Fairey Barracuda

The Fairey Barracuda was a British carrier-based torpedo and dive bomber widely used by the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm (FAA) from 1943 to 1945. It operated in the Atlantic, Mediterranean, and Pacific theaters, notably attacking the German battleship Tirpitz and serving with the British Pacific Fleet. Designed to replace the aging Fairey Swordfish and Albacore biplanes, it served as a multi-role strike aircraft capable of torpedo, dive-bombing, and reconnaissance missions. It was notable as the first British aircraft of its type to be constructed entirely of metal.