The Fairey Albacore is a single-engine carrier-borne biplane torpedo bomber built by Fairey Aviation between 1939 and 1943 for the Fleet Air Arm. It had a three-man crew and was designed for spotting and reconnaissance as well as delivering bombs and torpedoes. The Albacore, popularly known as the "Applecore", was conceived as a replacement for the ageing Fairey Swordfish, which had entered service in 1936. However, the Albacore served with the Swordfish and was retired before it, being replaced by the monoplane Fairey Barracuda torpedo bomber. Fairey Albacore Fleet reconnaissance aircraft. ... An aircraft carrier is a warship designed to deploy and recover aircraft—in effect acting as a sea-going airbase. ... Hs123 biplane. ... A torpedo bomber is a bomber aircraft designed primarily to attack ships with torpedoes, but they could also carry out conventional bombings. ... Fairey Aviation Company logo The Fairey Aviation Company, Ltd was a British aircraft manufacturer of the first half of the 20th century, notable for a number of important planes, including the Fairey III family and the Fairey Swordfish. ... 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1943 calendar). ... The Fleet Air Arm is the operational group of the Royal Navy responsible for the operation of the aircraft on board their ships. ... Mixed reconnaissance patrol of the Polish Home Army and the Soviet Red Army during Operation Tempest, 1944 Reconnaissance is the military term for the active gathering of information about an enemy, or other conditions, by physical observation. ... Fairey Swordfish The Fairey Swordfish was a torpedo bomber built by the Fairey Aviation Company and used by the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy during World War II. Affectionately known as the Stringbag by its crews, it was outdated by 1939, but achieved some spectacular successes during the... This is a list of aviation-related events from 1936: Events February February 13 - Imperial Airways commences airmail services to West Africa March March 23 - Impreial Airways begins scheduled flights between Hong Kong and Malaysia. ... A monoplane is an aircraft with one main set of wing surfaces, in contrast to a biplane or triplane. ... The Fairey Barracuda was a British carrier-borne torpedo- and dive-bomber used during World War II, the first of its type to be fabricated entirely from metal. ...

The Albacore prototypes were built to meet Specification S.41/36 for a three-seat TSR (torpedo/spotter/reconnaissance) for the FAA. The first of two prototypes flew on December 12 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. This is a partial list of the British Air Ministry specifications for aircraft. ... December 12 is the 346th day (347th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 19 days remaining. ... This is a list of aviation-related events from 1938: Events Imperial Airways inaugurates scheduled service from London to Montreal. ... Bristol Taurus engine The Taurus was a 14_cylinder two_row radial aircraft engine, produced by the Bristol Engine Company starting in 1936. ...

No. 826 Squadron FAA was specially formed to operate the first Albacores in March, 1940. Carrier-based squadrons began operating the Albacore in 1941. Eventually there were 15 FAA squadrons equipped with the plane which operated widely in the Mediterranean. Albacores 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 FAA, Hal-Far, Malta, operated a squadron of TSR Fairey Albacores under some of the most severe blitz conditions imaginable during the siege of Malta, mainly against Italian shipping and shore targets in Sicily. This is a list of aviation-related events from 1940: Events March March 16 - Britain suffers its first civilian air-raid casualties of the war after a raid by KG 26 on Scapa Flow March 25 - the US government grants permission to the countrys aircraft manufacturers to sell advanced... For the movie, see 1941 (film) 1941 (MCMXLI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1941 calendar). ... The Mediterranean Sea is an intercontinental sea positioned between Europe to the north, Africa to the south and Asia to the east, covering an approximate area of 2. ... Combatants United Kingdom, Australia Italy Commanders Andrew Cunningham Angelo Iachino Strength 1 carrier 3 battleships 7 light cruisers 17 destroyers 1 battleship 6 heavy cruisers 2 light cruisers 17 destroyers Casualties 1 torpedo plane destroyed 1 battleship damaged 3 cruisers sunk 2 destroyers sunk The Battle of Cape Matapan was... Sup G There were two battles of El Alamein, both during 1942. ... Sicily (Sicilia in Italian and Sicilian, Σικελία in Greek) is an autonomous region of Italy and the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, with an area of 25,700 sq. ... Operation Avalanche was the codename for the landings near the port of Salerno, executed on 9 September 1943, part of the Allied invasion of Italy. ...

