The Man Who Built the Swordfish

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.