(Fairey) Albacore @·AIRCRAFTUBE

  • Albacore of 820 Sqn on HMS Formidable Albacore of 820 Sqn on HMS Formidable
    Albacore of 820 Sqn on HMS Formidable
  • Fairey Albacore second prototype Fairey Albacore second prototype
    Fairey Albacore second prototype
  • Albacore of Sqn 820 of the Fleet Air Arm on HMS Victorious Albacore of Sqn 820 of the Fleet Air Arm on HMS Victorious
    Albacore of Sqn 820 of the Fleet Air Arm on HMS Victorious
  • Fairey Albacore Fairey Albacore
    Fairey Albacore
  • After the<br>Tirpitz<br>strike<br>(1944) After the<br>Tirpitz<br>strike<br>(1944)
    After the
    Tirpitz
    strike
    (1944)
  • 820 Sqn<br>HMS<br>Formidable 820 Sqn<br>HMS<br>Formidable
    820 Sqn
    HMS
    Formidable
  • Albacores of 820 Sqn on HMS Formidable Albacores of 820 Sqn on HMS Formidable
    Albacores of 820 Sqn on HMS Formidable
  • Fairey Albacore Fairey Albacore
    Fairey Albacore
  • Two Albacores of 820 Squadron Two Albacores of 820 Squadron
    Two Albacores of 820 Squadron
  • Fairey Albacores<br>approaching<br>HMS Victorious Fairey Albacores<br>approaching<br>HMS Victorious
    Fairey Albacores
    approaching
    HMS Victorious
  • Albacore Mk.I of No 119 Sqn RAF at Maldeghem, in Belgium Albacore Mk.I of No 119 Sqn RAF at Maldeghem, in Belgium
    Albacore Mk.I of No 119 Sqn RAF at Maldeghem, in Belgium
  • Albacores of 820 Squadron Albacores of 820 Squadron
    Albacores of 820 Squadron
  • Fairey Albacore Fairey Albacore
    Fairey Albacore
  • Albacores of 820 Sqn Albacores of 820 Sqn
    Albacores of 820 Sqn
  • HMS<br>Victorious<br>hangar HMS<br>Victorious<br>hangar
    HMS
    Victorious
    hangar
  • Albacores of 820 Squadron Albacores of 820 Squadron
    Albacores of 820 Squadron
  • Albacores of 820 Sqn (HMS Formidable) Albacores of 820 Sqn (HMS Formidable)
    Albacores of 820 Sqn (HMS Formidable)
  • Fleet Air Arm Museum at RNAS Yeovilton, Somerset Fleet Air Arm Museum at RNAS Yeovilton, Somerset
    Fleet Air Arm Museum at RNAS Yeovilton, Somerset
  • Landing on HMS Victorious Landing on HMS Victorious
    Landing on HMS Victorious
  • British Airmen<br>training at<br>Carlstrom Field,<br>Florida, in 1941 British Airmen<br>training at<br>Carlstrom Field,<br>Florida, in 1941
    British Airmen
    training at
    Carlstrom Field,
    Florida, in 1941
  • Fairey Albacore Fairey Albacore
    Fairey Albacore
  • Albacores of 820 Squadron Albacores of 820 Squadron
    Albacores of 820 Squadron
  • Albacores on HMS Victorious with torpedoes to attack the Tirpitz, in 1944 Albacores on HMS Victorious with torpedoes to attack the Tirpitz, in 1944
    Albacores on HMS Victorious with torpedoes to attack the Tirpitz, in 1944
  • Fleet Air Arm Museum Fleet Air Arm Museum
    Fleet Air Arm Museum
  • Albacore of 820 Sqn on HMS Formidable Albacore of 820 Sqn on HMS Formidable
    Albacore of 820 Sqn on HMS Formidable
  • Albacore Mk.I of 820 Naval Air Sqn<br>during the North African landings, in November 1942 Albacore Mk.I of 820 Naval Air Sqn<br>during the North African landings, in November 1942
    Albacore Mk.I of 820 Naval Air Sqn
    during the North African landings, in November 1942
  • Fairey Albacore (1940) Fairey Albacore (1940)
    Fairey Albacore (1940)

Fairey Albacore

The Fairey Albacore was a British single-engine carrier-borne biplane torpedo bomber built by Fairey Aviation between 1939 and 1943 for the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm and used during the Second World War. It had a three-man crew and was designed for spotting and reconnaissance as well as level bombing, dive bombing and as a torpedo bomber. The Albacore, popularly known as the "Applecore", was conceived as a replacement for the aging Fairey Swordfish, which had entered service in 1936. However, the Albacore served with the Swordfish and was retired before it, being replaced by the Fairey Barracuda and Grumman TBF Avenger monoplane torpedo bombers.

