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Aviation History
1939
1939 - 1516.PDF
FLIGHT, May 18, 1939 The R.A.F. To-day: COASTAL DEFENCE m ............ . . .. THIS brief discussion of the coastal defence organisa tion of the R.A.F. will, for the sake of convenience, include the large shore-based flying boats, which are used for open-sea reconnaissance work and patrol. It does not include the Fleet Air Arm units which, when shore-based, are also administered by the Coastal Com mand. The Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of this Com mand is Air Marshal Sir Frederick W. Bowhill. The Command is responsible for three distinct types of squad ron : general reconnaissance units of two types (one equipped with landplar.es and the other with flying boats) ; and torpedo bomber squadrons. Coastal defence squad rons of the R.A.F. abroad use flying boats and torpedo bombers. At the moment our landplane "G.R." squad rons are equipped with the Avro Anson—the first mono plane to go into large-scale service with the R.A.F. The Anson, although some years old, is still extremely popular among Service pilots and maintenance personnel, and has the usefully high top speed of 188 m.p.h. Its equipment includes a variety of marine gear such as a collapsible dinghy and distress signals, sea markers and flame floats. Wireless is an essential part of its Service load, and a light bomb load can be carried for attacking submarines and small surface craft. The only subsequent G.R. landplane so far announced by the Air Ministry is the Lockheed Hudson, one of two types of aircraft acquired from America. Essentially simi lar to the commercial Lockheed 14, the Hudson is fitted with two Wright Cyclone engines. Its comparatively roomy fuselage should mean high efficiency for the duties of long-range reconnaissance, patrol and convoy work, and obviously the machine could carry a heavy bomb load, or, perhaps, a torpedo. Details of performance are not available, but one version of the commercial "14" is capable of something like 260 m.p.h. Of the several general reconnais- " Flight" photograph. The American Lockheed Hudson, seen here minus its turret, is a general reconnaissance type. This machine is being flown by a Martlesham test pilot. On the left is a reassuring line-up of Vickers Vildebeest IV torpedo bomb ers. In the Flight photograph above, Avro Anson general reconnaissance machines (actually belonging to the Coast Artillery Co-operation Unit) head inland after " a job of work." sance squadrons equipped with flying boats a number have already received the Short Sunderland—the largest machine employed by the R.A.F. The Sunderland is a modified develop ment of the commercial Empire boat arid is fitted with four Bristol Pegasus XXH engines giving no less than 1,010 h.p. each for take-off. A top speed of 210 m.p.h. is attainable and the normal cruising range is 1,670 sea miles. On a delivery flight to Singapore one Sunderland flew from Gibraltar to Malta (1,200 miles) at an average speed of 177 m.p.h. There are two decks in the Sunderland and everything is arranged so that the machine is as near as possible self- contained. There are officers' quarters and bunks, elabor- [ 1/ 1 n 1 i /If / m ** 1 w y-M 'Flight" photograph. A unique "shot " taken during a turn from the bow cockpit of a Supermarine Stranraer flying boat operating off the East Coast.
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