Main Menu

Britain's Supermarine Seafire naval fighter bomber^1,2

Supermarine Seafire naval fighter:	Supermarine Seafire naval fighter:	Supermarine Seafire naval fighter:	Supermarine Seafire naval fighter:
Supermarine Seafire XV naval fighter in 1947:

Design

Starting in 1940 there was interest in a carrier based Spitfire aircraft to be used with the Fleet Air Arm.¹

Undercarriage

There were problems with the Seafire's narrow undercarriage.¹ An a-frame arrestor hook was installed.²

Wings

The first model of Seafire to have folding wings was the Seafire F III.² This only added 125 lbs per plane.² The fold was just inside the inner cannon and another fold on the wing tip.²

Prototype

During December 1941 Lt. Commander H. P. Bramwell made seven take offs and four catapult launches from the fleet carrier HMS Illustrious.²

The first prototype flew on January 7, 1942.¹

The Seafire IIC first flew on May 28, 1943.²

Production

• Seafire F.IB, Seafire IB²:
  • Conversions: 166^1,2
    • Converted by: Air Service Training Limited (48²)^1,2, Cunliffe-Owen Aircraft Limited (118)², RAF Maintenance Unites (45)², Supermarine¹
  • Delivered between February 1942 and July 1943¹
• Seafire II, Seafire IIC²: Deliveries began in June 1942¹
  • Conversions:
    • Converted by: Vickers-Supermarine on production line²
  • Manufacturer: Wetland Aircraft Limited.²
  • Delivery started June 15, 1943²
• Seafire L IIC²: 372²
  • Manufacturer: Vickers-Supermarine (262)², Westland Aircraft Limited (110)²
• Seafire LR IIC²: ~30²
  • Conversions: unknown number²
• Seafire III: Manufactured from April 1943 to mid 1945¹
• Seafire F III²: 103²
  • Manufacturer: Westland Aircraft Limited²
• Seafire L III², Seafire FR III²: 1,060²
  • Manufacturer: Westland Aircraft Limited², Cunliffe-Own Aircraft Limited²

Variants

• Seafire BL676²: Prototype.² Converted Mk V.¹ Had tail hook.¹ Was Spitfire VB BL676.² Was fitted with a tropical filter.² A-frame arrestor hook.²
• Seafire F.IB, Seafire IB²: Converted Spitfire Mk Vs.^1,2 Had vee frame arrestor hook.^1,2 There was also a catapult spool.¹ Naval HF R/T, IFF, and Type 72 homing beacon was installed.²
• Seafire II, Seafire IIC²: Based on the Spitfire Mk VC.^1,2 Had catapult attachment points.¹ Arrestor hook was added.¹ Undercarriage was made stronger.¹ Could use RATOG (rocket assisted take off gear.¹ Some had clipped wings.¹ Some had Vokes tropical filter.¹
• Seafire F.IIC: Used Rolls-Royce Merlin 45 V 12 (1,470 HP) or Rolls-Royce Merlin 46 (1,415 HP) engine.¹
• Seafire L.IIC²: Used Rolls-Royce Merlin 32² (1,645 HP) or Rolls-Royce Merlin 55M (1,585 HP) engine.¹ Four bladed Rotol propeller was installed.²
• Seafire LR.IIC²: Photo reconnaissance.² Used Rolls-Royce Merlin 32 (1,645 HP) or Rolls-Royce Merlin 55M (1,585 HP) engine.¹ Had two F24 cameras.² It kept its full armament.²
• Seafire F.III: Had folding wings.^1,2 Four blade propeller.^1,2
• Seafire FR.III²: Used Rolls-Royce Merlin 32 (1,645 HP) or Rolls-Royce Merlin 55M (1,585 HP) engine.¹ Had cameras.¹
• Seafire LF.III, Seafire L III²: Used Rolls-Royce Merlin 32 (1,645 HP) or Rolls-Royce Merlin 55M² (1,585 HP) engine.¹

Usage

Britain was the only user of the Seafire.¹

20 FAA squadrons were equipped with the Seafire.¹

First Use

The Seafire made its first operational debut in late 1942 during Operation Torch (invasion of North Africa).^1,2 Four squadrons were equipped with the Seafire Mk IICs.² The 801 Naval Air Squadron (NAS) used the Seafire Mk IB.² During 180 sorties the Seafires shot down three aircraft, damaged three in the air, and destroyed four on the ground.² 21 Seafires were lost, three being shot down, and the others because of the thick haze.²

