| Fireflash | |
|---|---|
 A Fireflash missile at the Royal Air Force Museum Cosford (2014) | |
| Type | Air-to-air missile |
| Place of origin | United Kingdom |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1957–1958 |
| Used by | United Kingdom |
| Wars | None |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1949 |
| Manufacturer | Fairey Aviation |
| No. built | c. 300 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 150 kilograms (330 lb) |
| Length | 111.75 inches (2,838 mm) |
| Wingspan | 28.11 inches (714 mm) |
Detonation mechanism | Proximity fuze |
| Engine | Two solid fuel rocket motors |
Operational range | 1.9 miles (3.1 km) |
| Maximum speed | Mach 2 |
Guidance system | beam rider |
Steering system | control surfaces |
Launch platform | Aircraft |
Fireflash was the United Kingdom's first air-to-air guided missile to see service with the Royal Air Force. Constructed by Fairey Aviation, the missile utilised radar beam riding guidance. Fireflash had relatively limited performance and required the launching aircraft to approach the target from a limited angle astern.
The approximately 300 production Fireflash missiles were mostly expended as a training weapon to familiarize RAF pilots with missile firing. It was declared operational very briefly in 1957, thus becoming the RAF's first operational air-to-air missile, but was quickly replaced by the de Havilland Firestreak the next year.