Fairey Delta FD.2

Dora Wings, 1/48 scale

Reviewed by Brett Green

The Fairey Delta 2 (FD.2) occupies a unique and often underappreciated place in British aviation history. Sleek, uncompromising and purpose-built for speed, the FD.2 was not conceived as an operational combat aircraft but as a research tool—one that would nonetheless play a pivotal role in Britain’s transition to sustained supersonic flight and directly influence the design of Concorde.

The origins of the FD.2 lay in the late 1940s, when the Ministry of Supply issued a requirement for a high-speed research aircraft capable of exploring the aerodynamic challenges of flight beyond Mach 1. Fairey Aviation, under the leadership of Robert Lickley, proposed a radical tailless delta-wing design that built upon lessons learned from the earlier Fairey Delta 1. The resulting aircraft was uncompromisingly advanced, featuring a thin 60-degree swept delta wing, area-ruled fuselage and powered by the Rolls-Royce Avon RA.14R turbojet.

First flown on 6 October 1954, the FD.2 quickly demonstrated both the potential and the challenges of delta-wing supersonic flight. Early testing revealed demanding handling characteristics at low speed, necessitating the use of a novel drooping nose to improve pilot visibility during take-off and landing. In contrast, at high speed the aircraft proved remarkably stable and responsive, excelling in the regime for which it was designed.

The FD.2 entered the history books on 10 March 1956. Flown by Fairey test pilot Peter Twiss, it set a new world air speed record of 1,822 km/h (1,132 mph), becoming the first aircraft to exceed 1,000 mph in level flight. This achievement was a major technological milestone and a significant boost to British aerospace prestige during a period of intense international competition.

Only two FD.2 airframes were built, yet their influence far exceeded their modest numbers. Data gathered during the flight test programme fed directly into the development of the BAC 221, a modified FD.2 used to validate the ogival delta wing that would later define Concorde. In this way, the FD.2 served as a crucial stepping stone between early supersonic experimentation and practical supersonic transport.

Today, the Fairey Delta 2 stands as a reminder of a bold and innovative era in British aviation—an aircraft that, despite its limited production, left an enduring legacy through its technical achievements and its contribution to one of the most iconic aircraft ever to fly.

Fairey Delta FD.2 in 1/48 scale

I am not aware of any 1/48 scale Fairey Delta FD.2 kit being available until now.

Dora Wings to the rescue!

Ukrainian company Dora Wings has a knack for picking interesting subjects, and this time they have expanded their range to include an all-new 1/48 scale injection moulded plastic record breaking research platform, the Fairey Delta FD.2

Dora Wings' 1/48 scale Fairey Delta FD.2 comprises 86 parts in grey plastic, two parts in clear plastic, five photo-etched parts on one fret, die-cut vinyl masks and decals for four marking options.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

• 
• 
• 

Thumbnail panels:

The plastic is grey in colour. It is very smooth and semi-shiny. Surface textures are made up mainly from crisply recessed, fine and consistent panel lines and rows of very subtle rivets.

Sprue attachment points are narrow, but they do extend onto the visible outside surfaces of the fuselage and wings so do take care when removing the parts and cleaning up.

The cockpit looks good. It is mainly made up from plastic parts including side consoles, rudder pedals, control column, a multi-part ejection seat and more. Nice sidewall detail is moulded onto the inside of the fuselage sides.

Photo-etched harness straps are included.

The instrument panel has a plastic base with raised bezels and decals dials and switches.

The wings are made up from separate upper and lower halves plus separate flaps and ailerons.

The nose may be built in one of two configurations - flight position and the drooped take-off position.

Clear parts are thin and free from distortion and supplied in separate sections to permit the canopy to be posed open or closed. The proof here will be in the building.

Dora Wings has thoughtfully provided die-cut, self-adhesive vinyl canopy masks, which will save some time on this often unloved task.

Instructions are supplied as a 16-page, glossy booklet. There are 29 illustrated construction steps.

Markings

The decal sheet is printed by Decograph from Ukraine. The decals are satin in finish.

Markings are supplied for four making options. Two are overall silver, while the others are overall blue and violet.

Registration and printing look good.

This is another very nice kit from Dora Wings.

Strictly speaking, this is a limited run kit as suggested by the absence of locating pins but otherwise it looks very mainstream with its fine recessed surface textures, high quality plastic and fine sprue attachment points.

It is also worth bearing in mind that this Ukrainian company continues to produce and distribute its models in the middle of a war and with their CEO fighting on the front lines. Buying this kit is one small way to support the Ukrainian effort.

Record-breaking jet fans rejoice!

Thanks to Dora Winga for the review sample.

Review Text and Images Copyright © 2026 by Brett Green
Page Created 14 January, 2026
Last updated 15 January, 2026

Back to HyperScale Main Page

Back to Reviews Page