Reply With QuoteOnly ever saw them flying on film, but I do remember seeing them when they were mothballed whilst I was on a "trip round the harbour", maybe mid 1950s? Impressive to say the least.
One of several failed British aeronautical projects.
https://warisboring.com/her-majesty-s-nuclear-seaplane/
https://warisboring.com/her-majesty-s-nuclear-seaplane/
Such a shame, went into mothballs, and when they uncovered them, they were found to be rotted out!
Any of our older members remember seeing them in flight?
Only ever saw them flying on film, but I do remember seeing them when they were mothballed whilst I was on a "trip round the harbour", maybe mid 1950s? Impressive to say the least.
One of several failed British aeronautical projects.
did 4 of the props have 2 engines?
Isn't there one in the museum at Southampton?
don't think there's one of thoseOriginally Posted by andrewcregan
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solent_Sky
Good question, must have run in parallel or something like that..
Fascinating.
When you look at something like the Sutherland at Duxford the size is impressive - this must have been amazing to see.
I always return to this:
No but they've got a close relative:
I remember seeing a Sunderland off the Dorset coast, I cannot recall exactly when, but I guess it was in the 70's?
https://youtu.be/AV1eUeo27tc
- - - Updated - - -
You briefly see this in the video linked above.No but they've got a close relative:
If you ask nicely they let you climb into the cockpit.No but they've got a close relative:
They also have a Supermarine Schneider Trophy plane which is an amazing looking thing.
"A man of little significance"
and a Short Sandringham
I think that is the one that I recalled seeing.
From a movie?I always return to this:
"Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it's enemy action."
'Populism, the last refuge of a Tory scoundrel'.
I can quite understand why. That would be the best place to live, even if it couldn't fly. Would have to float tho'..I always return to this:
Anyone else been to the museum at Foynes? Marvellous place; added bonus of meeting Maureen O'Hara there.
When I was a young lad my father retired from his job in London and took a pub near Rochester called the Canopus, named after one of the Short's seaplanes, built for Imperial Airways. The factory at one time being on the Medway, just upstream from Rochester Castle on the Esplanade.
In the pub there was a lot of history about Short, including photographs and instruments from the Canopus and other seaplanes. I always thought it a great shame that they weren't pursued more as a form of transport, as planes they had a real elegance...
Used to visit Foynes quite a lot due to work, passed the museum each time thinking I'll take a look, hopefully someday I'll manage it.
"Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it's enemy action."
'Populism, the last refuge of a Tory scoundrel'.
It revolves around "the quickest way to reach America", which was a flight to Shannon airport, then transfer to Foynes for the trans-Atlantic flying boat service to Gander (I think). It was the fastest Atlantic crossing available at the time (late 1930s) but had the drawback that if wind strength was adverse the flight had to be truncated just shy of halfway and you returned to Foynes to await the next weather window.
Contrary to popular myth, it was in the lounge at Foynes that Irish coffee was invented, or so they would have us believe.
Maureen O'Hara and her husband owned a flying boat scheduled service in the Caribbean (he was killed flying one iirc) hence her involvement. She donated much of the paraphernalia from her aviation career to the museum and was a patron and regular visitor.
Highly recommended if in this lovely part of Ireland.
And afterwards you can visit the Lartigue Monorail, which beggars belief. Another story though.
Whenever I hear of sea planes I'm always drawn to remembering the Spruce Goose. The largest flying boat ever and the largest wingspan of any Plane to fly! I only know of this because of a kids film when I was a kid! Yogi bear!
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hughes_H-4_Hercules
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Then there was the Short Mayo as well
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Short_Mayo_Composite
Ah, many thanks for this information I'll be popping back next year, one of my favourite parts of Ireland.
"Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it's enemy action."
'Populism, the last refuge of a Tory scoundrel'.
You'll be glad you popped in.
The service was just getting off the ground (?) when WWII came along. By the time it was over air transport had transformed and direct flights became easily possible.
The flying boat Atlantic crossing was the fastest way from Europe to the USA from 1938 and operated through the war years.
More here:
https://www.flyingboatmuseum.com/aviation-museum/
Reminds me a bit of the Ekranoplan - of course they couldn't get too high off the ocean but were another water based leviathan
http://www.pooleflyingboats.com/wpim...c742d14_06.png
There used to be a flying boat terminal off Poole
I spotted this mural at the Victoria Falls Hotel at Xmas.
It was definitely a more refined way of traveling.
Kermit Weeks in Florida has a Shorts Sandringham (civil version of the Sunderland) sitting in a lake. It is still in flyable condition as far as I am aware. I remember seeing it as a child at airshows in the UK before it crossed the Atlantic. Back then it was owned and operated by RyanAir of all companies!
The Saunders Roe Princess shown in the OP had contra rotating props on the in board engines hence the double prop.
Check out you tube videos of the Martin Mars for a big flying boat. Up until quite recently it was still being used as a fire bomber.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mrdLJ3GYVac
Cheers
John
No one heard of the Spruce Goose, H-4..
Built by Howard Hughes. The largest seaplane ever built.
Had one flight in 1947.
Film of it's one and only "flight"..
https://youtu.be/OXZQewzdWzA
I love those old flying boats, so majestic.
Many years ago I spotted a Sunderland (the civvy version) moored by Tower Bridge on the Thames, they had a tender and were taking people on board.