Design and development

The Albacore prototypes were built to meet Specification S.41/36 for a three-seat TSR (torpedo/spotter/reconnaissance) for the FAA to replace the Swordfish. The Albacore was designated TBR (torpedo/bomber/reconnaissance) and like the Swordfish, was fully capable of dive bombing: "The Albacore was designed for diving at speeds up to 215 knots (400 km/h) lAS with flaps either up or down, and it was certainly steady in a dive, recovery being easy and smooth..." and the maximum under wing bomb load was 4 x 500 lb bombs. The Albacore had a more powerful engine than the Swordfish and was more aerodynamically refined. It offered the crew an enclosed and heated cockpit. The Albacore also had features such as an automatic liferaft ejection system which triggered in the event of the aircraft ditching.

The first of two prototypes flew on 12 December 1938 and production of the first batch of 98 aircraft began in 1939. Early Albacores were fitted with the Bristol Taurus II engine and those built later received the more powerful Taurus XII. Boscombe Down testing of the Albacore and Taurus II engine, in February 1940, showed a maximum speed of 160 mph (258 km/h), at an altitude of 4,800 ft (1,463 m), at 11,570 lb (5,259 kg), which was achieved with four under-wing depth charges, while maximum speed without the depth charges was 172 mph (277 km/h). An Albacore fitted with the Taurus II engine and carrying a torpedo weighed 11,100 lb (5,045 kg).

A total of 800 Albacores were built, including two prototypes which were all built at Fairey's Hayes Factory and test flown at what is now London Heathrow Airport.

Operational history

No. 826 Naval Air Squadron was specially formed to operate the first Albacores in March 1940, being used for attacks against harbours and shipping in the English Channel, operating from shore bases, and for convoy escort for the rest of 1940. HMS Formidable‍ '​s 826 and 829 Squadrons were the first to operate the Albacore from a carrier, with operations starting in November 1940. Initially, the Albacore suffered from reliability problems with the Taurus engine, although these were later solved, so that the failure rate was no worse than the Pegasus that equipped the Swordfish. However, it remained less popular than the Swordfish, as it was less agile, with the controls being too heavy for a pilot to take effective evasive action after dropping a torpedo.

Eventually, there were 15 first-line FAA squadrons equipped with the Albacore which operated widely in the Mediterranean. Albacores played a prominent role in the ill-fated raid on Kirkenes and Petsamo in July 1941. More successfully they participated in the Battle of Cape Matapan and the fighting at El Alamein as well as supporting the landings at Sicily and Salerno. During the period September 1941 to end of June 1943, No. 828 Squadron, based at RAF Hal Far, Malta, operated a squadron of Albacores under some of the most severe blitz conditions imaginable during the siege of Malta, mainly against Italian shipping and shore targets in Sicily.

On 9 March 1942, 12 Albacores from HMS Victorious were launched to attack the German Bismarck-class battleship Tirpitz at sea near Narvik. Based on information from one of six radar equipped aircraft already launched, Albacores from 817 and 832 Squadrons launched torpedoes and some also attacked with their machine guns. A courageous attack came within 30 ft of success at the bow, but ultimately the FAA's only torpedo attack on the Tirpitz at sea failed, with the loss of two aircraft and damage to many others.

In 1943, the Albacore was progressively replaced in Fleet Air Arm service by the Barracuda. The last FAA Albacore squadron, No. 841 Squadron, (which had been used for shore based attacks against shipping in the Channel for the whole of its career with the Albacore), disbanded in late 1943.

