The Seafox came from specification S.11/32 and operational requirement OR.6, which called for a two-seat reconnaissance floatplane that light cruisers could launch by catapult. The design used the selected Napier Rapier engine, an all-metal structure with fabric-covered wings, and an enclosed cockpit for the observer. Two prototypes led into shipboard trials with HMS Neptune and production orders. The sequence of requirements and contracts shows how an interwar naval aircraft moved from an operational need into production.
Notable Point · 3:19-6:12
Designing a reconnaissance floatplane for light cruisers
Air Ministry requirements shaped the Seafox as a two-seat, catapult-launched reconnaissance aircraft for Royal Navy light cruisers.