Fleet Air Arm Legends: Fairey Fulmar

Reliable and rugged with enough firepower to get the job done, Fairey's Fulmar fighter and reconnaissance aircraft was an essential weapon in the Fleet Air Arm's arsenal during the Second World War.

The long-range Merlin-powered type carrier-borne type entered service in May 1940 and was well liked by pilots - its broad-track undercarriage offered good handling on deck, its fuel tanks were capacious and its armament of eight Browning machine guns was effective. Most Fleet Air Arm aces scored at least some of their victories while flying a Fulmar and there were at least two Fulmar aces.

Fulmars served with distinction during the pursuit of the Bismarck, the North Africa campaign and over Malta before finally meeting their match in the Far East against the Mitsubishi A6M Zero. Even then, with its fighter role inherited by Seafires and Marlets, the Fulmar continued to serve as a trainer and reconnaissance type.

Today there is only one known surviving example of this remarkable aircraft - N1854, housed at the Fleet Air Arm Museum in Yeovilton.

In this fully illustrated third volume of the Fleet Air Arm Legends series, naval aviation specialist Matthew Willis details the Fulmar's development, its entry into service and its operational history from start to finish.