Fairey Seal

The Fairey Seal was a British carrier-borne spotter-reconnaissance biplane of the 1930s, designed and built by Fairey Aviation and derived, like the Gordon, from the Fairey IIIF. To let it be launched by catapult from warships it could be fitted with floats. It first flew in 1930 and entered Fleet Air Arm squadron service in 1933, and ninety-one aircraft were produced. It was powered by an Armstrong Siddeley Panther radial engine and carried a crew of three. The Fleet Air Arm began replacing it with the Swordfish from 1936, and by 1938 every torpedo squadron had re-equipped, although the Seal stayed on in secondary and support roles and only four were left at the outbreak of the Second World War. The Royal Air Force also flew it as a target tug, with twelve at No 10 Bombing and Gunnery School until 1940. The type was retired by 1943 and was last used in India as an instructional airframe.