What was the minimum speed the Fleet Shadower flew at?

Short answer

There were two different Fleet Shadowers: the Airspeed one had a stalling speed of 33 mph (53 km/h, 29 kn), and the General Aircraft one reached a minimum speed of 39 mph (63 km/h). Specification S.23/37 called for 38 kn (70 km/h) at 1,500 ft (460 m) for not less than six hours.

Published: November 1, 2026 · Updated: November 1, 2026 · Edited by Above Ten Thousand · Editorial policy

What was the minimum speed the Fleet Shadower flew at?

Pitcairn PA-5 Mailwing

Two aircraft for the same specification

Specification S.23/37 called for a slow-flying, quiet aircraft with long endurance capable of operating from an aircraft carrier. The required performance was a speed of 38 kn (70 km/h) at 1,500 ft (460 m) for not less than six hours.

The figures for each design

On the Airspeed Fleet Shadower, the stalling speed came out at 33 mph (53 km/h, 29 kn). That aircraft first flew on 17 October 1940. Of the two prototypes begun, only one was completed. On the General Aircraft Fleet Shadower, directing the propeller slipstream over full-span flaps allowed a remarkable minimum speed of 39 mph (63 km/h).

End of the programme

On 17 February 1941 the Navy cancelled the Fleet Shadower programme along with the AS.39. The fleet shadowing aircraft concept was superseded by the wartime development of effective air-to-surface vessel (ASV) radar.