Fairey N.4

The Fairey N.4 was a 1920s British five-seat long range reconnaissance flying boat. Designed and built by the Fairey Aviation Company to meet an Admiralty requirement for a very large four-engined reconnaissance aircraft, it was the world's biggest flying boat when it first flew in 1923.

Development
Following an increase in experience with flying boats in 1917 the Admiralty issued Specification N.4. The specification called for a four-engined long-range reconnaissance flying boat. The admiralty ordered two aircraft from Fairey and one from Phoenix Dynamo. Fairey sub-contracted the building of the first to Dick, Kerr & Co. of Lytham St. Annes.

Not unusual for the era, the design was a biplane, with the engines mounted as two push-pull pairs between the upper and lower wing, each driving a four-bladed propeller.

The first N.4 (named Atalanta) first flew in 1923 powered by four 650 hp (485 kW) Rolls-Royce Condor IA piston engines. The hull had been built in Southampton (by the Gosport Aircraft Company ) and delivered to Lytham St. Annes for assembly and the complete aircraft was then dismantled and taken by road to the Isle of Grain for its first flight.

The second N.4 Mk II (named Titania) included improvements and later variant Condor III engines. Titania was not flown straight away and was stored, not flying until 1925.

The rival Phoenix Dynamo N.4 was built but never flown and was scrapped as the service lost interest in large flying boats.

Images
An artist's impression