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Aviation History
1955
1955 - 1009.PDF
121FLIGHT, 22 July1955 Type III. Type MB. FAMILY OF FAIREYS ... TYPE IDs, GORDON, SEAL Type III (N.10) This seaplane is regarded by the Faireycompany as the true progenitor of the great line of Series III variants, which eventually included the Seal and Gordon. Thefirst machine had the fuselage, undercarriage and tail of the N.9, but was fitted with wings of equal span (46ft 2in) and a 260 h.p.Sunbeam Maori in place of the Rolls-Royce Falcon. Span was 46ft 2in, top speed at sea level 103 m.p.h., alighting speed 41 m.pJi.and gross weight 4,160 lb. The original 'was delivered to the R.NAS. in April 1917 and remained in service after the Armistice.In May 1919 it was bought back by the Fairey company as a "disposal" machine and flew a newspaper service between Black-friars and Thanet. In the summer of 1919 it was engaged on experimental work and was convened, with single-bay wings andLion engine, as a Schneider Cup racing seaplane in September 1919. Early in 1920 it was remodelled as the Competition amphi-bian (see below), and it subsequently flew a ferry service between Southampton and Sheerness. It survived nine engines, but thefuselage, wings, tail, tail float and engine bearers remained unchanged throughout. The rear cockpit was progressivelymodified to carry one, two and three passengers. Type IIIA A development of the Type III, with wheel or skidundercarriage, similarly powered, and likewise put into production. Top speed at sea level was 109 m.p.h., landing speed 40 m.p.h.,and gross weight 3,694 lb. The IIIA was used for experiments with hydrovanes, for alighting on the sea.Type MB This was a bomber seaplane with the same fuselage as the original Type III, but with an upper wing increased inspan to 62ft 9in. The floats were of larger capacity and the gross weight was raised to 4,892 lb. Maximum speed at sea levelwas 95 m.p.h. and alighting speed 42 m.pJi. The engine was a Sunbeam Maori.Type IIIC In this development the 375 h.p. Rolls-Royce Eagle VIII was installed. The wings were similar to those of dieoriginal Type III and the floats were those of the IIIB. The first machine of the type was delivered to Great Yarmouth inNovember 1918. Gross weight was 5,050 lb, maximum speed at sea level 111 m.pii., and endurance 6 hr. Machines of thetype equipped H.M.S. Pegasus, a ship of the North Russian Relief Force at Archangel in 1919, and for his services on that expeditionF/L. L. Massey Hilton, now assistant managing director of the Fairey company, was awarded the D.F.C. Mounted on skis toenable it to operate from ice and snow, the series IIIC was used successfully by the P.O. Flygkompani of Barkarby, Sweden.Competition Amphibian For a 1920 Air Ministry competition this amphibious version of the Type III was developed. Thetwin, single-step floats had long extensions aft of the e.g., so that they normally supported the whole machine; there was,however, a tail float which functioned only if the wings were folded on the water or if the main floats were punctured. Betweenthe floats were retractable wheels, carried on a steel frame. Gross weight was 3,770 1b, top speed 118 m.pJi., and landing speed54 m.p.h. The engine was a Napier Lion. HID (Rolls-Royce Eagle engine). Type IIIA. Type IUC. (Right) IIIC (Schneider Cup machine). (Below) IIIC equipped with ski landtag gear. Competition amphibian. HID The first Fairey HID was built in 1920 as a three-seatseaplane for the Fleet Air Arm, powered with a Rolls-Royce Eagle VIII engine, though it was also built in numbers with theEagle IX and Napier Lion V. From a description appearing in Flight of August 18th, 1921, it is learned that the fuselage wasof the usual girder construction, with ash longerons and struts forward and spruce aft. The longerons were straight and non-tapered, so that die fittings were identical throughout the greater part of the fuselage. The fittings themselves were pressed outof thin sheet steel. Of I-section spruce, the wing spars were left HID (Napier Lion engine).
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