Supermarine Attacker

The Supermarine Attacker was a pioneering British jet fighter developed by Supermarine in the late 1940s. Designed as the Royal Navy’s first carrier‑based jet, the aircraft originated from the company’s earlier piston‑engine fighter, the Spitfire, and incorporated a straight‑wing, all‑metal airframe with a single Rolls‑Royce Nene centrifugal turbo‑jet mounted beneath the fuselage. Its first flight took place on 12 August 1946, and after an intensive test programme it entered service with the Fleet Air Arm in 1951 as the FAA.1. The Attacker featured a conventional tail‑dragger undercarriage, a bubble canopy offering excellent visibility, and armament of four 20 mm Hispano cannons. Although its straight‑wing layout limited top speed to about 590 mph, the aircraft demonstrated reliable carrier operations, including arrested landings and deck‑launch capability using a hydraulic catapult. The Attacker’s short operational career—withdrawn by 1955—was eclipsed by more advanced swept‑wing designs, yet its significance lies in proving that jet propulsion could be integrated into naval aviation. It paved the way for subsequent Supermarine jets such as the Scimitar and contributed valuable data that informed the development of modern carrier‑borne fighters. The Attacker remains a notable milestone in the transition to jet age naval forces.

Supermarine

Supermarine Attacker

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Design & Classification