The man who built the Swordfish : the life of Sir Richard Fairey / Adrian Smith.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Smith, Adrian, 1952- author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Fairey, Richard, Sir.

Fairey, Richard.

Fairey family.

Fairey Aviation (Business enterprise).

Airplanes, Military--History--20th century.

Airplanes, Military.

Swordfish (Torpedo bomber).

Physical Description:

1 online resource (498 pages) : illustrations

Edition:

First edition.

Distribution:

[London, England] : Bloomsbury Publishing, 2019.

Place of Publication:

London, England : I.B. Tauris & Co. Ltd, 2019.

Summary:

"Sir Richard Fairey was one of the great aviation innovators of the twentieth century. His career as a plane maker stretched from the Edwardian period to the jet age - he lived long enough to see one of his aircraft be the first to break the 1000mph barrier; and at least one of his designs, the Swordfish, holds iconic status. A qualified engineer, party to the design, development, and construction of the Royal Navy's state-of-the-art sea planes, Sir Richard founded Fairey Aviation at the Admiralty's behest in 1915. His company survived post-war retrenchment to become one of Britain's largest aircraft manufacturers. The firm built a succession of front-line aircraft for the RAF and the Fleet Air Arm, including the iconic Swordfish. In addition, Fairey Aviation designed and built several cutting-edge experimental aircraft, including long-distance record-breakers between the wars and the stunningly beautiful Delta 2, which broke the world speed record on the eve of Sir Richard's death in 1956. Fairey also came to hold a privileged position in the British elite - courting politicians and policymakers. He became a figurehead of the British aviation industry and his successful running of the British Air Commission earned him a knighthood. A key player at a pivotal moment, Fairey's life tells us much about the exercise of power in early twentieth-century Britain and provides an insight into the nature of the British aviation manufacturing industry at its wartime peak and on the cusp of its twilight years."--Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Foreword and acknowledgements

Chapter 1 Early life

Chapter 2 Aviation apprenticeship

Chapter 3 The First World War and the founding of Fairey Aviation

Chapter 4 Great War and great expectations

Chapter 5 Twenties bust and boom

Chapter 6 Into the Thirties, 'this age of crooners and Safety First'

Chapter 7 Through the Thirties, that 'low dishonest decade'

Chapter 8 Wartime in Washington : the British Air Commission

Chapter 9 Charging to an end, at supersonic speed, 1946-56

Chapter 10 Conclusion

Appendix: My father, Sir Richard Fairey by Jane Tennant, née Fairey.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9781350988910

135098891X

9781838609504

1838609504

OCLC:

1128176387