Firefly FR Mk V

Firefly FR Mk V

Firefly F Mk I

Seafire LF Mk.III

Firefly FR Mk V

Firefly F Mk I

Seafire LF Mk.III

Britain

III Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
4.0	3.7	4.0

Class:

Strike aircraft

Naval aircraft

Research:13 000

Purchase:76 000

Show in game

This page is about the British naval fighter Firefly FR Mk V. For the other version, see Firefly F Mk I. For other uses, see Firefly (Disambiguation).

Description

The Firefly FR Mk V is a rank III British naval fighter with a battle rating of 4.0 (AB/SB) and 3.7 (RB). It was introduced in Update 1.49 "Weapons of Victory".

General info

Flight performance

Describe how the aircraft behaves in the air. Speed, manoeuvrability, acceleration and allowable loads - these are the most important characteristics of the vehicle.

Characteristics
Stock
Max Speed (km/h at 5,181 m)		Max altitude (meters)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (meters/second)		Take-off run (meters)
AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
522	503	10050	29.5	30.8	9.5	9.5	450
Upgraded
Max Speed (km/h at 5,181 m)		Max altitude (meters)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (meters/second)		Take-off run (meters)
AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
591	554	10050	26.5	28.0	19.5	13.5	450

Details

Features
Combat flaps	Take-off flaps	Landing flaps	Air brakes	Arrestor gear
✓	✓	✓	X	✓

Limits
Wing-break speed (km/h)	Gear limit (km/h)	Combat flaps (km/h)	Max Static G
			+	-
		700	~10	~6

Optimal velocities
Ailerons (km/h)	Rudder (km/h)	Elevators (km/h)	Radiator (km/h)
< 321	< 400	< 410	> 314

Compressor (RB/SB)
Setting 1
Optimal altitude	100% Engine power	WEP Engine power
2,400 m	1,510 hp	2,166 hp
Setting 2
Optimal altitude	100% Engine power	WEP Engine power
6,400 m	1,410 hp	2,002 hp

Survivability and armour

• 42.8 mm Bulletproof glass in cockpit front.
• 12.7 mm Steel plate behind the pilot.

Armaments

Offensive armament

The Firefly FR Mk V is armed with:

• 4 x 20 mm Hispano Mk.V cannons, wing-mounted (175 rpg outer + 145 rpg inner = 640 total)

Suspended armament

The Firefly FR Mk V can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

• Without load
• 2 x 1,000 lb M.C. 1,000 lb Mk.I bombs (2,000 lb total)
• 16 x RP-3 rockets
• 2 x 250 lb G.P. 250 lb Mk.IV bombs + 8 x RP-3 rockets (500 lb total)
• 2 x 500 lb G.P. 500 lb Mk.IV bombs + 8 x RP-3 rockets (1,000 lb total)

Usage in battles

Describe the tactics of playing in an aircraft, the features of using aircraft in a team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view, but instead, give the reader food for thought. Examine the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).

Manual Engine Control

MEC elements
Mixer	Pitch	Radiator			Supercharger	Turbocharger
		Oil	Water	Type
Controllable	Controllable Not auto controlled	Not controllable Not auto controlled	Controllable Auto control available	Separate	Controllable 2 gears	Not controllable

Modules

Tier	Flight performance		Survivability	Weaponry
I	Fuselage repair	Radiator			HLBC mk.2
II		Compressor	Airframe		GRC mk.8
III	Wings repair	Engine		Offensive 20 mm	HSBC mk.2
IV		Engine injection	Cover	New 20 mm cannons	HMBC mk.2

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Faster than the Firefly Mk I with a better roll rate thanks to its more powerful engine and clipped wings
• One of the earliest planes with Hispano Mk.V cannons. Much larger ammo load with much less of a tendency to overheat than the Mk.II
• Same good bomb load but double the amount of rockets available to the pilot
• Has an interceptor spawn, which can be useful

Cons:

• Less manoeuvrable overall than the Firefly Mk I aside from the roll rate
• Somewhat large target for a single-engine fighter
• Still rather slow in comparison to other fighters at its rank
• Below average climb rate compared to Spitfires

History

Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the aircraft in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/ History" (example: https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History) and add a link to it here using the main template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <ref></ref>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <references />. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under === In-game description ===, also if applicable).

In-game description

The Fairey Firefly had entered service in 1943 and served successfully in the closing stages of the Second World War as a multi-role, carrierborne fighter/strike aircraft. In 1944 a Rolls-Royce Griffon 72 was fitted to the Firefly for testing; the resulting improvements led to the Griffon 74 powered Firefly Mk.IV which entered service in 1947. The Mk.IV replaced the earlier three bladed propeller with a four bladed unit fitted to the new engine, and moved the radiators from the chin position to underneath the wings. The wings were also clipped to increase the roll rate. The leading edge of the tail fin was also extended and two under wing fairings carried fuel and a radar scanner in port and starboard respectively.

The Firefly Mk.V built on the success of the previous variant with further modifications. For specialized roles, sub variants of the Firefly included a number of internal changes for the standard day fighter/reconnaissance variant, night fighter and anti-submarine aircraft. Power folding wings were also introduced during the life of the Mk.V which greatly assisted the efficiency of deck operations.

812 Naval Air Squadron was the first front line unit to re-equip with the Mk.V, at Eglinton in July 1948. When the Korean People's Army crossed the 38th Parallel in June 1950, Korea was plunged into war and the carrierborne aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm were in action within days of the outbreak of hostilities. HMS Triumph was the first British carrier in theatre, but the embarked 827 NAS were actually still operating Second World War vintage Firefly Mk.Is. It was the Mk.V which replaced it in theatre which proved to be the most prolific variant of the conflict, being operated by 810, 812, 817, 821 and 825 Naval Air Squadrons. The Firefly was regularly engaged in strikes against key infrastructure such as bridges, railways, harbour installations and industrial sites. Operating in a range of conditions including sub-zero temperatures and storms, the Fireflies served alongside Seafires and Sea Furies to maintain an impressive rate of operations, proving to be resilient to the elements and the rigours of continued deck operations in anger. In 1952 a record-breaking day of operations was achieved from HMS Ocean when Fireflies and Sea Furies flew 123 sorties in a single day. Fireflies of 825 NAS were also involved in ground attack sorties during the 1954 Malayan Emergency.

Post-war, the Firefly served as an export aircraft with Canada, Australia, Denmark, the Netherlands, Ethiopia, Thailand, Sweden and India. The venerable aircraft left the service of the Fleet Air Arm in 1956, after 13 years of operations.

Media

Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.

See also

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• reference to the series of the aircraft;
• links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

External links

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• topic on the official game forum;
• encyclopedia page on the aircraft;
• other literature.