Fairey Firefly

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FAIREY FIREFLY

The Fairey Firefly is a well known naval fighter aircraft used by the Royal Navy, which was designed to carry a pilot and an observer - and operate from an aircraft carrier if required. After acquiring the Sealand, It was clear for the Indian Navy that the it was not able to offer services like Drogue Towing on which Naval Gunners could practice gunnery. Thus, soon the Indian Navy procured the Fairey Firefly for target towing purposes. The first two Firefly TT Mk.1 variant [INS-111 and INS-113] arrived on 14 February 1955. These two were followed by three more Mk1 variants [INS-112, INS-114 and INS-115] in May 1955. Three years later a second batch of five Firefly TT Mk.4 variants were procured. INS-116 and INS-117 were flown in on 11 September 1958. The other three Mk.4 variants arrived before the end of December 1958. The Mk.4 variants were equipped with 20mm cannon and could also carry bombs and rockets if required. Thus they became the first Indian Naval aircraft that were offensive capable. Of the ten aircraft procured, INS-116 crashed on 14 July 1959. And of the remaining, all but one have been scrapped. The sole surviving Firefly [INS-112] remained as a fuselage in the warehouses of Cochin for over three and a half decades, before it was bought out for a hasty restoration job and subsequent display at the Naval Aviation Museum in Dabolim, Goa.