The Royal Air Force deployed some Albacores; No. 36 Squadron based at Singapore acquired five to supplement its Vickers Vildebeests at RAF Seletar in December 1941. The remnants of the squadron was captured by the Japanese in March 1942. In 1943, No. 415 Squadron RCAF was equipped with Albacores (presumably ex-FAA) before the Flight operating them was transferred and reformed as 119 Squadron at RAF Manston in July 1944. The squadron deployed later to Belgian airfields. Their Albacores were disposed of in early 1945 in favour of ASV-radar equipped Swordfish Mk.IIIs that the squadron kept until the end of the war in May. The Aden Communication Flight used 17 Albacores between the middle of 1944 and August 1946. Some of these were delivered by sea on the SS Empire Arun in December 1945 (all from Royal Navy stock).

The Royal Canadian Air Force took over the Albacores and used them during the Normandy invasion, for a similar role until July 1944. The Albacore was the last biplane to be used in combat by the RCAF.

Operators

  • Canada
    • Royal Canadian Air Force
  • United Kingdom
    • Royal Air Force
    • Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm

Surviving aircraft

Only one Albacore is known to survive, on display at the Fleet Air Arm Museum. It was built using parts of Albacores N4389 and N4172 recovered from crash sites.

— — — = = — — —

This text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License
Source : Article Fairey Albacore of Wikipedia ( authors )

Specifications (Albacore)

  • Crew : Three.
  • Length : 39 ft 10 in (12.14 m).
  • Height : 14 ft 2 in (4.62 m).
  • Wingspan : 50 ft (15.24 m).
  • Wing area : 623 ft² (57.9 m²).
  • Empty weight : 7,250 lb (3,295 kg).
  • Loaded weight : 10,460 lb (4,755 kg).
  • Max. takeoff weight : 12,600 lb (5,727 kg).
  • Maximum speed : 140 kts (161 mph, 259 km/h).
  • Cruise speed : 122 kts (140 mph, 225 km/h) (maximum cruise).
  • Stall speed : 47 kts (54 mph, 87 km/h) (flaps down).
  • Range : 817 nmi (930 mi, 1,497 kts) (with torpedo).
  • Service ceiling : 20,700 ft (6,310 m).
  • Climb to 6000 ft : 8 min.
  • Powerplant : One Bristol Taurus II (Taurus XII) 14-cylinder radial engine.
  • Power : 1,065 hp (1,130 hp) (794 kW (840 kw)).
  • Armament :
  • One fixed, forward-firing .303 in (7.7 mm) machine gun in starboard wing.
  • One or two .303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers K machine guns in rear cockpit.
  • Bombs : One 1,670 lb (760 kg) torpedo or 2,000 lb (907 kg) bombs.

— — — = = — — —

This text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License
Source : Article Fairey Albacore of Wikipedia ( authors )
Fairey Albacore : Your comments on this subject
Powered by Disqus
Top
Legal Credits FAQ Help Site Map

Terms of use for the services available on this site

By using this Website, Users agree to the following terms of use and rules :

Definitions

  • Webmaster : Head Administrator with all authority over the management and development of the Website.
  • Administrator : Anyone that was given by the Webmaster full or partial access to the Website's structure or with moderation rights on messages posted by Users.
  • User or Visitor : Any person visiting the Website pages.
  • Website : The following provisions apply to a single Website accessible via the www.aircraftube.com, www.aircraftube.org, www.aircraftube.net and www.all-aircraft.com. URL's
  • Service : All free informations and tools contained on the Website.
  • Comments : All text written by users on Blogs and comment pages available on the Website.
  • Media : All media available on or through the Website. One must distinguish the local media (photos, curves, drawings) and the external media (videos) which the Website refers.

    • Purpose of this site

    The purpose of this non-commercial site is purely educational. Reflecting a passion, it is also there to preserve the memory of all those who gave their lives, their health or energy in the name of freedom, aviation safety or simply our passenger comfort.

    Copyright

    Some media may have escaped the vigilance of Administrators with regard to copyrights. If a user reports copyright infringement, he will be asked to prove that he is indeed the rights's owner for the concerned media. If so, his decision on the Administrator's next action will be respected: A total suppression of the Media on the Website, or the addition of some owner's reference. The publication of a media on the internet normally having as a goal to make it visible to many people, the Administrators expect in any case that the second option will be most often chosen.

