Fairey Seal

Service life and operations

The Seal was designed and built by Fairey Aviation. It first flew in 1930 and entered squadron service with the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) in 1933. Ninety-one aircraft were produced.

The FAA started to replace it with the Swordfish Mk1 from 1936. By 1938 all FAA torpedo squadrons had been entirely re-equipped with the Swordfish. The Seal was removed from front-line service by 1938, but remained in secondary and support roles. By the outbreak of the Second World War, only four remained in service. The type was retired fully by 1943. The type was last used in India as an instructional airframe from the Royal Navy Photographic Unit.

The RAF also operated the Seal as a target tug. Twelve aircraft were part of the RAF's No 10 Bombing and Gunnery School until 1940. A further four aircraft were used by 273 Squadron in Ceylon. These aircraft were used on coastal patrols, some as floatplanes. By May 1942, the type had been retired from RAF service.

In 1934 Latvia ordered four Seal floatplanes for its naval aviation (factory numbers F.2112 – 2115, tactical numbers 26 – 29, later 98 – 101).

Variants

• Fairey IIIF Mk VI : The first prototype was converted from a Fairey IIIF MK IIIB.
• Fairey Seal : Three-seat spotter-reconnaissance aircraft for the Royal Navy.

Operators

;

• Argentine Navy ;
• Chilean Navy
• Chilean Air Force ;
• Latvian Navy
• Latvian Air Force (from 1936) ;
• Peruvian Air Force
• Peruvian Navy ;
• Royal Air Force
• Fleet Air Arm
  • 701 Naval Air Squadron
  • 702 Naval Air Squadron
  • 753 Naval Air Squadron
  • 820 Naval Air Squadron
  • 821 Naval Air Squadron
  • 822 Naval Air Squadron
  • 823 Naval Air Squadron
  • 824 Naval Air Squadron

Specifications (Landplane)

|prime units?=imp General characteristics

|max takeoff weight lb= |max takeoff weight note= Powerplant

Performance

|never exceed speed mph= |never exceed speed note= |wing loading lb/sqft= |fuel consumption lb/mi= |power/mass=

• Take-off run: ft
• Take-off distance to 50 ft: ft
• Landing run: ft
• Landing distance from 50 ft: ft-- Armament --

References

Bibliography

References

1. Between 22 June and 5 July 1936 three floatplanes under Colonel Janis Indans undertook a 6000 km long journey from [[Liepāja]] through Baltic and North European countries to England and back. In autumn 1940, after [[Background of the occupation of the Baltic states. Latvia's annexation]], the aircraft were taken by the Soviets, but they were not used by them, and they remained stored on [[Ķīšezers, Riga
2. Thetford 1978, p. 131.