Fairey Albacore – Bilder og videoer

Den Fairey Albacore var et britisk enmotors torpedobombefly bygget av Fairey Aviation mellom 1939 og 1943 for Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm og brukt under andre verdenskrig. Den hadde et mannskap på tre og var designet for å oppdage og rekognosere samt nivå-, dykke- og torpedobombing. Albacore, populært kjent som "Applecore", ble unnfanget som en erstatning for Fairey Swordfish, som hadde tatt i bruk i 1936. Albacore tjenestegjorde imidlertid sammen med Swordfish og ble pensjonert før den, og ble erstattet fra 1944 av to monoplandesign, Fairey Barracuda og Grumman Avenger.

Kilde: Fairey-slaget på Wikipedia

Den Fairey Albacore was a single-engine biplane torpedo bomber that served in the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm during the Second World War. It was designed and produced by the British aircraft manufacturer Fairey Aviation, and was intended to replace the older Fairey Swordfish. However, the Albacore did not offer much improvement over the Swordfish, and was eventually replaced by monoplane designs such as the Fairey Barracuda and the Grumman Avenger.
The Albacore had a crew of three and a closed cockpit for better protection. It could carry a single 18-inch torpedo or up to 2,000 lb of bombs. It could also perform spotting and reconnaissance missions, as well as level and dive bombing. The Albacore first flew on 12 December 1938, and entered service in March 1940. A total of 800 Albacores were built, but only 400 were used operationally by the Royal Navy.
The Albacore saw action in various theatres of war, including the Mediterranean, where it participated in the Battle of Cape Matapan in 1941, and North Africa, where it supported the Second Battle of El Alamein in 1942. It also operated from land bases in East Africa, Malta and the Middle East. Some Albacores were used for special duties such as mine-laying and anti-mosquito spraying. The Albacore was also used by the Royal Air Force and the Royal Canadian Air Force, which operated the type until 1949.
The Albacore was nicknamed “Applecore” by its crews, and was generally well-liked for its handling and stability. However, it was slower and less manoeuvrable than its enemies, and suffered from poor visibility and maintenance problems. The Albacore was gradually phased out from frontline service from 1943 onwards, and was retired from all service by 1950. Today, only one Albacore survives, and is on display at the Fleet Air Arm Museum near Bristol, United Kingdom.