Taken from a thirteen- aircraft batch for the Fleet Air Arm, the Irish Army Air Corps' Fairey IIIF Mk II, S1262, was delivered on 10 March 1928. It met its end in a fatal crash on the outskirts of Dublin on 10 September 1934.
Squadron on 31 November 1931, then returned to HAD on 16 September 1932 and was overhauled and converted to a Gordon.
Four Lion V-engined Mk Is (F976-979) and a single Mk IIIB (F1514) were bought for the Chilean Navy. These aircraft, which had rounded fins but rudders that were rather squarer than the norm, became Nos 23-26 in Chilean service. A
The second of the four Lion V-engined IIIF Mk Is built for the Chilean Navy, No 24 (c/n F977), displays the original vertical tail surfaces adopted for these export aircraft-generally similar to those of the later- standard IIIF but featuring a more angular rudder (as shown in close-up in the photograph overleaf).
The third Chilean IIIF, no 25, makes a low fly-past for the photographer during the manufacturer's pre-delivery tests.
The tail unit of a IIIF Mk I destined for Chile, showing the balanced rudder and elevator. The rudder is of slightly greater area than those of other IIIFs and has a different outline. Notice the flotation bags inside the rear fuselage.
Mk IIIB seaplane for the Chilean Air Mission was delivered to Fairey's Hamble base in January 1931. In addition, Mk IIIs F1514, F2116 and F2117 ('3') were delivered in 1935. These had fins and rudders of the type fitted to the Fairey Gordon and Seal, giving the aircraft a somewhat hybrid appearance.
Arcos Ltd, a predecessor of Aviaexport, took delivery of Lion XIA-engined Mk IVM/A c/n F1478 for Russia on 30 September 1930, but searches in Russian archives have failed to reveal any records of this aircraft arriving at its supposed ultimate destination. Egypt bought J9651 in April 1939. Finally, an order for IIIFs was proposed for the Latvian Air Force's Naval Air Division but was not taken up.
One of the three later IIIF Mk IIIs supplied to Chile, c/n F2117/3', showing its later exhaust system and Gordon/ Seal type fin and rudder.
Note: The images on this page are used with permission from Philip Jarrett
