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.
