The Fairey aircraft company remained a prime manufacturer of many different types of aircraft throughout WW2 for use with the RAF and FAA. The Fulmar, named after the native British seabird, was designed from an earlier model, the P.4, to replace the Fairey Battle. The Fulmar was redesigned for carrier-based fighter/observation aircraft, a role required by the Air Ministry. Production began in 1939 and the first Mk.I’s were produced from 1940 with a Mk.II from late 1940. Only 600 were built with production ceasing in early 1943. There was a Night Fighter version, the NF Mk.II, fitted with AI Mk.IV radar, converted from 100 Mk.II’s. The first Mk.I’s were powered by the Rolls-Royce Merlin VIII with the Mk.II upgraded to the Merlin XXX powerplant.
The Fairey Fulmar is a single engine two-seat carrier-borne reconnaissance/ fighter cantilever monoplane aircraft. Although it had a disappointing performance, along with its counterpart the Fairey Battle, it was a reliable and robust aircraft with long range and heavy armament with four browning .303 in each wing with some squadrons installing a Lewis gun in the rear cockpit.
The first production aircraft flew on the 4 January 1940. It was produced quickly and entered service with No.806 NAS in July 1940 aboard HMS Illustrious. It was used for the pursuit of the Bismarck and extensively in the Mediterranean as protection for the Fairey Swordfish attacks on Italian shipping as well as convoy protection patrols. At the peak of its existence, twenty squadrons of the FAA were equipped with the Fulmar aboard eight fleet carriers and five escort carriers. However, it was not a great fighter due to its size and weight and suffered during combat. During 1942 the Fulmar was gradually replaced by smaller single-seat fighters like the Sea Hurricane, Seafire and Martlet. Despite its performance the Fulmar achieved a high success rate being involved in most theatres. The type was withdrawn from service in February 1945.
There is only one surviving aircraft of this type at the FAA museum in Yeovilton, Somerset, UK. N1854 is the first Fulmar prototype built in 1939.
