Fairey Seal

1931


BOMBER	Virtual Aircraft Museum / United Kingdom / Fairey

The Seal was the Fleet Air Arm version of the Gordon and was operated as a three-seat spotter-reconnaissance biplane. Items of equipment unique to the Seal were a tailwheel, wheel brakes, catapult points, flotation gear, slinging gear and an arrester hook, enabling it to be used from aircraft carriers and as a seaplane from warships. Marginally slower than the Gordon because of the naval equipment, plus an increased bomb load, 90 were delivered to the FAA between 1933 and 1935 (the 91st Seal ordered but thought not to have been delivered).

Seals were also sold to Peru, Latvia, Argentina and Chile. Late in their career a number of Seals passed into RAF service, remaining operational in Ceylon during the early years of World War II

Specification

CREW	3
ENGINE	1 x 525hp Armstrong Siddeley Panther IIA
WEIGHTS
Take-off weight	2724 kg	6005 lb
DIMENSIONS
Wingspan	13.94 m	46 ft 9 in
Length	10.26 m	34 ft 8 in
Height	3.89 m	13 ft 9 in
Wing area	41.20 m²	443.47 sq ft
PERFORMANCE
Max. speed	222 km/h	138 mph
Ceiling	5182 m	17000 ft
Range	773 km	480 miles
ARMAMENT	2 x 7.7mm machine-guns, 2 x 110kg bombs