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Aviation History
1953
1953 - 1317.PDF
more commodious than the Competition amphibian, having seats for a pilot and six passengers. With that load fuel for 230 miles was normally carried, though the range could be extended by reducing the number of passengers. The maximum speed was 93 m.p.h., cruising speed 84 m.p.h. and landing speed 50 m.p.h. Scarab.—A military development of the Sea Eagle, the Scarab was an amphibian bomber/reconnaissance type built for the Spanish Government. It was claimed for this craft, and for the Sea Eagle, that it was practically impossible to ship water over the cockpits. A water rudder allowed the machine to be turned on a radius of one span. There were carriers beneath die wings for a bomb load of up to 1,000 lb. Sheldrake.—This was a little-known Supermarine type of 1927 (indeed, it seems already to have been forgotten by the makers themselves), and, as the Flight photographs suggests, was an experimental development of the Seagull, with revised hull lines. The engine was a Lion V. Seamew.—Resembling a "baby Southampton", this amphibian was powered with two Armstrong Siddeley Lynx geared engines and was intended for reconnaissance. It carried a crew of three and had Scarff mountings for two Lewis guns. The hull was of wood and the span the same as that of the Walrus, i.e., 46ft. Walrus.—Originally known as the Seagull V, this very famous pusher amphibian was powered with a Bristol Pegasus engine A private venture, it was designed for use on. capital ships and was accordingly fitted with catapult gear. In Australian service the name Seagull V was retained and, though Walrus was the official R.A.F. name, "Shagbat" was an equally common appella tion. The wings of the Mk I were of composite construction, with metal spars, wooden ribs and fabric covering, and the hull was of metal. The Mk II, built by Saunders-Roe, had a wooden hull. Sea Otter.—Designed as a successor to the Walrus, the Sea Otter was powered with a Bristol Mercury 30 engine, driving a tractor airscrew. Construction was mixed, the hull being of metal and the fabric-covered wings having metal spars and wooden ribs; the tailplane was plywood-covered. The two main fuel tanks were in the inboard sections of the upper wings, and additional fuel could be carried in the hull. The crew numbered three or four, and the armament was three Vickers "K" guns. Seagull S.14/44.—The Seagull monoplane of 1948 was vastly different from the original craft of that name. Intended as a replacement for the Walrus and Sea Otter, it was a parasol mono plane with high-lift, variable-incidence wing, developed from that of the S.24/37 Dumbo torpedo/bomber. The speed range of 4.81:1 was achieved with the aid of electrically operated leading-edge slats and slotted trailing-edge flaps, the outer por tions of which were double-slotted. Although the Seagull weighed 200 lb more than the Southampton, it measured only 50ft 6in in span, whereas the "Soton" spanned 75ft and was, into the bargain, a biplane. Seagull (S.14/44). Big Boats Swan.—The Swan was the first twin-engined flying-boat built by Supermarines, a previous project for a small three-seater twin around 1919 having been shelved. It had high, flared bows, as had the Sea Eagle, and the pilot sat in a raised "deckhouse" above the lower centre-section. Both Rolls-Royce Eagle and Napier Lion engines were fitted. The civil version carried ten passengers, with baggage, for 300 miles. It weighed 13,700 lb and had a cruising speed of 92 m.ph. Southampton t II and III. — The first three marks of Southampton may be defined as: I, wooden hull, Lion engines; II, metal hull, Lion engines; III, metal hull, geared Jupiter engines. The crew numbered five—two pilots, a navigator /bomb- aimer and two gunners. The duralumin hull of the Mark II was anodically treated against corrosion and the basic structure was 540 lb lighter than that of the Mk I. Elimination of water seepage permitted a further 400 lb of fuel to be carried and increased the range from 680 miles to nearly 900 miles. During 1932 two Southampton airframes were converted to take steam- cooled Rolls-Royce Kestrels; these were not, however, known as Mk IVs, mat designation being reserved for the redesigned machine later known as the Scapa. Nanok (Solent).—The hull and tail of this machine were similar to those of the Southampton, but the wing cellule was considerably different and carried three Armstrong Siddeley Jaguars mid-way between the wings. Built as a torpedo carrier tor the Danish Navy, it was not taken up by that Service when it was realized that, having regard to the size of the aircraft, manoeuvrability was insufficient for such a hazardous role. The Nanok was accordingly converted for service as a private air yacht and renamed the Solent. Air Yacht—The Solent rendered such satisfactory service when used as an air yacht by the Hon. A. E. Guinness that the same gentleman ordered this special monoplane boat, again with three Jaguar engines. Apart from the monoplane wing the most striking feature of the machine was the use of sponsons instead of lateral stabilizing floats. The Air Yacht was metal-constructed and had fabric-covered wings. For various reasons the machine was overweight and it was finally sold to a new owner and sent to the south of France, where it was wrecked in a storm. Scapa.—Originally designed Southampton IV, the Scapa had two Rolls-Royce Kestrel medium-supercharged engines mounted snug beneath the upper mainplanes. Compared with the hull of the Southampton, that of the Scapa was relatively straight-sided and of considerably greater capacity. The cockpit was enclosed (one Southampton II had been experimentally fitted with an enclosure) and there were three gun positions. The loaded weight was 16,050 lb and the maximum speed 142 m.p.h. Southampton X.—Originally powered with three Panthers, this type subsequently had three Jupiters. It bore little or no resem blance to any preceding Southampton, being in the first place a sesquiplane, and having a fiat-sided hull with stainless steel plating below the waterline. This was another of the Super- marine boats which proved somewhat heavy and the Southampton X never saw service. Stranraer.—This was the last of the large Supermarine biplane Above, Southampton II. Below, Air Yacht.
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