Fairey Barracuda

By: XN923 - 25th January 2006 at 13:52 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00

I've perused the web a bit looking for information on this aircraft,but information seems to be quite sparse online.
Is there a book that deals with all things Barracuda?
How did the Mk.II differ from the Mk.I(aside from the engine)?
I'm also looking for Barra color schemes (especially those involved in the Tirpitz attack)

Dennis

I'd have to check my sources but off the top of my head I think the Barra II had an upgraded Merlin. Colour schemes for the Tirpitz attack would have been standard wartime Fleet Air Arm temperate colours of extra dark sea grey/dark slate grey camoflage on the upper surfaces and sky under surfaces with low demarcation line.

I think there may have been an article on the Barracuda in a recent magazine, I'll have a look for it.

By: vildebeest - 25th January 2006 at 14:11 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00

There is a book in the Warpaint series on the Barracuda - www.warpaint-books.com. It was also the featured plane in a Scale Aircraft Modelling magazine some years ago which had various colour schemes.

Paul

By: NiallC - 25th January 2006 at 14:47 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00

In addition to the recent Warpaint book you might be able to pick up a copy of the old Profile on the Barracuda (No 240) by David Brown. Test pilot Eric Brown also covered his impressions of flying the aircraft in his book "Wings of the Navy". Considering that the Barracuda was by far the most numerous British-designed Fleet Air Arm type of the war it's odd that no-one has published a full length book about it.

With respect to the various Marks:
Mk I: Merlin 30, 3 bladed propellor
Mk II: Merlin 32, 4 bladed propellor
Mk III: Mk II with a radome under the fuselage for ASV X radar
Mk IV: MkII with a Griffon (Not built)
Mk V: Griffon VII,VII or 37, extended span wings, larger fin and rudder. (30 built, remainder cancelled, possibly on grounds of extreme ugliness).

Both the Warpaint Book and Profile contain colour artwork for a/c that participated in the Tirpitz attacks. There was also by the way a two part series by Ray Sturtivant covering the operational history of the aircraft (including the Tirpitz attacks) published in around 1981 in a monthly magazine the name of which I can't mention here:-)

NiallC

By: XN923 - 25th January 2006 at 16:12 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00

Mk V: Griffon VII,VII or 37, extended span wings, larger fin and rudder. (30 built, remainder cancelled, possibly on grounds of extreme ugliness).

NiallC

LOL! If that were the case, no Bara would have ever left the drawing board!

Photo JACQUES TREMPE COLLECTION
No. 1959. Fairey Barracuda Mk.V (PM940) Royal Navy
Aeroplane Photo Supply (APS) Photo No. 4565

Attachments

By: Dave T - 25th January 2006 at 16:45 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00

There is a book in the Warpaint series on the Barracuda - www.warpaint-books.com. It was also the featured plane in a Scale Aircraft Modelling magazine some years ago which had various colour schemes.

Paul

Copy of the Warpaint title just come up on eBay.

Item #6031941820

Cheers........

By: paaln - 25th January 2006 at 19:19 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00

LOL! If that were the case, no Bara would have ever left the drawing board!

Ugly? This beauty? Nah :)

By: NiallC - 25th January 2006 at 20:09 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00

Great picture. Amazing how just one aircraft can look like the result of an accident involving several.

Still, however, a very significant British aircraft type that is often overlooked.

NiallC

By: Hornchurch - 26th January 2006 at 01:23 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00

Fairy's WWII Junkpile o' puke

Heard there was talk of recovering :eek: some of these 'flying nastiness' from where they were dumped, in the Bahamas (excellent original idea, but bad location) :D

Hope they heed the old-English proverb "Let sleeping dogs lie".........& spend their time/money/effort into salvaging something more worthwhile (like anything else you can lay your hands on !!!)

One Fairy Barracuda is one too many :diablo: :diablo: :diablo:

By: airart - 26th January 2006 at 06:14 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00

My profile from Scale Aviation Modeller might help.

Caption: Fairey Barracuda Mk.II, LS628/4F of Nº 831 Squadron, Nº 52 T.B.R. Wing, HMS Furious, which took part in the attack on the 'Tirpiz' on April 3, 1944. B Type roundels above wings

Airart

Attachments

By: XN923 - 26th January 2006 at 14:23 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00

Ugly? This beauty? Nah :)

Ah, aluminium origami.

I will ignore Hornchurch's comments on the grounds that the inclement weather must be affecting his judgement ;) OK, so the crews may have had a rather uncharitable song about the poor beast that went to the tune of 'any old iron' and it may have been saddled (literally!) with the traditional Fleet Air Arm tendency to overload aircraft with every bit of equipment but the kitchen sink, but it's hard to imagine a type so poorly represented today that made such a contribution back then.

By: NiallC - 26th January 2006 at 23:55 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00

Couldn't agree more. paaln has wilfully chosen an image that shows the old girl at her worst. Richards artwork shows that she has a certain, fugly elegance with everything up.

Ugly or not, the Barracuda was built in greater numbers than any other British-designed FAA type, took part in many significant operations in Europe and the pacific theatre, yet all we have left (currently) is a firewall-forward section at Yeovilton.

Sometimes it seems we want to commemorate what might have been, rather than what was, so an aircraft with a material combat history is ignored while people get moist at the edges over, say, the TSR . . no, mustn't go there, must take medication.

NiallC

By: XN923 - 27th January 2006 at 09:54 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00

Sometimes it seems we want to commemorate what might have been, rather than what was, so an aircraft with a material combat history is ignored while people get moist at the edges over, say, the TSR . . no, mustn't go there, must take medication.

NiallC

Right - the workhorses always seem to get a poor deal. But there's always a degree of emotion in these things. The early impressions of aircrew seem to have chased the Barracuda through its whole life, and a lot of this undoubtedly came from the fact that they were used to slow, stable biplanes and were reacting to a modern, all metal monoplane with flaps and constant speed and all manner of other gizmos. Same with the Vultee Vengeance that seemed to have been very effective in some theatres and yet was regarded as dangerous by some commentators... Yet the Bf109 seems to have people in raptures despite its poor range, weak tail, lack of ammo, cramped cockpit and sheer, honest to goodness ugliness.

[puts head well below parapet and assumes crash position]

The Barra needs rehabilitating, as does the Skua, the Vengeance and the Stirling while we're about it.

By: NiallC - 27th January 2006 at 10:09 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00

I was with you all the way until you mentioned the Skua :)

NiallC

By: XN923 - 27th January 2006 at 10:47 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00

I was with you all the way until you mentioned the Skua :)

NiallC

Heretic.

:D