Fairey Fulmar | The Royal Navy's Stop-Gap Carrier Fighter (Aviation History Documentary)

The Fleet Air Arm was in need of a new fighter to replace its ageing fleet of Blackburn Skuas and Rocs, enter the Fairey Fulmer. Based partly on the Fairey Battle, this aircraft was originally intended for the RAF but never made it past air trials. The Navy realised it could fill in their needs, and save them the cost of fully funding a new design from the ground up, and so the aircraft entered production and was pushed into service.
Though heavy and slow, the Fulmar was used throughout a large portion of WW2 in one role or another. It saw most of its action in the Mediterranean, with aircraft carriers HMS Indomitable, HMS Formidable, and HMS Illustrious, but also served during the Battle of Norway, and in the Pacific. Its long range and relatively powerful armament made its a decent support fighter, though it struggled when facing modern combat aircraft.
The Fulmar left frontline service in late 1942/early 1943, but it achieved its main goal: which was to provide the Navy with a stop-gap until better aircraft like the Barracuda and the Firefly were able to enter service.

Video Source: Rex's Hangar
https://www.youtube.com/c/RexsHangar
https://rexshangar.com/

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