BERNHARD C.F. KLEIN MEMORIAL COLLECTION
No. 10916. Fairey Firefly T.Mk.I (12-11 c/n F.6169) Royal Netherlands Navy
                   Fairey Firefly T.Mk.I (Z2029 c/n F.5603) Royal Navy
Photograph from Fairey, taken over the UK, February 2, 1948

Fairey Firefly T Mk.I

10/31/2011. In 1945 the MLD of the RNethN bought twenty surplus Firefly F.Mk.I fighter aircraft and ten Firefly FR.Mk.I reconnaissance fighter aircraft. The first six aircraft were delivered on January 18, 1946, the last on June 20, these were registered F-1 to F-20 (F.Mk.I) and F-21 to F-30 (FR.Mk.I).

In late 1946 Fairey demonstrated a trainer version converted from an F.Mk.I. The MLD wanted the trainer and three F.Mk.Is were picked for the conversion to T.Mk.I, s/n F-1 was taken out of service on June 18, 1947 and went to Fairey at White Waltham, UK. The other two F.Mk.Is, s/n F-8 and F-12, went to Aviolanda in the Netherlands for conversion a few months later.

The conversion of s/n F-1 was finished in early 1948, and it was redesignated Firefly T.Mk.I, With the new s/n 12-11. The aircraft is pictured while on a photo shoot a week before delivery to the MLD, that took place on February 9, 1948. Subsequently its s/n was changed to 21-11, eventually it was scrapped in the Netherlands on September 22, 1959.

In the photo the Dutch Firefly is accompanied by a former RN F.Mk.I that was converted to a T.Mk.I for the RN, both aircraft are in an overall yellow finish.


Created October 31, 2011