    Pursuant to the Law on copyright and related rights, the user has the right to download and reproduce information on the Website for personal use and provided that the source is mentionned. They cannot however be used for commercial or advertising purposes.

    Using Blogs and filing comments

  • Moderator : The Administrator reserves the right to prevent the publication of comments that are not directly related to the Service without providing any explanation. Similarly, all insults, out of scope or unethical material will be banned.
  • Identification : Persons wishing to post a comment or use any form of contact are required to provide identification by the means of a valid e-mail address.
  • Responsibilities : Comments are posted on the Website under the unique responsability of their authors and the Administrators may in no case be liable for any statements or claims that the users might have issued.

    • As the comment system is hosted and maintained on servers external to the Website, the Administrators may in no circumstances be held responsible for the use that administrators of these servers or other third parties may have with those comments or filed data.

    Content Liability

    The Administrators carefully check the reliability of the sources used. They cannot, however, guarantee the accuracy of any information contained on the Website, partly because of the multiple sources from which they come.

    JavaScript and cookies - Storing information

    This Website imperatively uses JavaScript and cookies to function properly. Neither of these technologies, or other means shall in no case be used on the Website for the retention or disclosure of personal information about Visitors. Exceptions to this rule will involve storing the Users banned for inappropriate comments they might have given as well as contact information for Users wishing to subscribe to future newsletters.

    When a user accesses the Website, the corresponding servers may automatically collect certain data, such as IP address, date and time of Website access, viewed pages and the type of browser used. This information is kept only for the purpose of measuring the number of visitors to the different sections of the site and make improvements.

    Donations - Advertising

    To continue providing the Service for free, the Webmaster reserves the right to insert advertising or promotional messages on any page of the Site. In the same idea, any donations will only by used to cover the running costs of the site, such as hosting, connection fees, hardware and software necessary for the development and maintenance of the Website.

    Links and other websites

    Administrators shall in no case be liable for the non-availability of websites operated by third parties to which users would access through the Website.

    Administrators assume no liability for any content, advertising, products and/or services available on such third party websites. It is reminded that those sites are governed by their own terms of use.

    Placing a link to third party sites or authorize a third party to include a link on their website refering to this Website does not mean that the Administrators recommend in any way the products or services offered by these websites.

    Modifications

    The Webmaster reserves the right to modify at any time without notification the present terms of use as well as all content or specific functionality that the Website offers.

    The modified terms and conditions immediately apply to the using Visitor when changes come online. Visitors are invited to consult the site regularly on the most current version of the terms and conditions

    Governing Law and Jurisdiction

    These general conditions are governed by Belgian law.

    In case of dispute regarding the interpretation and/or execution of the above terms, the parties agree that the courts of the district of Nivelles, Belgium shall have exclusive jurisdiction power.

    Credits page

    Wikipedia.org

    Wikipedia is a collaboratively edited, multilingual, free Internet encyclopedia.

    Youtube

    YouTube is a video-sharing website on which users can upload, view and share videos.

    Special thanks to all Youtube quality aviation vids providers, specially (Those I forgot, please excuse me or report) :

    Airboyd
    Andys Video
    Aviation videos archives
    Bomberguy
    Classic Aviation TV
    Historical Aviation Film Unit
    Horsemoney
    Jaglavaksoldier
    Joluqa Malta
    Just Planes
    Koksy
    Classic Airliners & Vintage Pop Culture
    Memorial Flight
    Octane130
    Okrajoe
    SDASM archives
    Spottydog4477
    The Aviators TV
    Valentin Izagirre Bengoetxea
    Vexed123
    VonBerlich
    Zenos Warbirds

    Bundesarchiv

    The German Federal Archives or Bundesarchiv are the National Archives of Germany.

    FAQ

    I don't see my comments any more!

    Please note that each page has it's own comment entry. So, if you enter a comment i.e. on the B-747, you will only see it on that related page.

    General comments are accessed via the "BLOG En" button.

    Comments are moderated, so please allow some delay before they appear, specially if you are outside Europe.

