Fairey Firefly DT977

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Aircraft Type Photo

BELOW: Royal Navy Fairey Firefly WB518.

Royal Navy Fairey Firefly WB518, similar to Firefly featured on this page

Photo: 2002-2004 Paul Maritz ('paulmaz'). Released by the author to the public domain under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.

Aircraft Type and Background

RN (FAA / NAS) Fairey Firefly / DT977

Aircraft Type Nickname: "Firebox"

A two-seater (pilot and observer) fleet reconnaissance, anti-submarine, night fighter and strike aircraft used by the Fleet Air Arm / Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy. Successor to the Fairey Fulmar, the Fairey Firefly was considered a superior aircraft and was powered by a Rolls Royce Griffon engine. The Firefly was equipped with folding wings for use on aircraft carriers.

The aircraft continued in service until 1950, when it was retired from the FAA. Aircraft production continued, however, until 1955; and the Firefly was still being used elsewhere for several years after this.

Firefly fighters were engaged in action against the German battleship, Tirpitz, and against targets in Norway, Palembang and Japan.

BELOW: Royal Canadian Navy Fairey Firefly Mk.5 VH142 at the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum.

Royal Canadian Navy Fairey Firefly VH142 at Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum

Photo: 2008 'Balcer'. Released by the author to the public domain under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.

Aircraft Accident Details

The Firefly featured here belonged to the 1772 Naval Air Squadron. This particular Squadron was the first to fly over the Japanese mainland, and the first British aircraft to fly over Tokyo.

At the moment, exact details of this accident are unknown. However, no-one survived the crash at Blaeloch Hill.

Aircraft Crew Casualties

The two airmen who died in this accident were:

Sub/Lt. James Henry Fairclough (Pilot)
Sub/Lt. Anthony John King (Navigator)

Crash Site Photos

BELOW: Blae Loch - a lochan not far from the crash site of the Fairey Firefly.

Blaeloch - a small body of water not far from the Firefly crash site

BELOW: The Rolls-Royce Griffon engine from Fairey Firefly DT977.

Apart from the debris field shown below, this is all the wreckage that now remains at the crash site near Blaeloch Hill. Much of the remainder (shown further down this page and in the Photo Gallery) was recovered from the site sometime before June 2009.

rolls-royce griffon engine from fairey firefly dt977

BELOW: Debris field from the Fairey Firefly. Together with the engine, this is all the wreckage that now remains at the site.

debris field from fairey firefly

NOTE (June 2009 photo update): Most of the wreckage shown below has been removed from the crash site since these photos were taken.

BELOW: Approach to Firefly wreck site, a short distance from Blae Loch.

approach to firefly wreck site

.BELOW: Wing sections among the Fairey Firefly wreckage.

wing parts among the wrecked firefly

BELOW: The manufacturer's plate for the Firefly's radio stack.

manufactuters plate attached to the Firefly's radio stack

Manufacturer's plate reads as follows:

RECEIVER RACK

TYPE CBY-AG157 (?)
[Weight (?) ] SERIAL 982 [or 902]
...... MODEL ARA ...... AIRCRAFT ...... EQUIPMENT
MANUFACTURED FOR
NAVY DEPARTMENT - BUREAU OF SHIPS
BY
AIRCRAFT RADIO CORPORATION
BOONTON N.J. [i.e., New Jersey, USA]
CONTRACT NOs. 74912

BELOW: Engine / propeller reduction gear assembly from the Fairey Firefly.

reduction gear from firefly

Photo Gallery

For additional crash site and wreckage photos please select

FAIREY-FIREFLY-BLAELOCH-HILL

from the drop down Album Menu in the Photo Gallery.

TOP OF PAGE

Crash Date / Site

Accident Date: 26 Oct 1944

Accident Site:

Blaeloch Hill

(Lying beyond the SW shoulder of Blaeloch Hill, a short distance from the 400m spot height near Bulstern.)

Region: North Ayrshire (Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park)

Nearest town or village:

Largs or Fairlie

Nearest large towns:

Largs (W) or Kilbirnie (E)

OS Grid Ref. 63 / NS 239 548

Latitude / Longitude

(main impact point): 55 45' 22.22" / 04 48' 15"
(engine): 55 45' 22" / 04 48' 16.1"

GPS Refs

(main impact point): NS 24051 54989
(engine): NS 24022 54975

Present Condition: Much of the wreckage was removed from the site in 2009. Only some small parts now remain.

Aircraft Details

Registration or Serial: DT977

Operator: Royal Navy (Naval Air Squadron)

Operating Base: HMS Wagtail; HMS Indefatigable (R10); Carrier Borne, Mobile; RAF 44 Grp. Transport; RN HMS Gannett.

Base Location: Ayr (Heathfield) Aerodrome, Ayr, Scotland.

Current Airport Status: Operational Civil Airport;
National Air Traffic Services (NATS): Scottish Area Control Centre (SACC), Oceanic Area Control Centre (OACC), Military Control, & Engineering.

Current Airport Name: Glasgow (Prestwick) International Airport (EGPK)

Principal airport data courtesy of John Woodside, A Catalogue of UK Airfields