Sicily

121 Seafires (15 Mk IICs, 106 L Mk IICs) were used in support of the invasion of Sicily.² The were stationed on the escort carriers HMS Attacker, Battler, Hunter, and Stalker, and the fleet carriers HMS Formidable and Illustrious.²

Salerno

During the covering operations, 42 Seafires were lost to accidents.² Most of these were the inexperience of the pilots in taking off from Escort Carriers with a lack of wind.²

Seafire LR IIC

The Seafire LR IICs were first used by the No 4 Naval Fighter Wing in late 1943.²

British Pacific Fleet

Admiral Sir Bruce Fraser became commander in chief of the new British Pacific Fleet on November 22, 1944.² The No 24 Naval Fighter Wing was equipped with Seafire F IIIs and Seafire L IIIs.² The 887 and 894 Naval Air Squadron (NAS) performed most of the fleet defense with 40 Seafires.² The fleet also had 12 Fireflies, 38 Hellcats, and 73 Corsairs.²

	Supermarine Seafire F.I1, Supermarine Seafire IB2	Supermarine Seafire F.II1 Supermarine Seafire IIC2	Supermarine Seafire L IIC2	Supermarine Seafire F.III1	Supermarine Seafire L III2	Supermarine Seafire LF.III1
Type	Naval fighter bomber1	Naval fighter bomber1	Naval fighter2	Naval fighter bomber1	Naval fighter2	Naval fighter bomber1
Crew	11	11	12	11	12	11
Engine (Type)	Rolls-Royce 452	Rolls-Royce 452	Rolls-Royce 322	Rolls-Royce Merlin 551,2	Merlin 55M2
OR	Rolls-Royce 462	Rolls-Royce 462
Cylinders
Cooling
HP	1,4152			1,4701	1,5852
Propeller blades	31	31	42	41,2
Dimensions
Span	36' 10"1 11.23 m1	36' 10"1 11.23 m1		36' 10"1 11.23 m1	36' 10"2	36' 10"1 11.23 m1
Length	30' 2.5"1 9.21 m1	30' 2.5"1 9.21 m1		30' 2.5"1 9.21 m1	30' 2.5"2	30' 2.5"1 9.21 m1
Height	11' 5.5"1 3.49 m1	11' 5.5"1 3.49 m1		11' 5.5"1 3.49 m1		11' 5.5"1 3.49 m1
Height - over cowling					8'2
Wing area					242 ft2 2
Weight
Empty					6,204 lb2	6,204 lb1 2,814 kg1
Loaded					7,104 lb2	7,640 lb1 3,465 kg1
Performance
Speed @ sea level			316 mph2
Speed @ 6,000' / 1,830 m			335 mph2		358 mph2	348 mph1 560 kph1
Cruising speed						215 mph1 346 kph1
Climb						3,250'/minute1 990 m/minute1
Climb to 15,000'					5' 30"2
Service ceiling					24,000'2	32,000'1 9,754 m1
Range						465 miles1 748 km1
Range with drop tank					400 miles2	725 miles1 1,167 km1
Armament
Wings	2: 20 mm1, 20 mm Hispano Mk 22 4: 0.303" MG1,2	2: 20 mm1 4: 0.303" MG1		2: 20 mm1 4: 0.303" MG1	2: 20 mm Hispano2, late models Hispano Mk V2 4: 0.303" Browning MG2	2: 20 mm1 4: 0.303" MG1
Rounds	20 mm: 120 each 0.303": 350 each2
Bombs	1: 500 lb1 1: 227 kg1	1: 500 lb1 1: 227 kg1		1: 500 lb1 1: 227 kg1		1: 500 lb1 1: 227 kg1
OR	2: 250 lb1 2: 113 kg1	2: 250 lb1 2: 113 kg1		2: 250 lb1 2: 113 kg1		2: 250 lb1 2: 113 kg1

Sources:

1. Aircraft of WWII, Stewart Wilson, 1998
2. Seafire vs A6M Zero Pacific Theatre, Donald Nijboer, 2009

---