    Menus are developing below the page, because they are too long!

    But they remain accessible, for example by scrolling the mouse wheel, or with your finger (on the menu) on a smartphone or tablet.

    I see adds on all videos.

    Use a good free add remover software.

    The site is loading random pages at startup.

    We think it is a good way to bring back the memory of aircraft, persons or events sometimes quite forgotten.

    HELP PAGE

    Why this site?

    Discovery

    This website is dedicated to one's aeronautical passion (which I hope we share) and was realised mainly as an educationnal tool. Knowing that, you'll notice that each new visit brings random topics for the purpose of making new discoveries, some achievements or characters certainly not deserving the oblivion into which they have sometimes fallen.

    By these pages, we also want to pay tribute to all those who gave at one time or another, their lives or health in the name of freedom, aeronautical security or simply our comfort.

    Centralisation

    Internet is full of websites dedicated to aviation, but most are dedicated to subjects or periods that are very limited in space or time. The purpose of this site is to be as general as possible and thus treats all events as well as characters of all stripes and times while putting much emphasis on the most significant achievements.

    The same years saw birth of technologies like photography and cinema, thus permitting illustration of a large part of important aeronautical events from the start. Countless (and sometimes rare) media recently put online by enthousiasts finally give us access to these treasures, but the huge amount of information often makes things a little messy. A centralization effort is obviously most needed at this level.

    All persons who directly or indirectly contributed to the achievement or posting of such documents are here gratefully acknowledged.

    General

    Fluid website

    This site automatically fits the dimensions of your screen, whether you are on a desktop computer, a tablet or a smartphone.

    Bilingual website

    You can change the language by clicking on the flag in the upper left or via "Options" in the central menu. Of course, the videos remain in the language in which they were posted ...

    Browser compatibility

    The site is not optimized, or even designed to run on older browsers or those deliberately deviating from standards. You will most probably encounter display issues with Internet Explorer. In this case, it is strongly recommended installing a modern (and free!) browser that's respecting the standards, like Firefox, Opera, Chrome or Safari.

    Cookies and Javascript

    This site uses cookies and JavaScript to function properly. Please ensure that your browser is configured accordingly. Neither of these technologies, or other means shall in no case be used on the Site for the retention or disclosure of personal information about its Visitors. See the "Legal" page for more on this subject.

    Website layout

    Left menus

    Because of the lack of space on smartphones and small tablets, these menus are hidden. Everything is nevertheless accessible via the main menu option, located between the video and photo sections. This menu is placed there for compatibility reasons with some browsers, which play the videos over the menus.

    "Search" and "Latest" :
    The link "In Titles" restricts the search to the titles of different forms. Use this option if you are looking for a plane, a constructor, a pilot or a particular event that could have been treated as a subject.

    The link "In Stories" will bring you to a search in all texts (the "Story" tab) and will take more time. The search term will appear highlighted in green when opening the corresponding story.

    Would you believe, "Timeline" will show all subjects in chronological order.

    "Random" will reload the entire page with a new random topic.

    The bottom section keeps you abreast of the latest five entries. New topics are added regularly. Don't hesitate to come visit us often : add bookmark.

    Blogs and Comments central section

    Under the photos section comes the comments tabs window :

    You can enter general comments in your own language via one of the two buttons on the left (BLOG EN and BLOG FR). Note that these buttons are accessible regardless of the language to allow some participation in the other language.

    All comments are subject to moderation and will be published only if they comply with the basic rules of decorum, while remaining relevant to the purpose of this site.

    The third tab allows you to enter comments on the shown topic and is bilingual. Personal anecdotes, supplements and other information questions will take place here.

    The "Story" tab shows the explanatory texts. They are most often taken from Wikipedia, a site where we participate regularly.

    The "Data" tab is reserved for list of features and specifications.

    Right menus

    On a smartphone, the lack of space is growing and this menu is moved to the bottom of the page to give priority to videos and pictures.

    The top right icons are links to videos posted by third parties (on their own responsabilities) or by ourselves. The link below these icons will take you to the channel of the one who posted the video. Feel free to suggest other videos if you think they are of some interest (Use the BLOG button or the "Contact" link).