile is parallel to the fuselage. Without this feature the height of the undercarriage would have been considerably greater. Dive brakes, which limit the Firebrand's speed to approximately 350 m.p.h., are fitted on upper and lower surfaces of the mainplane. That these should increase the drag of the machine some 2-2J times, without appreciably affecting its trim, is indicative of the thoroughness of wind- tunnel work at Brough. By modern standards the Firebrand is not outstandingly fast, though without torpedo it achieves some 350 m.p.h. ; but it is very manoeuvrable, notwithstanding its laden weight of over 16,000 1b, and has desirable deck-landin qualities. Though certain Firebrand features are reproduced in later prototype, built to Specification S.28/43, and ur officially dubbed "Firecrest," this machine, having bee designed "from scratch," is far superior in performanc and operational efficiency. Without external loads, th top speed is as high as 370 m.p.h. at 18,oooft, and th normal combat radius, with torpedo, 400 miles. The cocl pit is situated so high in relation to the Centaurus 5 engine that the pilot has a 15-degree angle of vision ovt the nose—a factor equally important in dive bombin and deck landing. As o the Firebrand, dive braki are fitted well forward c the upper and lower su faces of each wing, thoua it will later be seen th£ American designers do n< favour this dispoditioj The torpedo is slung bi neath the fuselage an outboard provision made for drop-tanks, tv\ 500-lb bombs, rocket pr< jec tiles of various weight or a pair of heavy gun No production order is likely, and the S.28/43 >s nc considered as a development aircraft. Should the Ne Year bring forth a later type from the Blackburn wor this may well resemble a mock-up, part of which appear in a photograph on show at this year's S.B.A.C, displa and which was characterized by a nose of unusual form tion, such as might contain a coupled pair of turboprot A power plant of this sort would appear to be especial well suited to a Naval strike aircraft, in that very econon cal single-engined cruising can be reconciled with high p< formance at full power. To a later specification (N. 11/44) than the Blackbu S.28/43, Westland Aircraft, Ltd. submitted designs whi were realized in the Wyvern T.F.i, a 22,000-lb, 455-m.p. machine of 44ft span, having a 3,500 h.p. Rolls-Roy Eagle flat-H engine and capable of handling a 20-in torpedo, a 2,000-lb bomb, or eight 60-lb R.P.s. Carei attention to cockpit location and fuselage shape ha allowed an exceptionally good view over the nose—superi< the makers claim, to that from any other single-engin aircraft in existence. A built-in armament of four 20 rr. guns is specified. At the Farnborough display last ye there was widespread speculation as to the possibility fitting the Wyvern with the Armstrong Siddeley Pyth turboprop, delivering 3,670 shaft horsepower and o\ 1,100 lb static jet thrust, or the Rolls-Royce Clyde somewhat' lower output. These units would certair appear to be well matched to the Wyvern. Though this brief survey is primarily concerned wi specialized single-seat Naval strike aircraft, it is appi priate to mention the formidable offensive loads which E readily carried by the Hawker Sea Fury and late mai of the Supermarine Seafire Naval fighter/bombers. T Seafire takes three bombs of up to 500 lb apiece, and t Sea Fury is capable of delivering twelve 60-lb R.P.s, t
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