In 1943 the Albacore was replaced by the Barracuda. The last Albacore squadron, No. 841, disbanded in late 1943. The Royal Canadian Air Force took over the Albacores and used them during the Normandy invasion. The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) was the air force of Canada from 1924 until 1968 when the three branches of the Canadian military were merged into the Canadian Armed Forces. ... Combatants United States British Empire Canada Free France Nazi Germany Commanders Dwight Eisenhower (Supreme Allied Commander) Bernard Montgomery (land) Bertram Ramsay (sea) Trafford Leigh-Mallory (air) Gerd von Rundstedt (OB WEST) Erwin Rommel (Heeresgruppe B) Friedrich Dollmann (7. ...

Specifications

General characteristics

• Crew: 3
• Length: 39 ft 10 in (12.14 m)
• Wingspan: 50 ft (15.24 m)
• Height: 14 ft 2 in (4.32 m)
• Wing area: ft² ( m²)
• Empty: lb ( kg)
• Loaded: 10,460 lb (4,740 kg)
• Powerplant: 1x Bristol Taurus XII, 1,130 hp (843 kW)

Bristol Taurus engine The Taurus was a 14_cylinder two_row radial aircraft engine, produced by the Bristol Engine Company starting in 1936. ...

Performance

• Maximum speed: 161 mph at 4,000 ft (259 km/h)
• Range: 930 miles (1,497 km)
• Service ceiling: 20,700 ft (6,310 m)
• Rate of climb: ft/min ( m/min)
• Wing loading: lb/ft² ( kg/m²)
• Power/mass: hp/lb ( kW/kg)

Armament

• 1 x .303 in (7.7 mm) machine gun in starboard wing, 2 x Vickers K machine guns in rear cockpit
• 1 x 1,670 lb (760 kg) torpedo or 2,000 lb (900 kg) bombs

.303 cartridge The . ... A machine gun is a fully-automatic firearm that is capable of firing bullets in rapid succession. ... The Vickers K gun known as the Vickers Gas Operated (VGO) in British service, was a rapid firing machine gun developed for use by observers in aircraft. ...

Operators

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

The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) was the air force of Canada from 1924 until 1968 when the three branches of the Canadian military were merged into the Canadian Armed Forces. ... The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the air force branch of the British Armed Forces. ... The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the senior service of the British armed services, being the oldest of its three branches. ... The Fleet Air Arm is the operational group of the Royal Navy responsible for the operation of the aircraft on board their ships. ...

Related content

Related development: None

Comparable aircraft: Fairey Swordfish Fairey Swordfish The Fairey Swordfish was a torpedo bomber built by the Fairey Aviation Company and used by the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy during World War II. Affectionately known as the Stringbag by its crews, it was outdated by 1939, but achieved some spectacular successes during the...

Designation series: Seafox - Fulmar - Albacore - Barracuda - Firefly The Fairey Seafox was a Second World War reconnaissance floatplane of the Fleet Air Arm designed to be catapulted from the deck of a warship. ... The Fulmar was a carrier-borne fighter aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm built by Fairey Aviation during 1940. ... The Fairey Barracuda was a British carrier-borne torpedo- and dive-bomber used during World War II, the first of its type to be fabricated entirely from metal. ... Fairey Firefly in flight, Oshkosh, 2003. ...

See also

• List of aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm

This is a list of aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm. ...

External links

• 828 (TSR) Albacore Squadron Fleet Air Arm

One Fairey Albacore claimed to have shot down a JU87 in combat at Kirkenes in 1941, although this does not come clear from this article from the Fleet Air Arm Archive. It is said to be the only kill performed by an Albacore ever. The JU87 was one of several returning to base in Kirkenes from a bomb raid at Murmansk and enganged in the combat against the Albacores almost by accident.

• Fleet Air Arm Archive