The first built, J9479, flew for the first time on 14 November 1928 from RAF Northolt.
The aircraft was handed over to the RAF on 7 December, and testing continued in preparation for the record attempt, including a 24-hour trial on 22–23 March 1929.
 It was decided to attempt a flight to Bangalore in India, a great-circle distance of about 5,000 mile (8,000 km), comfortably in excess of the existing record of 4,466  miles (7,188 km) set by a Savoia-Marchetti S.64 in July 1928.
 Squadron Leader A. G. Jones-Williams and Flight Lieutenant N. H. Jenkins set off from RAF Cranwell, Lincolnshire on 24 April 1929.
 The aircraft was slowed by headwinds, and they landed at Karachi after 50 hours 48 minutes in the air.
Although the flight was the first non-stop flight between Britain and India, the great circle distance of 4,130 miles (6,646 km) was short of the world records.
 It was decided to make another record attempt later that year, although the record had been raised to 4,912 miles (8,007 km) by the Breguet 19 Point d'Interrogation.
This time it was planned to fly from England to South Africa.
This second attempt, with the same crew as the first, took off on 16 December 1929, but crashed south of Tunis, destroying the aircraft and killing the crew.

The navigation log was recovered from the crash site; according to this the aircraft's altitude at 18:00 was 5,000 feet (1,500 metres).
However, the barographs with which the aircraft was fitted recorded an altitude of less than 3,000 feet (910 metres) at this time.
The impact point was 2,300 feet (700 metres) above sea level.
Two possible causes are that the log entry was erroneous and that the aircraft had, due to the poor weather, descended and that the difference in barometric pressure between Tunisia and Cranwell had caused them to believe that their altitude was greater than was the case; an alternative explanation is simply that the altimeter had failed.

Despite this setback, the Air Ministry ordered a second Long-range Monoplane (K1991) in July 1930, this flying on 30 June 1931.
While similar to the first aircraft, it had a number of differences, including the addition of an autopilot and wheel spats.

On 27–28 October 1931 Squadron Leader O. R. Gayford (the officer in charge of the RAF Long Range Development Unit) and Flight Lieutenant D. Betts as navigator flew K1991 from RAF Cranwell to Abu Seir in Egypt.
The 2,557 miles (4,115 km) was completed in 31½ hours.

From 6–8 February 1933, Gayford and his navigator Flight Lieutenant G. E. Nicholetts flew non-stop in the second aircraft, K1991, from Cranwell to Walvis Bay, South West Africa.
This was a world long-distance record of 5,410 mi (8,540 km).
On their return to RAE Farnborough they were met by the Air Minister (Lord Londonderry), Under Secretary for Air (Sir Philip Sassoon) and Sir John Salmond, Marshal of the Royal Air Force.

The distance record stood until August 1933 when it was taken back by the French.
Gayford and the LRDU would later make long-distance flights with the Vickers Wellesley.

After K1991 flew back to the United Kingdom a number of suggestions to re-engine the aircraft were made and the Air Ministry issued Specification 27/33 for it to be re-engined with a Jumo engine; the aircraft was reconditioned but it was decided to design a new aircraft instead.
Not needed, K1991 was scrapped.
The first built, J9479, flew for the first time on 14 November 1928 from RAF Northolt. The aircraft was handed over to the RAF on 7 December, and testing continued in preparation for the record attempt, including a 24-hour trial on 22–23 March 1929.  It was decided to attempt a flight to Bangalore in India, a great-circle distance of about 5,000 mile (8,000 km), comfortably in excess of the existing record of 4,466  miles (7,188 km) set by a Savoia-Marchetti S.64 in July 1928.  Squadron Leader A. G. Jones-Williams and Flight Lieutenant N. H. Jenkins set off from RAF Cranwell, Lincolnshire on 24 April 1929.  The aircraft was slowed by headwinds, and they landed at Karachi after 50 hours 48 minutes in the air. Although the flight was the first non-stop flight between Britain and India, the great circle distance of 4,130 miles (6,646 km) was short of the world records.  It was decided to make another record attempt later that year, although the record had been raised to 4,912 miles (8,007 km) by the Breguet 19 Point d'Interrogation. This time it was planned to fly from England to South Africa. This second attempt, with the same crew as the first, took off on 16 December 1929, but crashed south of Tunis, destroying the aircraft and killing the crew.
The navigation log was recovered from the crash site; according to this the aircraft's altitude at 18:00 was 5,000 feet (1,500 metres). However, the barographs with which the aircraft was fitted recorded an altitude of less than 3,000 feet (910 metres) at this time. The impact point was 2,300 feet (700 metres) above sea level. Two possible causes are that the log entry was erroneous and that the aircraft had, due to the poor weather, descended and that the difference in barometric pressure between Tunisia and Cranwell had caused them to believe that their altitude was greater than was the case; an alternative explanation is simply that the altimeter had failed.
Despite this setback, the Air Ministry ordered a second Long-range Monoplane (K1991) in July 1930, this flying on 30 June 1931. While similar to the first aircraft, it had a number of differences, including the addition of an autopilot and wheel spats.
On 27–28 October 1931 Squadron Leader O. R. Gayford (the officer in charge of the RAF Long Range Development Unit) and Flight Lieutenant D. Betts as navigator flew K1991 from RAF Cranwell to Abu Seir in Egypt. The 2,557 miles (4,115 km) was completed in 31½ hours.
From 6–8 February 1933, Gayford and his navigator Flight Lieutenant G. E. Nicholetts flew non-stop in the second aircraft, K1991, from Cranwell to Walvis Bay, South West Africa. This was a world long-distance record of 5,410 mi (8,540 km). On their return to RAE Farnborough they were met by the Air Minister (Lord Londonderry), Under Secretary for Air (Sir Philip Sassoon) and Sir John Salmond, Marshal of the Royal Air Force.
The distance record stood until August 1933 when it was taken back by the French. Gayford and the LRDU would later make long-distance flights with the Vickers Wellesley.
After K1991 flew back to the United Kingdom a number of suggestions to re-engine the aircraft were made and the Air Ministry issued Specification 27/33 for it to be re-engined with a Jumo engine; the aircraft was reconditioned but it was decided to design a new aircraft instead. Not needed, K1991 was scrapped.
Fairey Long-range Monoplane