Discussion
You'll sometimes see a Grumman Albatross in the Solent, an amazing machine. And as has been pointed out, the Catalina is often around. Matt Dearden of this parish and of Ch4 "Worst Place to be a Pilot" and the book "Flying from Shangri-La" is one of the pilots.
The Solent Sky museum is worth a visit and you can get in the Short Sandringham (civvy Sunderland) and in the cockpit if you ask nicely, although her flying days are long gone.
The Solent Sky museum is worth a visit and you can get in the Short Sandringham (civvy Sunderland) and in the cockpit if you ask nicely, although her flying days are long gone.
Is the Sunderland at the RAF Museum Hendon still open to clamber around inside? That was a real eye-opener for me - going to war in a biscuit tin.
I've a photo of a twin-engined flying boat, a Supermarine Stranraer I think, there too.
ETA: found the Stranraer pic

I've a photo of a twin-engined flying boat, a Supermarine Stranraer I think, there too.
ETA: found the Stranraer pic
Edited by Riley Blue on Friday 15th August 10:20
BrettMRC said:
There's just something about a flying boat - screams of an elegance we'll never recapture I think.
No idea what they were actually like as a mode of long distance travel, I can only assume pretty noisy!
And slow and unpressurised.No idea what they were actually like as a mode of long distance travel, I can only assume pretty noisy!
I'm sure they were very tiring to travel in for long periods of time. But, they were faster than ocean liners which is why they were feasible up until World War 2.
What finished them as a viable means of airline transport was the propenderance of new airfields and runways that had been built all over the world during World War 2. Also, flying boat technology didn't lend itself that well to the new fangled gas turbine engine although a few jet flying boats were built and even today there are a few in current use.
My favourite jet flying boats -
Saunders Roe SRA1
Martin P6M Seamaster

