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Over the years I've seen a number of threads on converting British 2 seat fighters to single seaters. I've even seen one sugesting that be done with the Battle, but I've never seen one suggesting it be done with the Fulmar. I find that strange as the Fulmar was most useful at a time when a single seat fighter was badly needed for the Fleet Air Arm. Now I admit there may have been such a thread but I don't recall seeing one.

Having said that here's my question. If Fairey had either at the request of the Navy or as a private venture built a single seat fighter that made use of the Fulmars wings, forward fuselage(from just behind the pilots cockpit forward) and tailplane could it have been a viable fighter for the Mediterranean campaign upto operation Husky.

Now given the constraints of the design it would never be in the same class as even the Wildcat but it should have enough extra performance over its larger brother to be able to at least keep up with attacking bombers rather than its pilot having to make do with only 1 or 2 passes at the enemy before being left behind. If it was restricted to the same Merlins as the Fulmar I doubt it would hit 300mph but 280+ should be possible if only due to he reduction in weight of the shorter fuselage and not having to carry and keep alive a second crew member.
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