Big Four engined Fairey Bomber.

[Groggy]

Big Four engined Fairey Bomber.

A drawing from 1933 Fairey proposal showing a four engine Fairey Bomber with Kestrel Engines but no doubt intended by the company for the Fairey P12 (pre Merlin) or possibly the P16. The already mooted P24 high altitude bomber engine must also have been considered at that time.
The much later Lancaster should be thought of as a shorter less good looking Fairey look alike.
Has anyone details of this project that seems to predates all off the 2WW four engine Bombers and that one might suggest could have been in large scale service with the RAF by 1938?.

[PMN1]

No drawing??

[PMN1]

Just a thought but someone one the Secret Projects board may know.

http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php

[Groggy]

Hi PMN1

Sorry no scanner or internet at home.

Last week there was a very old Ian Allan publication Aircraft Illustrated at a aviation museum at Newark.

This was the first illustration I have ever seen of this Fairey Bomber proposal that I was told about many years ago.

This must have predated the FaireyBomber with the 2xP24 and tricycle undercarraige that looked a bit like the Handley Page Bomber.

[merlin]

Just because it was proposed early, doesn't mean it would have been better. In the British Secret Projects book, it states in the manufactures summary that Fairey had a 'heavy bomber' project to B.1/35, but no other details. Though on the opposite page, was a drawing of a four-engined 'Blenheim' to the same specification, a distinctly unimpressive machine.
Fairey, did not tender for the B.12/36 spec., only the twin-engined P.13/36 project. And because of the similarities between b.1/35 and P.13/36 only the Warwick of the former was built. It was as a result of the B.12/36 spec that the Stirling was ordered, and the Halifax and Lancaster (via Manchester) emerged out of the P.13/36 spec. Personally rather than the Stirling I think the Boulton paul P.90 would have been a better choice, and it was initially favoured, it might have been in service earlier - bearing in mind all the design changes needed on the Stirling.

[ChrisMcD]

Fairy did have a track record of innovation in bomber development in the Fairey Hendon.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairey_Hendon

Which was the RAF's first low wing, monoplane bomber AFAIK.

[Trexx]

I don't need a drawing!

From the looks of the Battle, Baracuada and Swordfish... (Their big stars)
It'd have four motors and ug-A-leee!