Are there any Fairey Swordfish still flying?

Two Swordfish are currently flying, one in the hands of Britain’s Royal Navy Historic Flight and the second put back into the air last July by Vintage Wings of Canada. The Fairey Swordfish biplane torpedo bomber was one of the most unusual yet effective World War II aircraft.

How many ships did the Swordfish sink?

Swordfish actually sank 21 submarines over the course of the war, most whilst escorting Arctic convoys to north Russia, and were responsible for the highest tonnage of enemy shipping sunk by any allied aircraft type.

How good was the Fairey Swordfish?

It could handle all weathers. The rugged and reliable Swordfish was an ideal aircraft for carriers, especially small escort carriers, being able to operate in atrocious weather conditions that would ground more modern aircraft.

Did the Bismarck shoot down any Swordfish?

The Bismarck was attacked twice by Swordfish after the sinking of HMS Hood. There are a number of reasons why the Bismarck failed to shoot down any of the Swordfish. Some of those relate to the Bismarck’s anti-aircraft system. In some respects it appears it was indeed ‘too modern’.

Did the Bismarck shoot down any swordfish?

Why did the Bismarck not shoot down swordfish?

Furthermore, it seems that the Bismarck’s heavy flak mountings tracked too slowly to engage aircraft that were closer than around 3,000 metres, so the issue of the Swordfish being too slow may be academic. Rounds had to be hand-loaded individually, and it was a slow-firing weapon for anti-aircraft defence.

Is the Albacore a replacement for the Swordfish?

However, the Albacore served alongside the Swordfish and was retired before it, being replaced from 1944 by two monoplane designs, the Fairey Barracuda and Grumman Avenger . The Albacore prototypes were built to meet Specification S.41/36 for a three-seat TSR (torpedo/spotter/reconnaissance) for the FAA to replace the Swordfish.

How many crew does an Albacore have?

It had a crew of three and was designed for spotting and reconnaissance as well as level, dive, and torpedo bombing. The Albacore, popularly known as the “Applecore”, was conceived as a replacement for the Fairey Swordfish, which had entered service in 1936.

What was the purpose of the Fairey Albacore?

Fairey Albacore. The Fairey Albacore was a British single-engine carrier-borne biplane torpedo bomber built by Fairey Aviation between 1939 and 1943 for the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm and used during the Second World War. It had a crew of three and was designed for spotting and reconnaissance as well as level, dive, and torpedo bombing.

When did the Albacore come out?

The Albacore, popularly known as the “Applecore”, was conceived as a replacement for the Fairey Swordfish, which had entered service in 1936. However, the Albacore served alongside the Swordfish and was retired before it, being replaced from 1944 by two monoplane designs, the Fairey Barracuda and Grumman Avenger .