Barry, 03.03.2015 16:34 Developed directly from the Sopwith Baby the Fairey Hamble Baby was very much it's own machine. Fairey incorporated it's patent variable camber gear, a form of early flap, which was used in Fairey aircraft right up to the advent of the Seal in the thirties. The majority of the aircraft were built under sub contract by Parnall Aircraft. The machines not only featured the camber gear but also a Fairey designed tail and Fairey designed floats. The engine was initially 110 h.p. Le Clerget rotary to be replaced after the production of some fifty machines with a more powerful 130 h.p. Le Clerget. Armed with a .303 Lewis gun it could also carry a pair of 65lb bombs which did prove that this plane was better than it's progenitor. Latterly,Parnall developed some 50 machines into a land planes and an example of which can be seen in the lower photograph above.

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