Fairey Aviation - The Swordfish -
On the 26th May 1941, a Fairey Swordfish strike was launched against Bismark from Ark Royal jamming the Bismarck 's rudders with 15° port helm on, making the warship unmaneuvrable. It might have changed the course of the war.
The courage of the Swordfish crews was noted by the commanders on both sides: British Vice-Admiral Bertram Ramsay later wrote "In my opinion the gallant sortie of these six Swordfish aircraft constitutes one of the finest exhibitions of self-sacrifice and devotion to duty the war had ever witnessed", and even a German Vice-Admiral Otto Ciliax remarked on "the mothball attack of a handful of ancient planes, piloted by men whose bravery surpasses any other action by either side that day".
Finding an airworthy Swordfish has been almost impossible. So I thought I would find an aircraft that is most similar – the Stearman could be faux Swordfish - but my particular plane would be CAA certified to earn its upkeep with joy flights, training flights, the Bouncing Bomb tours (my plane is based in an airfield in Derbyshire) and Wing-Walking.
The Stearman type E75N1 was built in 1943 with a Lycoming R-680-17 Radial engine. They were used as a military trainer aircraft, during the 1930s and 1940s and throughout World War II. It is a conventional biplane of rugged construction with large, fixed tailwheel undercarriage, and accommodation for the student and instructor in open cockpits in tandem. The radial engine was usually uncowled.
My Plane:
Fairey Marine - The Huntsman -
Another great story that inspired me was how an architect at the time was commissioned by the War Effort to provide a hull-design to pick up the downed Spitfire Pilots. The design was revolutionary in producing high speeds in all manner of sea states, to rescue them, turn them around, and send them back up again in the Battle of Britain. 'Never in the field of human conflict has so much been owed by so many to so few'. This formed the start of Fairey Marine. The hull design may well have changed the course of the war.
Fairey Marine Ltd was a boat building company based on the River Hamble, Southampton, England. The company was created by Sir Charles Richard Fairey. The design of my own 1961 28’ Huntsman was by Alan Burnard and is hull number 11. The planing hull has been copied in various guises since. The hull is a relatively deep V with single chine and spray rails. The construction is of laminated mahogany, Once laminated the hulls were cooked in an autoclave to cure the glue. The 2 Cummins x 160Hp engines are placed midships under a sloping deck to the cock-pit.
The craft also starred in the James Bond film From Russia with Love. Sean Connery as James Bond can be seen driving a white Fairey Huntress and being chased by my very own Fairey Huntsman 28 ! (and a Fairey Huntress).
I have been completely inspired by the most extraordinary pilots and the most incredible sailors in my time – to whom I owe a great debt. I had the great fortune to meet Lionel Peter Twiss, OBE DSC (1921–2011) who was a British test pilot who held the World Air Speed Record as the first man to fly at a speed greater than 1,000 mph. On 10 March 1956, in his Fairey Rotodyne, Peter Twiss broke the World Speed Record, raising it to 1,132 mph, an increase of some 300 mph over the record set the year before by an F-100 Super Sabre, and thus became the first aircraft to exceed 1,000 mph in level flight. He also established a world speed record for rotocraft over a 100-km circuit in 1959.
He was a partner in both Fairey Marine and Fariey Aviation. In 1969, Peter Twiss drove his own Fairey Huntsman 707 Fordsport, in the Round Britain Powerboat Race. I met him when he ran Hamble Point Marina where I started my own yachting career.
My Boat:
So my own connection with Fairey Aviation and Fairey Marine has been made. I am very pleased to have finally realised my lifelong dream - since I started my yachting career in 1979 - to be the proud owner of both the Huntsman, and a faux Swordfish of this great British Story. I have always been so proud of the British Contribution to both sailing and flying the world over, and most particularly to the Superyacht Industry today.
www.captainsimonjohnson.com
The Blake award for the best presented yachts
the Fairey Owners Association for the Best Huntsman
The Alan Burnard Award for the best Fairey Huntsman
The Overall Concurs D'Elegance
