RB520 in flight
Seafang front
Seafang F Mk 32 VB895 December 1946
rear view
Second prototype with a six-bladed contra-rotating propellers
Completed late in 1945, the first F Mk 31 had non-folding wings.
Prototype VG471 on the ground
Rolls-Royce Griffon 61
Rolls-Royce Griffon 61
Seafang 31
Development of a navalised Spiteful was pursued during 1945 to Specification N.5/45, and a contract was placed for 2 prototypes and 150 series aircraft. A Spiteful F Mk XV with a sting-type arrester hook was tested early in 1945, and the Seafang prototypes flew in the following year. One of these represented the production Seafang F Mk 31 with Griffon 61 engine and a long-stroke undercarriage, but non-folding wings. The other represented the Seafang F Mk 32 with a Griffon 89 engine with contraprop, and folding wings. Armament comprised four 20-mm cannon and provision was made for carrying a pair of 454kg bombs or six 136kg rockets. After completion during 1946-47 of 16 Mk 31s and 2 Mk 32s (some of which were never flown) production was cancelled.