Totally inconvenient at the time but always wished I'd gone aboard now.
Found a pic..
Cheers,
Neil.
That's Sandringham currently owned by Kermit Weeks in the US once owned by Ryanair.I love those old flying boats, so majestic.
Many years ago I spotted a Sunderland (the civvy version) moored by Tower Bridge on the Thames, they had a tender and were taking people on board.
Totally inconvenient at the time but always wished I'd gone aboard now.
Found a pic..
Some great pictures on here. I've seen these quite often flying around the Bay of Naples. Not big but still spectacular when touching on the water to refill then taking off again.
I've seen fire fighting planes many times taking on water from the Gulf of Valinco in Corsica. As you say, it's an amazing sight.Some great pictures on here. I've seen these quite often flying around the Bay of Naples. Not big but still spectacular when touching on the water to refill then taking off again.
There's a beautiful wood-strip fuselage or hull of a Supermarine Southampton in the RAF museum at Hendon. It's a work of both fine art and fine craftsmanship.
My father was on RAF Coastal Command Sunderlands for a time in WW2, I think in Egypt. He loved them.
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Often see the same type of aircraft taking on water from the bay of Pollensa, always have the binoculars out on the balcony.Some great pictures on here. I've seen these quite often flying around the Bay of Naples. Not big but still spectacular when touching on the water to refill then taking off again.
"Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it's enemy action."
'Populism, the last refuge of a Tory scoundrel'.
Makes me think Boris was onto something with his Thames Estuary Airport Plan - he forgot to mention that the runway was going to be a little 'damp'.
http://www.pooleflyingboats.com/wpim...c742d14_06.png
There used to be a flying boat terminal off Poole
No drainage problems thoughMakes me think Boris was onto something with his Thames Estuary Airport Plan - he forgot to mention that the runway was going to be a little 'damp'.
"Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it's enemy action."
'Populism, the last refuge of a Tory scoundrel'.
Good info. thanks for that.
I still regret that I didn't jump in the boat though.
Cheers,
Neil.
A little thing called the SS Montgomery could be a bit of an issue!Makes me think Boris was onto something with his Thames Estuary Airport Plan - he forgot to mention that the runway was going to be a little 'damp'.
Oh yes the Thames very own ''gold nougat''.
"Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it's enemy action."
'Populism, the last refuge of a Tory scoundrel'.
I think Irma would have wrecked it!!
John
Heh.
Son of K-7.
Shame it never existed.
I always return to this:
Crazy when you think about it?
It's a lot of explosive sitting in the Thames estuary.
When I was a kid we often went to the Isle of Sheppey.
They did boat trips around the wreck and we went on a few occasions.
Could see it very clearly from the beach at low tide.
Cheers,
Neil.
Same actually. My great grandmother lived in Eastchurch so remember it well.
Wow, I never knew about that. A small part of me is shocked that its never been sorted out but the rest of me is really not surprised.
Would certainly focus concentration during final approach....
I wonder how potent the cargo actually is after all this time. Surely the corrosive nature of the sea would have degraded it by now?
The RN survey the site every few years, its still dangerous.
"Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it's enemy action."
'Populism, the last refuge of a Tory scoundrel'.
Very potent I'd imagine. Each shell would have a thick casing of steel, there would certainly be corrosion but perhaps not full thickness. The chemical make up of the explosives may have degraded, but the degradation products might still be dangerous (and perhaps more unstable). Cold temperatures would have slowed such effects.
This is all guesswork as I haven't looked into what the ship contained.
It's a great place for a bit of sea fishing as no commercial boats go near it, had some nice fish from there in the winter and there's bass in the summer...
I flew a couple of sorties in Sunderlands, 205 Squadron, out in Singapore. In fact it might have been 209 , the RAF kept mixing them up.Wasn't very impressed, I loved my Shackleton., even if it's always referred to as 10,000 rivets flying in formation.
Last edited by BrianT; 16th September 2017 at 09:26.
One thing to link Sheppy and the original thread is Short Brothers.
Eastchurch on Sheepy was the site of the first Aircraft factory and Airfield in the UK. There is a memorial in the centre of the village and a stained glass window in the church.
Short Brothers set the factory up around 1910 I believe and went on to make numerous aircraft there including the first Seaplane made in the UK.
Shorts then went on to produce many of the interwar Flyingboats leading to the Sandringham and Sunderland mentioned earlier in the thread. These as noted were made in nearby Rochester after the factory was moved.
With regard to the SS Montgomery, the UK government has recently increased the frequency of surveys being undertaken.
One of the decks has collapsed and there is a fear that the remained superstructure could collapse as well. The government has deemed the consequences of any explosion to be reduced due to the degradation of the explosives the ship contains but they still believe that it would flatten all of Sheepy and Southend as well as sending a tidal wave up the Thames that could flood a large proportion of London close to the river. It was once feared that if the ship went up it could be the largest non nuclear man made explosion in history, which gives a hint at the size of the issue.
There is a thought that whilst the size of the explosion will not be a large as it once could have been, the deterioration of the shell casings have led to the chances of any explosion happening increasing.
I have a copy of a recent survey on my PC somewhere, happy to share if anyone is interested, although I think it can now be found on line using google if you look. - found them link below.
https://www.gov.uk/government/public...survey-reports
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