Best flying boat of WWII?

[ShVAK]

Anti-submarine warfare, rescue, recon, transport.... flying boats may have been slow and vulnerable, but they stayed relevant throughout WWII in almost every theater and over a decade afterward in a number of militaries.

Which one was the best? Place your vote here!

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Kind of hard to vote, when they all different types of flying boats. Kind of like comparing a heavy bomber to a light bomber.

How can you compare a Bv 222 to a Catalina?

 

[ShVAK]

True the selections vary widely in size, number of engines etc. However most were tasked with similar roles, so it comes down to things like payload, range, armament, service history, innovation etc. etc. You can get more specialized in your response if you want, this is just a general poll.

 

[davebender]

Most were task with recon. A few were tasked with ASW.

He-115 is one of only a few which had torpedo bombing and mine laying as primary missions.

Do-26 is the only one on your list whose primary mission was long range transport of passengers and mail. The handful produced were essentially just civilian aircraft.

 

[ShVAK]

He-115 is a floatplane, though.

 

[davebender]

He-115 has the range / payload to compete with some of the other seaplanes on your list. So why shouldn't it be considered?

 

[ShVAK]

... because it's not a flying boat. And if I opened this thread up to floatplanes as well the disparities on either end would be even bigger than they are now--single-engine scout floatplanes against the BV 222?

 

[ShVAK]

In retrospect sticking the Do 26 in here was kind of a poor choice, didn't know only 6 were built and for such a specialized role. Beautiful plane though.

 

[Thorlifter]

I agree with that. The Do-26 is a beautiful plane.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

I agree with that. The Do-26 is a beautiful plane.

Do 24, that is beautiful...

 

[nuuumannn]

Kawanishi H8K - excellent performance, armament and load carrying capability.

"Even though far fewer H8Ks were built than contemporary British Short Sunderlands or American Consolidated Catalinas, the Japanese flying boat emerged from the conflict as the most outstanding water based combat aircraft of the Second World War" - Rene J Francillon, Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War.

 

[GrauGeist]

Much like the Do26, the Wiking was made in limited numbers...

 

[zoomar]

I went with the H8K as the "best", although there is no question the Catalina and Sunderland were also fine machines that had far more influence on the conflict than the Emily. If you had asked for the "greatest", I'd absolutely go with the Catalina...built in huge numbers, used in large quantities by almost all the allied combatants, and exceptionally versatile. In fact the Cat might reasonably be considered one of the 3-4 most valuable allied aircraft of the entire war, period.

 

[woljags]

i would have the supermarine walrus in this list,due to the numbers of lives it saved landing in mined waters

 

[Elmas]

Cant. Z 506

and Fiat RS 14

 

[Vincenzo]

in italiano sono tutti idrovolanti ma in inglese flyingboat e floatplanes indicano i due tipi specificamente: idrovolante a scafo centrale e idrovolante a scarponi.

 

[davebender]

Do-24 was built by Dornier to a Dutch specification for service in the East Indies. Just as the Mustang was originally built to a RAF specification.

Everything I have read suggests the Dutch seaplane performed well. A few must have fled the East Indies and ended up in Australia after Japan invaded.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Well I guess for purposes of the poll, I will take the Do 24. I am not sure if it was the best overall, but for me it certainly is the most beautiful (which does not make an aircraft better than any particular aircraft...). If I recall as well, it outperformed the PBY Catalina, which was also a great acft.

So I will take the Do 24.

 

[fastmongrel]

I think the Do 24 is a beauty but I reckon it is matched in the Miss World Flyingboat competition by the Kawanishi H6 Mavis

 

[A4K]

Don't know which was the best, but I also love the H6K5 ('Mavis'), aswell as the trusty Sunderland and Catalina.

..and good news for Sunderland fans! :
found by chance an advertisement yesterday for a NEW TOOL Italeri 1/72 Sunderland Mk.I !!!
("Dear santa...this year I've been REALLY good..."! )