102 THE AVIATION HISTORIAN Issue No 21
the retracted position to a position below the rear
portion of the wing, giving an auxiliary aerofoil
of about one-third of the chord of the wing.
This would provide high lift at take-off without
significantly affecting the lift/drag ratio. With
this new flap lowered to zero incidence the lift/
drag ratio of the bare wing was approximately
maintained and the take-off distance reduced by
about 20 per cent. For landing, the flaps were set
at the maximum-lift setting of 30°, which would
give a gliding angle suitable for a blind-approach
landing using the beacon system.
The tail unit consisted of triple fins and rudders
which provided excellent directional control
and good anti-spinning qualities. The fully
cantilevered tailplane was of light-alloy stressed-
skin construction. The tailplane and fins were not
adjustable but the elevators and rudders were
provided with trimming tabs operated by the
pilot. The rudders and elevators incorporated
fabric-covered metal spars and ribs. All in all, the
FC.1 was a well-conceived design incorporating
many of the most modern techniques.a post-war opportunity?
As the war in Europe drew to a close, Fairey
began to take an interest once again in the civil
aircraft market. During the war Fairey’s Basic
Design Group had occasionally undertaken
design exercises based on airliner projects, withrear portion to facilitate maintenance. Luggage
and freight was to be carried in 150ft³ (4·3m³) and
160ft³ (4·5m³) holds, with extra stowage space
of 200ft³ (5·7m³) available under the cabin floor.
A de-icing tank was to be situated on the upper
starboard side of the rear portion.
The two-spar wings were of stressed-skin all-
metal construction and incorporated inner and
outer sections. The inner carried the flaps and
engine nacelles, the latter of which were to be
self-contained interchangeable units, similar to
the “power egg” principle. The main fuel tanks
of 1,800gal (8,172lit) capacity were to be installed
in the inner wing section, with two tanks between
the spars and one in the leading edge, all readily
removable for maintenance. The trailing-edge
portion of the wing, together with the flaps, was
to be readily detachable from the rear spar.
The skin of the outboard wing section was
constructed with watertight joints so that these
sections would become buoyancy chambers in
case of ditching. The ailerons consisted of fabric-
covered metal spars and ribs. The hydraulically
operated Fairey-Youngman flaps were of all-
metal construction and operated by an engine-
driven pump, although a hand-operated pump
was also provided in the cockpit for emergency
use. These flaps were designed to give high lift
with low drag, and were to be mounted on a
system of links that allowed their lowering from
ABOVE Another photo-montage of the FC.1 “in flight”, looking very much like
a cross between the shapely de Havilland Albatross airliner, which first flew in
May 1937, and the triple-finned American Lockheed Constellation, the design of
which did not start until 1939, and which made its maiden flight in January 1943.LEFT Following the bruising cancellation of the FC.1 in October 1939, Richard
Fairey was selected to join the Air Section of the British Purchasing Commission,
which was in need of a well-respected figure with wide practical and managerial
experience to co-ordinate design, development and production procedures
between the UK and the USA. He did not return to the UK until after the war.