Great Britain's Short Sunderland Flying Boat; "The Flying Porcupine"

Photos

Design

The Sunderland was developed before World War II.¹ On November 23, 1933 the Air Ministry issued a specification, R.2/33, calling for a four engine monoplane flying boat to replace the biplane flying boats that were then in service.⁴ Saunders Roe also submitted a prototype but it crashed leaving Short the winner.⁴

To work on the Sunderland it had to be placed on a trolley to be moved to land.¹

The Sunderland could fly 20 hour patrols.¹

Turrets

The Sunderland was the first flying boat to have powered gun turrets.^1,5 There was one each in the nose and rear.⁶

The nose turret was a powered Frazer-Nash that could be retracted into the nose.¹

Fuselage

The hull was made from anodized light allow.⁴ To reduce drag the rivets on the external surface were countersunk.⁴

The forward section had double decks that had the ward room and an entrance door below the flight deck.⁴ The mooring compartment had the anchor and a J-Type dinghy.⁴

The most forward area was a bomb-aimer's window that was hinged outward.⁴

The rear section of the fuselage contained crew quarters, galley, and bomb stowage.¹ The galley had a Clyde Cooker and there was 25 gallons of water available.⁴ There was also a sink.⁴

The crews quarters had 4 bunks for the crew to rest during long patrols.⁴ There was a flushing toilet that had an 11 gallon tank.⁴

The upper fuselage had the ASV Mk II surface radar aerials mounted.¹

Tail

The tail was a metal frame with a fabric cover on the control surfaces.¹

Bombs

The bombs were stored internally in the fuselage and were then cranked out under the wings for dropping.^1,5

Wings

The wings were an all metal cantilever construction that went around a main spar.⁴ The wings had three fuel tanks each.⁴

Prototype

On October 16, 1937^3,4,5, the Short Sunderland made its first flight from the River Medway.^1,2 The Sunderland Mk I first flew on April 21, 1938.⁴ The Sunderland Mk II first flew in June 1942.⁵ The Sunderland Mk V first flew in August 1943⁵ / March 1944.^3,5

An initial order for 10 / 21⁵ was placed in March 1936 as the S.25 prototype started trials due to the Air Ministry wanting to get the Sunderland into service as quickly as possible.^4,5

Mk I Service Trials

Service trials for the Sunderland Mk I started on April 24, 1938 at the Marine Aircraft Experimental Establishment (MAEE) at Felixstowe.⁴ The next one (L2159) arrived on May 9, 1938.⁴

Production

• Sunderland Mk I: 90³
• Sunderland Mk II: 43³
• Sunderland Mk III: 462³
• Sunderland Mk IV: 8³
• Sunderland Mk V: 154³
• Total: 721³, 741⁵, 749³
  • Manufacturer: Blackburn³, Short Brothers Ltd.^1,2,3,5
  • Production: 1937 - 1945⁵, 37 until October 1945 / 1946³

Variants

• S.25: Prototype.^3,5 Powered by Bristol Pegasus engines (950 HP⁴).^3,4
• Sunderland Mk I: Had a forward step in the bottom of the fuselage.² Had four Bristol Pegasus XVIII radial engines (1,065 HP).² Entered service in June 1938.^3,5
• Sunderland Mk II: Had two gun dorsal turret installed.^2,3 Flew for first time in 1941.² Had four Bristol Pegasus XVIII radial engines (1,065 HP).² Entered service in May 1941.^3,5
• Sunderland Mk III: There was a shallower step.^2,3 Had four Bristol Pegasus XVIII radial engines (1,065 HP).^2,5 Entered service in December 1941 / 1942².³ Had additional fuel.³ ASV (air surface radar) installed.³
• Sunderland Mk IV: Known as Seaford.^2,3 Didn't see service in World War II.²
• Sunderland Mk V: Had Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp engines.^2,5 Introduced in 1943.²

Usage

The countries that used the Sunderland were Australia, Britain, Canada, and New Zealand.³

17 / 28³ Royal Air Force squadrons were equipped with the Sunderland.^1,2

On one occasion a singe Sunderland fought off eight Ju 88s and shot down two of them.¹

First Deployment

The No 210 and 230 Squadrons were first to receive the Sunderland in the summer of 1938.²

The No 210 Squadron received its first two (L2159 and L2160 Selangor) in Singapore on June 22 and July 4, 1938.⁴

No 230 Squadron received its first three (L2161 Selangor, L2164 Pehang, and L2166 Perak).⁴

World War II

At the start of World War II there were three squadrons in the Coastal Command that had Sunderlands.⁵

First U-Boat

On January 30, 1940, a Sunderland destroyed its first U-Boat.⁵

Crete Evacuation

During the evacuation from Crete Sunderlands carried 82 soldiers along with its crew of 10.¹

Berlin Air Lift

Sunderlands were used in the Berlin Air Lift and delivered 4,800 tons / 4,877 tonnes.^1,5

France

France was the last military to used the Sunderland, retiring them in the 1960s.¹

Specifications