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Aviation History
1951
1951 - 1182.PDF
PLIGHT, 22 June 1951 733 V SEALAND in the air Impressions of a Versatile Amphibian IT would be difficult indeed to find another aircraft, inany category of type, size or price, capable of such anextensive range of useful applications as is the Short Sealand amphibian. That the need for a machine of its kind exists is a fact which has, perhaps, become most apparent in post-war years, when the inhabitants of outlying or inaccessible parts of the earth's surface have found it an increasingly difficult matter to keep pace with the general speeding-up of communications between more progressive regions. In countless territories of differing topography and varying climatic conditions the use of amphibians such as the Sealand can be the means of exerting a powerful influence on the economic and social lives of local com- munities. In mentioning a few of its uses—to all of which it is equally well-suited—we must include normal passenger- carrying on feeder services; all categories of survey work; air/sea rescue and ambulance duties; forest and anti-fire patrol; freight charter; police, coastguard and customs patrol; ice-patrol and whaling work; and flying-boat con- version training. There have, of course, been quite a number of amphi- By E. A. G. RUMBELOW bians which have reached the production stage and, in fact, several of them have proved extremely useful in specialized applications, but on most types evolved to date there has usually been some limiting factor which has prevented achievement of any appreciable degree of popularity. Some- times this has been an economic consideration, but more often than not has concerned the operational limitations of the aircraft itself. The handling of a small flying-boat on water—and water means open sea—is not usually a prospect FOR some years past, more than one member of "Flight's" editor*ial staff has been a practising pilot. H. A. Taylor—"Indicator" to his readers—first wrote a series of "In the Air" accountsdescribing his impressions while at the controls of a variety of British and foreign aircraft. Shortly after the war, MauriceSmith, now Editor, started a second series of "In the Air" handling notes describing new aircraft and comparable in theirscope with the road tests of new cars which form a popular feature in our associate journal "The Autocar." To date, nofewer than 42 separate aircraft types, including jets, ultra-lights and four-engined airliners, have been included in this currentseries. This description of the Sealand, written by another member of the staff; E. A. G. Rumbelow, in effect starts a thirdseries of "In the Air" impressions, which will from time to time augment those written by the Editor. The Sealand's clean hull form and "happy" frontal aspect show up well in the heading picture, secured as the author took o (Below) As seen from an accompanying launch—the machine losing speed after touching-down on sheltered water in th rVer Medway. "Flight" photographs
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