The Fairey Firefly mk.4 was a Navy Fighter bomber designed for the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm during WW2, it was based on the existing Rolls-Royce Merlin powered Firefly but was powered with the more powerful Griffon engine. The prototype first flew in late 1944 but production aircraft did not enter service until a year after WW2 had ended. The aircraft pictured above did not enter service until 1947 and ended it's operational career converted in to a target tug becoming a Fairey Firefly TT mk.4 after the type was retired from front line service with the Royal Navy in 1955. Fairey Firefly Mk IV Specification: - Crew: Pilot & Observer
- Length: 38 ft 9 in (11.8 m)
- Wingspan: 41 ft 2 in (12.55 m)
- Height: 14 ft 4 in (4.37 m)
- Empty weight: 9,859 lb (4,472 kg)
- Loaded weight: 13,200 lb (6,000 kg)
- Max takeoff weight: 16,096 lb (7,301 kg)
- Engine: Single 2,245 hp (1,674 kW) Rolls-Royce Griffon 74 liquid-cooled V12 piston engine
- Maximum speed: 386 mph at 14,000 ft (618 km/h at 4,300 m)
- Range: 1,300 miles (1,722 km) when fitted with auxiliary fuel tanks
- Service ceiling: 31,900 ft (9,723 m)
- Rate of climb: 1,900 ft/min (9.7 m/s)
Armament: - Four wing-mounted 20 mm Hispano-Suiza HS.404 cannons
- Two under wing mounted 1,000 lb (450 kg) bombs
- Sixteen 60 lb (27 kg) unguided rocket projectiles
|