WW2 Nostalgia
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Mrs Lofthouse (standing next to the front wheel) of an aircraft at Sherburn-in-Elmet airfield in Yorkshire in 1945
Any assistance in identifying the make of this aircraft would be gratefully appreciated.
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Bi-Focals, Grazie Mille! 
Its always enjoyable happening upon a 'new' type .. for I have never before encountered the 'Barracuda'.
It adds up though because Sherburn-in-Elmet was used by Fairey as their base of operations during WW2 (if I am not mistaken). Have always been a fan of the Swordfish!
Fairey Barracuda I
The aircraft above (as well as the illustration) seem to be equipped with antenna (mounted atop the wing) the purpose of which I am now investigating.
Some Barracuda history:
While looking-up the Barracuda .. I came across another object of Fairey intrigue .. the 'Battle' ..
The Fairey Battle
It could almost pass as a streeeetched Hurricane!
Its always enjoyable happening upon a 'new' type .. for I have never before encountered the 'Barracuda'.
It adds up though because Sherburn-in-Elmet was used by Fairey as their base of operations during WW2 (if I am not mistaken). Have always been a fan of the Swordfish!
Fairey Barracuda I
The aircraft above (as well as the illustration) seem to be equipped with antenna (mounted atop the wing) the purpose of which I am now investigating.
Some Barracuda history:
The Barracuda resulted from Air Ministry Specification S.24/37 issued in 1937 for a monoplane torpedo bomber to meet Operational Requirement OR.35. Of the six submissions, the designs of Fairey Aviation and Supermarine (Type 322) were selected and two prototypes of each ordered. The first Fairey prototype flew on 7 December 1940. The Supermarine Type 322 first flew in 1943 but with the Barracuda already in production it did not progress further.
The Barracuda was a shoulder-wing cantilever monoplane with an oval, all-metal fuselage. It had a retractable landing gear and non-retracting tailwheel. The hydraulically-operated main landing gear struts were of an "L" shape and retracted into a recess in the side of the fuselage, with the wheels held in the wing. A flush arrestor hook was fitted ahead of the tail wheel. The crew of three were in tandem under a continuous glazed canopy.
The pilot had a sliding canopy and the other two crew members' canopy was hinged. The two rear-crew had alternate locations in the fuselage, with the navigator having bay windows below the wings for downward visibility. The wings had large Fairey-Youngman flaps that doubled as dive brakes. Originally fitted with a conventional tail, flight tests suggested stability would be improved by mounting the stabiliser higher, similar to a T-tail, which was implemented on the second prototype.
The Barracuda was a shoulder-wing cantilever monoplane with an oval, all-metal fuselage. It had a retractable landing gear and non-retracting tailwheel. The hydraulically-operated main landing gear struts were of an "L" shape and retracted into a recess in the side of the fuselage, with the wheels held in the wing. A flush arrestor hook was fitted ahead of the tail wheel. The crew of three were in tandem under a continuous glazed canopy.
The pilot had a sliding canopy and the other two crew members' canopy was hinged. The two rear-crew had alternate locations in the fuselage, with the navigator having bay windows below the wings for downward visibility. The wings had large Fairey-Youngman flaps that doubled as dive brakes. Originally fitted with a conventional tail, flight tests suggested stability would be improved by mounting the stabiliser higher, similar to a T-tail, which was implemented on the second prototype.
The Fairey Battle
It could almost pass as a streeeetched Hurricane!
Thanks for the sharing Sav . .. .. please check your PMs
By the way, the Fantome was a finer looking Fairey than your Barra or your Battle, boyo. Then again I admit to bias there.
If you grew up with Owen Thetford under your pillow, your familiarity with
most British built oddities of a military persuasion would here be not in question.
Will try to post a pic of Ted Sly with the Lowy Mk XIV at Temora.
Ted is still going strong at 95 . Took him up only last weekend for a scenic over Byron Bay.
Alex Henshaw and he were close friends. Neville Duke too. Particularly Neville, as they served together in North Africa . . . No 92 SQN. Remained lifelong friends.
By the way, the Fantome was a finer looking Fairey than your Barra or your Battle, boyo. Then again I admit to bias there.
If you grew up with Owen Thetford under your pillow, your familiarity with
most British built oddities of a military persuasion would here be not in question.
Will try to post a pic of Ted Sly with the Lowy Mk XIV at Temora.
Ted is still going strong at 95 . Took him up only last weekend for a scenic over Byron Bay.
Alex Henshaw and he were close friends. Neville Duke too. Particularly Neville, as they served together in North Africa . . . No 92 SQN. Remained lifelong friends.
Last edited by Fantome; 27th Sep 2013 at 06:19.
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Fairey Fantome - very nice looking piece of kit!
Gordon Sinclair in the photos above - I think he was the guy who bailed out of a Spitfire during the Battle of Britain, landing on Coulsdon High Street. His words were akin to "as I lay there in the gutter, a toe sort of turned me over and a voice said "Good God Gordon, what are you doing here?"
