The Fairey Delta 1 (FD1) was a research aircraft developed and produced by British aircraft manufacturer Fairey Aviation. It holds the distinction of being the first British-designed aircraft to be furnished with a delta wing.
Initially referred to as the Type R, work on the aircraft had begun with the intention of developing a ramp-launched vertical takeoff (VTO) fighter. As its design was refined, the VTO features were discarded, instead exploring other concepts in line with Air Ministry Specification E.10/47. Accordingly, the aircraft was developed to investigate the then-unfamiliar qualities of the delta wing, particularly its flight characteristics when flown at transonic speeds. A total of three aircraft were ordered by the Ministry of Supply (MoS). The type received the name "Fairey Delta" shortly thereafter.
The first aircraft was produced at Fairey's facility in Heaton Chapel, Stockport. Ground testing commenced during mid-1950. On 12 March 1951, the FD1 performed its maiden flight, being flown by Fairey test pilot Group Captain R. Gordon. The aircraft received several modifications as a consequence of a landing accident in September 1951. Further flight testing determined that the FD1 exhibited numerous unfavourable qualities in terms of handling and stability, which contributed to the cancellation of the two further airframes. Following the end of government interest, Fairey continued to operate the sole completed FD1 to support their own research purposes up until the aircraft sustained substantial damage in a landing accident on 6 February 1956, after which it was deemed uneconomic to repair.
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