Supermarine Seafang

Supermarine

Company type	Aircraft manufacturer
Industry	Aerospace
Founded	1913
Founder	Reginald Mitchell
Headquarters	Southampton , United Kingdom
Products	Military aircraft, including the Seafang fighter

Template:Infobox aircraft The Supermarine Seafang was a British naval fighter powered by a Rolls-Royce Griffon engine, developed by Supermarine to meet Air Ministry specification N.5/45 specifically for carrier operations. It evolved from the Supermarine Spiteful, itself an advancement of the Griffon-powered Supermarine Spitfire. By the time the Seafang appeared, the Spitfire's design was already a decade old amid rapid aviation progress. The advent of jet-powered aircraft rendered the Seafang obsolete, resulting in only 18 units being produced.

Design and development

Essentially, the Seafang was a naval adaptation of the Spiteful, modified for Royal Navy carrier deployment. Enhancements included an arrestor hook, a contra-rotating propeller system to counteract engine torque, and power-operated folding outer wing sections.

On 12 March 1945, two prototype Type 396 Seafang Mark 32s were commissioned, followed by an order for 150 Type 382 Seafang Mark 31s on 7 May 1945. To accelerate operational readiness, the interim Mark 31 variant was introduced; this model was essentially a navalised Spiteful equipped with an arrestor hook. This approach allowed time for the Mark 32—the definitive naval version featuring folding wings and contra-rotating propellers—to be developed.

The inaugural flight of the Seafang occurred in 1946 with the first production Mark 31, registered VG471. Although an order for 150 interim Mark 31s was placed, only nine were completed before cancellation due to diminished urgency following the war’s conclusion.

The initial Mark 32 prototype VB895 took to the skies in June 1946. It was fitted with a Griffon 89 engine delivering 2,350 hp (1,750 kW) and driving twin three-bladed contra-rotating propellers. In August that year, VB895 was showcased to the Royal Netherlands Navy at Valkenburg. Subsequently, test pilot Mike Lithgow conducted deck landing evaluations aboard HMS Illustrious in May 1947. Despite its capabilities, the Seafang did not offer sufficient performance improvements over the Seafire F.47 to justify replacing ongoing production of new navalised jet fighters such as the Gloster Meteor and de Havilland Vampire. Additionally, its low-speed handling fell short of expectations, leading to preference for the contemporary Hawker Sea Fury as the fleet’s primary fighter.

One Mark 31 example, VG474, served as a testbed for features later incorporated into the Supermarine Attacker jet, including power-assisted ailerons and contra-rotating propellers. The Attacker itself was a jet-powered aircraft that utilised the laminar-flow wing and undercarriage design derived from the Spiteful.

Variants

Type 382 Seafang F Mk.31

This interim production model was equipped with a 2,375 hp Griffon 61 engine and featured a five-bladed constant-speed Rotol propeller. Although 150 units were ordered, only nine were completed before the remainder were cancelled.

Type 396 Seafang F Mk.32

Two prototype aircraft were constructed, powered by a 2,350 hp (1,752 kW) Griffon 89 piston engine. These included folding wings, enhanced fuel storage, and dual contra-rotating three-bladed propellers.

Operators

Template:UK

• Fleet Air Arm

Specifications (F Mk.32)

Bibliography

• Andrews, Charles Ferdinand and Eric B. Morgan. Supermarine Aircraft Since 1914. London: Putnam Aeronautical Books, 1981.
• Bingham, Victor. Supermarine Fighter Aircraft. Marlborough, UK: The Crowood Press, 2004.
• Buttler, Tony. British Secret Projects: Fighters and Bombers 1935–1950. Hersham, Surrey, UK: Midland Publishing, 2004.
• Humphreys, Robert. The Supermarine Spitfire, Part 2: Griffon-Powered (Modellers Datafile 5). Bedford, UK: SAM Publications, 2001.
• Morgan, Eric B. and Edward Shacklady. Spitfire: The History. London: Key Publishing, 1992.
• Price, Alfred. "A Spitfire too far: the Supermarine Spiteful". Aeroplane Monthly, July 2001.
• Robertson, Bruce. Spitfire: The Story of a Famous Fighter. Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, UK: Model & Allied Publications Ltd., 1960; third revised edition 1973.
• Sturtivant, Ray. Fleet Air Arm Fixed-Wing Aircraft since 1946. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air Britain (Historians) Ltd., 2004.