Firefly FR Mk V

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

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

Description

The Firefly FR Mk V is a rank III British strike aircraft 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

Arrestor gear

Accelerates braking by grabbing the brake cable on the deck of the aircraft carrier

Max speed

at 5 181 m554 km/h

Turn time28 s

Max altitude10 050 m

EngineRolls-Royce Griffon-74

TypeInline

Cooling systemWater

Take-off weight9 t

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

Details

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

Limits
Wings (km/h)	Gear (km/h)	Flaps (km/h)			Max Static G
		Combat	Take-off	Landing	+	-
720	280	600	327	250	~10	~6

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

Survivability and armour

Crew2 people

Speed of destruction

Structural720 km/h

Gear280 km/h

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

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference

AB897 → 1 126

RB1 465 → 1 840

SB3 290 → 4 132

Total cost of modifications24 800

45 000

Talisman cost1 100

Crew training22 000

Experts76 000

Aces500

Research Aces320 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

60 / 120 / 250 %

142 / 142 / 142 %

Modifications

Flight performance	Survivability	Weaponry
Fuselage repair Research: 1 700 Cost: 3 100 160 Radiator Research: 1 700 Cost: 3 100 160 Compressor Research: 1 900 Cost: 3 500 180 Wings repair Research: 1 500 Cost: 2 700 140 Engine Research: 1 500 Cost: 2 700 140 Engine injection Research: 2 000 Cost: 3 600 190	Airframe Research: 1 900 Cost: 3 500 180 Cover Research: 2 000 Cost: 3 600 190	HSBC mk.2 Research: 1 700 Cost: 3 100 160 HMBC mk.2 Research: 1 900 Cost: 3 500 180 hispano_belt_pack Research: 1 500 Cost: 2 700 140 HLBC mk.2 Research: 1 500 Cost: 2 700 140 hispano_mk5_new_gun Research: 2 000 Cost: 3 600 190 GRC mk.8 Research: 2 000 Cost: 3 600 190

Armaments

Offensive armament

Weapon 14 x 20 mm Hispano Mk.V cannon

Ammunition640 rounds

Fire rate750 shots/min

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

List of setups (6)

Setup 12 x 1000 lb M.C. Mk.I bomb

Setup 28 x RP-3 rockets
8 x RP-3 rockets

Setup 32 x G.P. 250 lb Mk.IV bomb
8 x RP-3 rockets

Setup 42 x G.P. 500 lb Mk.IV bomb
8 x RP-3 rockets

Setup 52 x G.P. 500 lb Mk.IV bomb

Setup 62 x G.P. 250 lb Mk.IV bomb

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. Mk.IV bombs (500 lb total)
• 2 x 500 lb G.P. Mk.IV bombs (1,000 lb total)
• 8 x RP-3 rockets + 2 x 250 lb G.P. Mk.IV bombs (500 lb total)
• 8 x RP-3 rockets + 2 x 500 lb G.P. Mk.IV bombs (1,000 lb total)

Usage in battles

Describe the tactics of playing in the 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

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

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

Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

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

External links

• [Devblog] Fairey Firefly F.Mk.I and F.Mk.V

Fairey Aviation Company, Limited
Fighters	Firefly F Mk I · Firefly FR Mk V
Bombers	Swordfish Mk I · Swordfish Mk II
Export	◘Firefly F.Mk.IV