Fairey Albacore

The Fairey Albacore was a British torpedo‑bomber and reconnaissance aircraft developed in the late 1930s by the Fairey Aviation Company for the Royal Navy’s Fleet Air Arm. First flying on 13 December 1938, it entered operational service in 1940 as a three‑seat, single‑engine biplane intended to replace the older Fairey Swordfish. Powered by a 1,060 hp Armstrong Siddeley Tiger VI radial engine, the Albacore featured an all‑metal stressed‑skin fuselage, fabric‑covered wings, and a retractable undercarriage – a rare combination for a biplane at the time. Its armament suite could include a single torpedo, up to 1,000 lb of bombs, or depth charges, while the crew operated a forward‑firing .303‑inch machine gun, a rear‑firing gun on a flexible mount, and a ventral gun position.

Although the aircraft demonstrated good handling and a higher top speed than its predecessor, it was quickly eclipsed by the newer monoplane Fairey Barracuda and by the continued success of the Swordfish, which proved more adaptable to carrier operations. Nonetheless, the Albacore represented a transitional step in naval aviation, illustrating the shift from fabric biplanes to all‑metal designs and influencing subsequent carrier‑based aircraft development.

Fairey Aviation Company

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