The aircraft was designed to Specification S.24/37, two were ordered in July 1938 and first of two Barracuda prototypes flew on December 7, 1940. After 30 production Mk Is powered by Rolls-Royce Merlin 30 of 1,300 hp, it was followed by the Mk II with the 1,640 hp Merlin 32, which became the most important model with 1688 built.
The Mk III was equipped with the new ASV anti-submarine radar equipment, a Mk II was converted to prototype and flew in 1943. First production Mk IIIs became available in early 1944 and finally 852 were delivered.
The last model was the Mk V powered by the 2,030 hp Rolls-Royce Griffon 37. Again, earlier models were converted to prototypes, this time three Mk IIIs (PM940, PM941 and PM944). Only 30 production models were build with the c/n 7180 to 7209 and Royal Navy s/ns RK530 to RK542 and RK558 to RK574.
The aircraft was of all-metal construction and had a folding shoulder-wing with Fairey-Youngman trailing flaps. The three crew-members were seated in tandem under a large multi-glazed canopy. The rear-crewmember operated two .3 in (7.7 mm) Browning machine guns, further weapons were a combination of bombs, depth charges, mines or a torpedo up to a total of 1,640 lb (744 kg).
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Torpedo- and dive-bomber
One 1,640 hp Rolls-Royce Merlin 32 twelve-cylinder V-engine
49 ft 2 in (14.99 m)
39 ft 9 in (12.12 m)
15 ft 1 in (4.60 m)
367 sq.ft (34.09 sq.m)
9,350 lb (4,241 kg)
14,100 lb (6,396 kg)
228 mph (367 kmh) at 1,755 ft (535 m)
16,600 ft (5,060 m)/min
37,075 ft (11.300 m)
685 mls (1,102 km)