Fairey Barracuda Fleet Air Arm Royal Navy Carrier borne torpedo bomber/dive bomber/level bomber replacing the Swordfish and Albacore.Known for its role in attacking the battleship Tirpitz, First flying in December 1940, the designated Rolls Royce Exe X block engine was discontinued causing delay until a replacement could be found.Emphasis on fighter production delayed development further. Dive flaps could in some circumstances case spins.Squadrons were not equipped until January 1943. More than a few unexplained accidents occurred during the life of the Barracuda. A hydraulic pressure gauge near the pilot on the control panel was defective. When the gauge and line failed a stream of hydraulic fluid containing ether hit the pilot in the face rendering him unconscious — the Barracuda was not equipped with oxygen masks.The Mk I was underpowered. The Mk II was adequate in that respect. Not known for its good looks, the Barracuda was a decent performer during its service career. Pilots liked its landing characteristics and effective dive flaps.First operations were in the Norway theatre, Italy, then the Pacific where high temperatures degraded performance to the extent the Royal Navy equipped its carriers with TBF Avengers. On April 3, 1944, Barracudas sortied against Tirpitz scoring numerous hits putting the ship put of action. While the Barracuda proved an adequate aircraft, its performance did not greatly exceed the aircraft it replaced. Crew: 3 Length: 39 ft 9 in (12.12 m) Wingspan: 49 ft 2 in (14.99 m) Height: 15 ft 2 in (4.62 m) Wing area: 405 ft² (37.62 m²) Empty Weight: 9,350 lb (4,250 kg) Loaded weight: 13,200 lb (6,000 kg) Max. Takeoff Weight: 14,100 lb (6,409 kg) Powerplant: 1 × Rolls Royce Merlin 32 liquid-cooled V12 engine 1,640 hp (1,225 kW) Maximum Speed:195 mph (170 kn, 314 km/h) at 5,000 ft (1,524 m) Range: 686 mi (597 nmi, 1,104 km) with 1,620 lb (736 kg) aerial torpedo Service Ceiling: 16,600 ft (5,080 m) Guns: 2 × 0.303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers K machine guns in rear cockpit[28] Bombs: 1× 1,620 lb (735 kg aerial torpedo) or 4× 450 lb (205 kg) depth charges or 6× 250 lb (110 kg) bombs
Posted on: Sun, 26 Oct 2014 13:28:50 +0000
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