Sir Richard Fairey was one of the great aviation innovators of the twentieth century. His career as a plane maker stretched from the Edwardian period to the jet age - he lived long enough to see one of his aircraft be the first to break the 1000mph barrier; and at least one of his designs, the Swordfish, holds iconic status. A qualified engineer, party to the design, development, and construction of the Royal Navy's state-of-the-art sea planes, Sir Richard founded Fairey Aviation at the Admiralty's behest in 1915. His company survived post-war retrenchment to become one of Britain's largest aircraft manufacturers. The firm built a succession of front-line aircraft for the RAF and the Fleet Air Arm, including the iconic Swordfish. In addition, Fairey Aviation designed and built several cutting-edge experimental aircraft, including long-distance record-breakers between the wars and the stunningly beautiful Delta 2, which broke the world speed record on the eve of Sir Richard's death in 1956. Fairey also came to hold a privileged position in the British elite - courting politicians and policymakers. He became a figurehead of the British aviation industry and his successful running of the British Air Commission earned him a knighthood. A key player at a pivotal moment, Fairey's life tells us much about the exercise of power in early twentieth-century Britain and provides an insight into the nature of the British aviation manufacturing industry at its wartime peak and on the cusp of its twilight years.
By:
Adrian Smith (University of Southampton UK)
Imprint: I B TAURIS
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions:
Height: 226mm,
Width: 155mm,
Weight: 882g
ISBN: 9781788313360
ISBN 10: 1788313364
Pages: 480
Publication Date: 30 April 2018
Audience:
General/trade
,
ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
Foreword and acknowledgements Chapter 1 Early life Chapter 2 Aviation apprenticeship Chapter 3 The First World War and the founding of Fairey Aviation Chapter 4 Great War and great expectations Chapter 5 Twenties bust and boom Chapter 6 Into the Thirties, 'this age of crooners and Safety First' Chapter 7 Through the Thirties, that 'low dishonest decade' Chapter 8 Wartime in Washington - the British Air Commission Chapter 9 Charging to an end, at supersonic speed, 1946-56 Chapter 10 Conclusion Appendix: My father, Sir Richard Fairey by Jane Tennant, nee Fairey
Adrian Smith is Emeritus Professor of Modern History at the University of Southampton, and previously taught at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and the University of Kent. An established author, broadcaster and journalist in the fields of modern British political, social and cultural history, his books include Mountbatten Apprentice War Lord and The City of Coventry: A Twentieth Century Icon (both I.B. Tauris), Mick Mannock, Fighter Pilot: Myth, Life and Politics and The New Statesman: Portrait of a Political Weekly, 1913-1931. In researching and writing The Man Who Built The Swordfish he worked closely with the family of Sir Richard Fairey and the National Museum of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm Museum.
Reviews for The Man Who Built the Swordfish: The Life of Sir Richard Fairey, 1887-1956
`British business biographies are few and far and for this reason alone this brilliant account of the life of Sir Richard Fairey will be welcome. Yet it is much more than this - it gives us a unique insight into the history of the aircraft industry and the Air Force, but also the temper of the British political right wing, transatlantic relations in the Second World War, and the private and leisure world of a British tycoon. It gives an astonishing, and exceedingly rare, insight into the nature of the British elite.' - David Edgerton, Hans Rausing Professor of the History of Science and Technology and Professor of Modern British History, King's College London, `Adrian Smith's spectacular biography breaks the myth of British industrial decline in the twentieth century, highlighting the contribution of a larger than life individual to the development of cutting edge industries. Richard Fairey created aircraft that pushed the limits of range, speed and durability, and helped mobilise American industry to support the British war effort. The durable, war-winning Swordfish, and the fabulous FD2, test bed for Concorde, are his legacy.' - Andrew Lambert, Laughton Professor of Naval History, King's College London and author of Crusoe's Island.