bergclimber34 said:
Think Catalina flies from the UK, certainly was on airshow circuit, not sure it ever ventures into water though.
There is a Sunderland at Duxford, but the hangar it is in is a mess at the moment.
Off topic, but how bad is Duxford at the moment? I'm going for the battle of Britain Airshow next month with the kids.There is a Sunderland at Duxford, but the hangar it is in is a mess at the moment.
marksx said:
Off topic, but how bad is Duxford at the moment? I'm going for the battle of Britain Airshow next month with the kids.
MarkI went a few months ago and the Brit hangar is all over the place, they are doing work there, the tank area was completely off limits too, and one of the working on hangars was closed, first time I have known that.
It piss3d me off I was paying full for money for 2/3 of a museum honestly, this was mid June
bergclimber34 said:
Think Catalina flies from the UK, certainly was on airshow circuit, not sure it ever ventures into water though.
There is a Sunderland at Duxford, but the hangar it is in is a mess at the moment.
The Catalina was practicing on the water in Biscarosse, France earlier this year. There is a Sunderland at Duxford, but the hangar it is in is a mess at the moment.
It does so fairly regularly and takes part in the local hydro aviation airshow which is alternate years. Albeit they had technical issues this year, so whilst they were here, they couldn't participate in the show.
https://www.biscagrandslacs.com/rassemblement-inte...
I flew in there a few months ago with my 9 year old having not been for 25 years.
Agreed the AirSpace hangar was all over the place, and I think it's got worse since. Frustrating that there were a few aircraft I would have loved to have looked at which were all shut away. And of the airliners outside, only one was open, the Britannia. I really wanted to get on the Trident, as my mum was cabin crew on her back in the day.
The USAF hangar was good, however the Land Warfare hall is permanently closed, never to re-open.
However don't get me wrong, it was still a great day out, however a lot of that was down to the weather (which was fab), the fact that our landing fee covered museum entry, and the fact that we were mixing it with the warbirds...being asked to pull onto the grass to let the Blenheim past was cool, and being followed down the taxiway by the Sally B was epic!
Without sounding like a d1ck if I'd just driven there, paid full price, and found a significant chunk of the museum closed I'd have been a bit miffed.
Agreed the AirSpace hangar was all over the place, and I think it's got worse since. Frustrating that there were a few aircraft I would have loved to have looked at which were all shut away. And of the airliners outside, only one was open, the Britannia. I really wanted to get on the Trident, as my mum was cabin crew on her back in the day.
The USAF hangar was good, however the Land Warfare hall is permanently closed, never to re-open.
However don't get me wrong, it was still a great day out, however a lot of that was down to the weather (which was fab), the fact that our landing fee covered museum entry, and the fact that we were mixing it with the warbirds...being asked to pull onto the grass to let the Blenheim past was cool, and being followed down the taxiway by the Sally B was epic!
Without sounding like a d1ck if I'd just driven there, paid full price, and found a significant chunk of the museum closed I'd have been a bit miffed.
Solent Sky Museum also has a couple of flying boats on display, including one operated by Ansett Australia (I used to work for them in another life, hence me visiting the museum and finding out about the aircraft)
https://www.solentsky.org/exhibitions
https://www.solentsky.org/exhibitions
Trevatanus said:
Solent Sky Museum also has a couple of flying boats on display, including one operated by Ansett Australia (I used to work for them in another life, hence me visiting the museum and finding out about the aircraft)
https://www.solentsky.org/exhibitions
That's the one I posted a picture of.https://www.solentsky.org/exhibitions
Ansett used to operate a service from Sydney to Lord Howe Island. The flying boat service ceased in 1974 when a land runway was built on the island. The two Sunderland/Sandringhams were sold to Charles Blair who ran Antilles Air Boats in the US Virgin Islands. His wife was the actress Maureen O'Hara and in the years 1976 to 1978 they brought VP-LVE to Ireland and Southampton for the summer.
Blair was sadly killed later in 1978 in the crash of one of his other flying boats (a Grumman Goose)
Hard-Drive said:
I flew in there a few months ago with my 9 year old having not been for 25 years.
Agreed the AirSpace hangar was all over the place, and I think it's got worse since. Frustrating that there were a few aircraft I would have loved to have looked at which were all shut away. And of the airliners outside, only one was open, the Britannia. I really wanted to get on the Trident, as my mum was cabin crew on her back in the day.
The USAF hangar was good, however the Land Warfare hall is permanently closed, never to re-open.
However don't get me wrong, it was still a great day out, however a lot of that was down to the weather (which was fab), the fact that our landing fee covered museum entry, and the fact that we were mixing it with the warbirds...being asked to pull onto the grass to let the Blenheim past was cool, and being followed down the taxiway by the Sally B was epic!
Without sounding like a d1ck if I'd just driven there, paid full price, and found a significant chunk of the museum closed I'd have been a bit miffed.
Thank you for this. Kinda wish I'd not just activated my IWM membership as it was primarily for Duxford, though there are of course other museums. Agreed the AirSpace hangar was all over the place, and I think it's got worse since. Frustrating that there were a few aircraft I would have loved to have looked at which were all shut away. And of the airliners outside, only one was open, the Britannia. I really wanted to get on the Trident, as my mum was cabin crew on her back in the day.
The USAF hangar was good, however the Land Warfare hall is permanently closed, never to re-open.
However don't get me wrong, it was still a great day out, however a lot of that was down to the weather (which was fab), the fact that our landing fee covered museum entry, and the fact that we were mixing it with the warbirds...being asked to pull onto the grass to let the Blenheim past was cool, and being followed down the taxiway by the Sally B was epic!
Without sounding like a d1ck if I'd just driven there, paid full price, and found a significant chunk of the museum closed I'd have been a bit miffed.
I imagine I'll still enjoy it though, just maybe not as much as before.
BrettMRC said:
There's just something about a flying boat - screams of an elegance we'll never recapture I think.
No idea what they were actually like as a mode of long distance travel, I can only assume pretty noisy!
The ultimate passenger flying boat was probably the Boeing 314 Clipper:No idea what they were actually like as a mode of long distance travel, I can only assume pretty noisy!
I love this painting:
https://roncole.net/products/pan-am-clipper-boeing...
Another factor in their demise was the arrival of jet airliners.
Eric Mc said:
My favourite jet flying boats -
Saunders Roe SRA1
Martin P6M Seamaster
My favourite is probably the Convair F2Y https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOrj2cSDO-MSaunders Roe SRA1
Martin P6M Seamaster
The Piaggio P.7 (or PC.7?) is also very interesting, but the full size never made it airborne, although various radio control models of it have flown successfully.
Simpo Two said:
The ultimate passenger flying boat was probably the Boeing 314 Clipper:

I love this painting:

https://roncole.net/products/pan-am-clipper-boeing...
Another factor in their demise was the arrival of jet airliners.
I think they had virtually gone by the time the jets arroived. Ignoring the Comet - which was a bit of a false start - true long distance jet operations started in 1958-60 by which time mainline flying boats were extinct.I love this painting:
https://roncole.net/products/pan-am-clipper-boeing...
Another factor in their demise was the arrival of jet airliners.
Two aircraft served to kill the flying boat, the Lockheed Constellation and the Douglas DC-4/6/7 family which were piston engined.
Arnold Cunningham said:
My favourite is probably the Convair F2Y https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOrj2cSDO-M
The Piaggio P.7 (or PC.7?) is also very interesting, but the full size never made it airborne, although various radio control models of it have flown successfully.
Technically the F2Y wasn't a true flying boat. It was actually what is sometimes referred to as a hydroplane - a combination of aircraft and hydrofoil. The Piaggio P.7 (or PC.7?) is also very interesting, but the full size never made it airborne, although various radio control models of it have flown successfully.
Another aircraft that used this principle was the Piaggio P7 -



Neither worked terribly well.
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