Английская Википедия:Fairey Fantôme
Шаблон:Use dmy dates Шаблон:Use British English
The Fairey Fantôme, also known as the Fairey Féroce, was a Belgian fighter prototype of the mid-1930s. The prototype was designed and built by Fairey Aviation and three production aircraft were assembled in Belgium by Avions Fairey.
Development
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.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn It was a single-bay biplane of all-metal construction, with fabric skinning.Шаблон:Sfn It had a fixed conventional landing gear with spatted mainwheels.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn The aircraft was powered by a Шаблон:Convert Hispano-Suiza 12Ycrs liquid-cooled V12 engine, with provision for an engine-mounted Oerlikon 20 mm cannon firing through the propeller hub. The cannon was supplemented by two Шаблон:Convert wing-mounted Browning machine guns, while two more synchronised Brownings could be fitted in the upper fuselage if the cannon was not present.Шаблон:Sfn
Operational history
The Fantôme first flew on 6 June 1935 at the Great West Aerodrome (now part of London Heathrow Airport.Шаблон:Sfn The aircraft was shown at the 1935 RAF and SBAC airshows at RAF Hendon in July before being delivered to Belgium to take part in the Belgian fighter competition.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn It crashed at Evere on 17 July during the competition, killing the pilot.Шаблон:Sfn Fairey had already produced parts and components for three other aircraft. These were shipped to Belgium in 1936 and completed under the name Fairey Féroce at Avions Fairey's factory at Gosselies, but Belgium had meanwhile revised its requirements for fighters.Шаблон:Sfn Two of them were sold to the Soviet government,Шаблон:Sfn which some sources state later gave them to the Spanish Republican air force during the Spanish Civil War,Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn other sources claim that no evidence can be found of such a transfer.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn The fourth aircraft returned to Britain where it was acquired by the British Air Ministry, where both its flying performance and its armament were evaluated.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn It was transferred to the Air Gunnery School at Rolleston in December 1940 and struck off charge on 19 March 1943.Шаблон:Sfn No further production was undertaken.Шаблон:Sfn
Operators
- Soviet Air Force - Two aircraft, used for tests and trials.
Specifications
Шаблон:Aircraft specs Шаблон:Aircontent
References
Шаблон:Commons category Шаблон:Reflist
- Шаблон:Cite magazine
- Шаблон:Cite book
- Шаблон:Cite book
- Шаблон:Cite magazine
- Шаблон:Cite book
- Шаблон:Cite book
