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»	COMBATSIM.COM ARCHIVE FORUM » Real Military Discussions » Historic » Fireflies-blink....blink....

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Topic: Fireflies-blink....blink....

BBGunn
Member
Member # 445

posted 12-15-1999 06:49 PM

Since the historic forum has been quiet lately I thought that I would mention an AC that I have never seen simulated. The Fairey Firefly. It was a British fighter-bomber used in the later part of WW2 and carried 4 wing mounted 20mm cannons and could carry two 1000lb bombs or eight 60lb rockets under the wings. It was said to be the first British war plane to fly over Japan and was also used to attack oil refineries in Sumatra. As a carrier launch AC it was also used to attack the German warship Tirpitz. The basic model Firefly had a top speed of 284mph at sea level and around 320mph at 17,000 ft. Not bad for a plane that weighed 7 tons loaded.
If we ever do get to experience a new Pacific
sim then I think the Firefly would be a good candidate to include.

[This message has been edited by BBGunn (edited 12-15-1999).]

Posts: 158 | From: USA | Registered: Sep 1999 | IP: Logged

Slickster
Member
Member # 384

posted 12-17-1999 10:00 AM

BBgunn, was this the plane with a big greenhouse canopy? And sat with it's nose real high in the air while on the deck? Big, big prop. If so, it was a cool looking plane. 4 20's in that era was HUGE.

------------------
Rick "Slick" Land

Posts: 551 | From: Fayetteville, AR, USA | Registered: Sep 1999 | IP: Logged

BBGunn
Member
Member # 445

posted 12-17-1999 06:16 PM

Hello Slickster- The Fairey Barracuda had the full "greenhouse canopy". It was a three seater of high-wing design and the predecessor to the Firefly. The Barracuda was just over 15' high. The Firefly had more power (1730hp), was a two seater with separate canopys. The front one for the pilot with a sliding lid and a shorter "greenhouse" style for the navigator inback of the pilot. The Firefly was 13ft 7" in height. First service deliveries came in March of 1943, so it was used during a substantial portion of the war.

Posts: 158 | From: USA | Registered: Sep 1999 | IP: Logged

Sader85
Member
Member # 1426

posted 12-17-1999 07:22 PM

You guys seem to know more about this than me, but has the Dauntless Divebomber even been simulated? My grandpa flew 'em, and he'd love a good sim.

--Sader

Posts: 42 | From: Princeton, IL, USA | Registered: Dec 1999 | IP: Logged

BBGunn
Member
Member # 445

posted 12-18-1999 05:55 PM

Hello Sader- Yes, the Dauntless has been modeled in Warbirds for one. Seems like there were a few of the older sims that may have had them as well. The warbirds simulation lacks things like setting prop pitch but the dive brakes are there and the plane responds well. My father-in-law was a flight engineer on B-17's- he always had a lot of respect for dive bomber pilots.

Posts: 158 | From: USA | Registered: Sep 1999 | IP: Logged

Nashwan
Member
Member # 91

posted 12-19-1999 03:37 AM

I think the long greenhouse canopy was also on the fairy fulmar, which was designed as a fleet defence fighter. Then again, Fairey seemed rather fond of long glass cockpits. Look at the Battle.

Posts: 514 | From: | Registered: Sep 1999 | IP: Logged

Slickster
Member
Member # 384

posted 12-20-1999 08:48 AM

OK. I'm with you now. I pulled out a couple of my books and looked it up. I had sort of a combo of two types in my head.
The SBD was modeled in Aces of the Pacific, and also that Origin game, I forget the name. The Pilots loved the "Slow But Deadly", and felt the SB2C was not an improvement at all. In an amazing 15 minutes at Midway the fate of the world was changed, as SBD Pilots made good use of Devastators' sacrifices to plaster 3 Japanese carriers. The A6M's were all on the deck, slaughtering the hapless Devastators.
Anyone doubting the bravery of US pilots best read those aging accounts of the American torpedo bomber pilots resolve, bravery, and personal sacrifice in that Battle. They KNEW most weren't coming back, and attacked anyway. Oops, sorry. Waxed into the preacher again.

------------------
Rick "Slick" Land

Posts: 551 | From: Fayetteville, AR, USA | Registered: Sep 1999 | IP: Logged

BBGunn
Member
Member # 445

posted 12-20-1999 01:32 PM

A couple more notes on the Fairey AC. The Barracuda is the one with the high wing and high mount horizontal stabilizer. It was considered both a torpedo and a dive bomber.
It looks to me like the wings would rip off in a dive but the book I have says that a force of 42 Barracudas attacked the Tirpitz in April of 44 and scored 15 hits. It did have Youngman type dive brakes which slowed it down. The Firefly looks a little like a Typhoon that was stretched out with the normal low wing mount and tailplane that we are used to seeing. It is interesting that both types were used to attack the Tirpitz(July 44 for the Firefly). The Tirpitz must of been a tough battle wagon.

Posts: 158 | From: USA | Registered: Sep 1999 | IP: Logged

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