Gordon Sinclair in the photos above - I think he was the guy who bailed out of a Spitfire during the Battle of Britain, landing on Coulsdon High Street. His words were akin to "as I lay there in the gutter, a toe sort of turned me over and a voice said "Good God Gordon, what are you doing here?"
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Fantome: She certainly had sleek lines for her day!
Treadigraph: That does sound typically British!
Fairey Fantôme prototype no. 1
The fourth Fantôme prototype L7045 under test at Martlesham Down in February 1938
Treadigraph: That does sound typically British!
Fairey Fantôme prototype no. 1
The Fantôme was designed in 1934 by Marcel Lobelle to meet a specification drawn up on behalf of the Belgian Aéronautique Militaire who were to hold an international competition to find a replacement for the Fairey Firefly II. It was of all-metal construction, with fabric skinning and a 925 hp (690 kW) Hispano-Suiza 12Ycrs engine, with provision for one 20 mm engine-mounted cannon and two .30 in (7.62 mm) wing-mounted Browning machine guns.
The Fantôme first flew on 6 June 1935 but crashed at Evere on 17 July of that year. However, Fairey had already produced parts and components for three other aircraft and these were shipped to Belgium in 1936 and completed under the name Fairey Féroce at Gosselies. Two of these were sold to the Soviet government who later gave them to the Spanish Republican air force to aid with the Spanish Civil War. The fourth aircraft returned to Britain where it was acquired by the British Air Ministry. No further production was undertaken.
The Fantôme first flew on 6 June 1935 but crashed at Evere on 17 July of that year. However, Fairey had already produced parts and components for three other aircraft and these were shipped to Belgium in 1936 and completed under the name Fairey Féroce at Gosselies. Two of these were sold to the Soviet government who later gave them to the Spanish Republican air force to aid with the Spanish Civil War. The fourth aircraft returned to Britain where it was acquired by the British Air Ministry. No further production was undertaken.
The fourth Fantôme prototype L7045 under test at Martlesham Down in February 1938
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I've just noticed the uPVC windows and doors ..
And the up-and-over garage door and Friedland door chime button ..
And the up-and-over garage door and Friedland door chime button ..
Four years ago, Megan McDonald from Gayndah in Queensland, appeared on a CH9 doco called 'In Their Footsteps'. First she went to Temora, where former RAAF Spitfire pilot, Ted Sly, introduced her to the Mk Viii. She then met David Lowy, the museum's founder.
Via Malta, where she heard the story of her uncle Tony Boyd's death in his Spitfire, defending Malta, she went to England to meet Carolyn Grace, (also an Aussie), who gave Megan the controls of her own Spit.
Altogether a most moving doco. The sepia pic is of Ted in his Mk Viii in Darwin in 1943 .
Via Malta, where she heard the story of her uncle Tony Boyd's death in his Spitfire, defending Malta, she went to England to meet Carolyn Grace, (also an Aussie), who gave Megan the controls of her own Spit.
Altogether a most moving doco. The sepia pic is of Ted in his Mk Viii in Darwin in 1943 .
Last edited by Fantome; 28th Sep 2013 at 03:08.
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Fairey Barracuda
Savoia....The FAA Museum at Yeovilton are rebuilding a Barracuda from the wreckage of several in their Cobham Hall Annexe which is open a couple of times annually
DP872 Fairey Barracuda II by KeithM3, on Flickr
I believe quite a large number were built for the Navy....there is a reference to them being dangerous to fly ,here, but I don't know its accuracy
Fairey Barracuda wings
DP872 Fairey Barracuda II by KeithM3, on Flickr
I believe quite a large number were built for the Navy....there is a reference to them being dangerous to fly ,here, but I don't know its accuracy
Fairey Barracuda wings
Last edited by A30yoyo; 28th Sep 2013 at 13:43.
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The Barracuda was also an anti-submarine warfare aircraft. The antennas are probably High Frequency Direction Finding (known as "Huff Duff") which gave the location of a surfaced U-boat.
Last edited by ICT_SLB; 29th Sep 2013 at 04:13.
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Rosevidney1: Yes indeed, you are quite right!
Yoyo: Many thanks for this information. When they've finished it I should like to come across and see it for myself.
ICT_SLB: Thank you. I've since read that: "The Mk II carried metric wavelength ASV II (Air to Surface Vessel) radar, with the Yagi-Uda antennae carried above the wings." And which I am sure relates to its submarine-finding exploits.
More Battle of Britain ..
Battle of Britain flyers .. with John Freeborn second from left
This craft is named "Black ... " with the rest of the name being cut off by the photo border. Perhaps a presentation Spitfire. Does anyone know what the full name might be?
Yoyo: Many thanks for this information. When they've finished it I should like to come across and see it for myself.
ICT_SLB: Thank you. I've since read that: "The Mk II carried metric wavelength ASV II (Air to Surface Vessel) radar, with the Yagi-Uda antennae carried above the wings." And which I am sure relates to its submarine-finding exploits.
More Battle of Britain ..
Battle of Britain flyers .. with John Freeborn second from left
This craft is named "Black ... " with the rest of the name being cut off by the photo border. Perhaps a presentation Spitfire. Does anyone know what the full name might be?