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Aviation History
1939
1939 - 0976.PDF
MARCH 30, 1939 FLIGHT. 335 Hall XPTBH-l (U.S.A.). Heinkel He 115 (Germany). \A selection of foreign types suitable for coastal and open sea work. Military Aircraft—IX FLYING BOATS The magnificent Short Sunderland (four Bristol Pegasus XXII certain R.A.F. units. FOR the time being the flying-boat strength of the Royal Air Force is composed, broadly speaking, of two varieties of aircraft: obsolescent twin-engined biplanes and highly developed four-engined monoplanes (Short Sunderland), the latter comparing favourably in many respects with certain prototypes which have not yet gone into service abroad. It is reasonable to suppose that twin-engined monoplane boats will, before long, appear in R.A.F. squadrons. The commodious long-range service flying-boat of to-day is virtually a self-con tained unit and, as such, fulfils a vital function in Empire de fence. According to the claims of at least one big manufacturer of long-range marine craft, the flying-boat should supersede the landplane as a bomber, first because with equal power it can carry a bigger load for a greater distance than a landplane (assuming that recourse is not made to assisted take-off) and secondly because its "aerodrome" is indestructible and self- levelling. It may be argued that this is an over-statement of the case, though the usefulness of the flying-boat as a long- range weapon or for patrol and recon naissance is not to be questioned. , America, even more, perhaps, than j ourselves, has realised its worth, as : witness her superb fleet of over two Hundred Consolidated PBY patrol bomber monoplanes. . Reconnaissance, patrol and bomb- ^g (and in some instances, torpedo- hopping) would be the primary war- An American prototype with a hne background — the Sikorsky XPBS-i (four Twin Wasps). light " photograph. now equipping time duties of the long-range flying-boat, while in peace time it can do a tremendous amount of good work by "showing the flag" in out-of-the-way parts of the world. In many respects the design of military flying boats (the term "naval" would be more explicit, though hardly accurate) is ahead of civil practice, though our Short Sunderland, be it said, is nothing more or less than a developed and militarised version of the Empire boat. Inevitably there is a close affinity between Service and civil boats for, unlike the landplant bomber, the mili tary flying-boat has a really spacious interior and may, gen erally speaking, form the basis of a first-rate civil craft. Already a commercial version of the big Consolidated XPB 2Y-1 has been planned for transoceanic service. Advanced Design Design features of recent military flying-boats include two decks; retractable floats (Consolidated and Latecoere); Diesel engines (Dornier); and powered multi-gun turrets in bow and stern (Short, Consolidated and Sikorsky). Craft such as those mentioned have facilities for cooking, repair and even recrea tion, while there is sleeping accommodation for officers and crew. Independent electric generating systems, intercommuni cation "exchanges," sound-proofing and elaborate heating and ventilating systems are also coming into vogue. In seaworthiness the flying-boat scores over the big coastal defence floatplane, though it must be out of service longer for hull inspection, whereas the floatplane can have its under-
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