The Fairey III was a family of British reconnaissance biplanes that enjoyed a very long production and service history in both landplane and seaplane variants. First flying on September 14 1917, examples were still in use during World War II.

The prototype of the Fairey III was the N.10 floatplane built by Fairey Aviation for the Royal Naval Air Service during the First World War. The first two production models were the IIIA and IIB of which 50 and 30 respectively were built. They saw little, if any service towards the end of the war. The IIIC bomber/reconnaissance model followed, of which 36 were produced, including some converted IIIBs, and a small number of this type operated from Arkhangelsk as bombers for the North Russian Expeditionary Force in 1919.

The first major production model was the IIID which first flew in 1920 and was operated by the Royal Air Force and Fleet Air Arm as well as the air forces of Portugal (11 aircraft) and Australia which received six IIIDs, the first being delivered in August 1921. In 1924, the third of the Australian IIIDs, designated ANA.3 (or Australian Naval Aircraft No. 3), won the Britannia Trophy for circumnavigating Australia in 44 days. By 1926 a total of 224 Fairey IIIDs had been built. The IIID had an wooden, fabric-covered fuselage and usually a wooden, twin-blade, fixed-pitch propeller. One IIID was built with metal wings and floats.

Most Fairey IIIs were powered by Napier Lion 12-cylinder liquid-cooled engines but some, including the Australian IIIDs, were powered by the 375-hp (280 kW) Rolls-Royce Eagle VII. The naval variants were usually three-seaters; pilot, observer and gunner and the wings would could be folded back parallel to the fuselage for storage aboard ship. In floatplane configuration, carrier-borne Fairey IIIs would be launched from the deck using a trolley and would land on the water upon their return. The Fairey III floatplane could also be catapult-launched from a ship.

The most prolific and enduring of the Fairey IIIs was the final model, the IIIF which entered service with the RAF in Egypt in 1927. The IIIF had an all-metal fuselage and later all-metal wings and a metal propeller. Over 300 IIIFs were operated by the FAA, making it the most widely used type of aircraft in FAA service between the wars. In fact, of the British military aircraft in the inter-war years, only the Hawker Hart was produced in greater numbers.

The IIIF remained in service well into the 1930s some were still in use as target tugs as late as 1941. Three IIIFs were modified as a radio-controlled gunnery trainer, known as the Fairey Queen. The Fairey IIIF was also the basis for development of the Fairey Gordon and Fairey Seal .

A single example of the Fairey III is preserved in Portugal's Museu da Marinha (Naval Museum). The British Fleet Air Arm Museum has a fuselage.

Variants

• Fairey N.10
• Fairey IIIA
• Fairey IIIB
• Fairey IIIC
• Fairey IIID
• Fairey IIIF
  • Fairey IIIF I
  • Fairey IIIF II
  • Fairey IIIF III
  • Fairey IIIF IV

Specifications (Fairey IIIF IV)

General Characteristics

• Crew: two, pilot and gunner
• Length: 36 ft 9 in (11.20 m)
• Wingspan: 45 ft 9 in (13.95 m)
• Height: 14 ft 2 in (4.32 m)
• Wing area: 439 ft² (41 m²)
• Empty: 3,380 lb (1,764 kg)
• Loaded: 6,041 lb (2,746 kg)
• Maximum takeoff: lb ( kg)
• Powerplant: 1x Napier Lion XI, 570 hp (423 kW)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 120 mph (192 km/h)
• Range: 1,520 miles (2,432 km)
• Service ceiling: 20,000 ft (6,098 m)
• Rate of climb: 833 ft/min (254 m/min)
• Wing loading: 14 lb/ft² (67 kg/m²)
• Power/Mass: 0.10 hp/lb (0.15 kW/kg)

Armament

• 1x forward firing .303 Vickers machine gun
• 1x .303 Lewis machine gun in flexible mount for observer
• bombs can be carried under wings

Related content

Related development: Fairey Gordon - Fairey Seal

Comparable aircraft:

Designation sequence: