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Fairey F.2

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Fairey F.2
Role Fighter
National origin United Kingdom
Manufacturer Fairey Aviation Company
First flight 17 May 1917
Number built 1

The Fairey F.2 was a British fighter prototype in the late 1910s. It was the first aircraft designed entirely by the Fairey Aviation Company.

Development

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The F.2 was ordered by the Admiralty in 1916 as a massive, three-seat long-range fighter. Powered by two Rolls-Royce Falcon engines, it was a three-bay biplane with a four-wheel "bedstead" main undercarriage, the wings folding aft from a point outboard of the engines. Armament consisted of a .303 in (7.7 mm) Lewis Gun on a Scarff ring on the extreme nose and a similar installation immediately aft of the wings.

Operational history

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Built at Harlington the F.2 was transported by road to Northolt Aerodrome where it first flew on 17 May 1917; however, by then Admiralty interest in the project had waned. The fighter was found to be hard to handle and slow, and therefore no further production was continued.

Operators

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 United Kingdom

Specifications

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General characteristics

  • Crew: three
  • Length: 40 ft 6 in (12.34 m)
  • Wingspan: 77 ft 0 in (23.47 m)
  • Height: 13 ft 6 in (4.11 m)
  • Wing area: 814.00 sq ft (75.36 m2)
  • Gross weight: 4,880 lb (2,213 kg)
  • Powerplant: 2 × Rolls-Royce Falcon 12-cylinder water-cooled engines , 190 hp (142 kW) each

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 93 mph (150 km/h, 81 kn)
  • Endurance: 3 hours 30 minutes

Armament

References

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  • Green, William; Gordon Swanborough. The Complete Book of Fighters. Godalming, UK: Salamander Books. p. 196.