British light bombers and reconnaissance aircrafts

[gekho]

Two-seat reconaissance fighter, a development of the P.4/34 light bomber. The Fulmar was inferior to modern single-seat fighters, but it was a reliable, sturdy aircraft with long range. At least it provided the RN with a monoplane fighter. 600 built. The Fairey Fulmar was designed to meet the Admiralty's urgent need for a modern shipboard fighter. The Fulmar prototype was first flown on 4 January 1940 at Ringway and served as the first production aircraft. Fairey's Fulmar was the Fleet Air Arm's first carrier-based fighter with the same weight and firepower of the RAF's Hurricane and Spitfire. In fact, the Fulmar was developed for the FAA after being being rejected by the RAF. The Fulmar, N1855, was delivered for tests at the C squadron A&AEE Boscombe Down in May 1940, in the same month Fulmar N1856 joined 778 squadron at Lee on Solent with the plan to convert it to a seaplane, but in fact it was completed as a landplane version. May 1940 saw many Fulmars being delivered to 778 squadron. The type was delivered to the first operation unit, 806 in June 1940 stationed at Worthy Down and boarded HMS Illustrious in August 1940. The Fulmar was also employed in limited numbers by the RAF, inparticular with 273 squadron (eg X8743) in 1942 in China Bay where some aircraft were lost to enemy action. With its lack of speed, and the Admiralty's need for a truly modern carrier-based fighter, the Fulmar began being replaced by the Supermarine Seafire by 1943. However, it contined to be useful, being sent to 768, 767 and other squadrons to assist conversion of pilots to Barracudas eg DR664 at Lee on Solent by 810 squadron in April 1943 to May 1943.

Source: Fairey Fulmar aircraft profile. Aircraft Database of the Fleet Air Arm Archive 1939-1945

 

[gekho]

The Avenger was also used by the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm where it was initially known as the "Tarpon" however this name was later discontinued and the Avenger name used instead. The first 402 aircraft were known as Avenger Mk 1, 334 TBM-1s from Grumman were the Avenger Mk II and 334 TBM-3 the Mark III.

 

[gekho]

The twin-engine Sarò Lerwick was an attractive and compact design intended to meet a medium-range maritime reconnaissance requirement, Specification R. 1/36, but was a total failure, First flown before the end of Ì938, the prototype featured twin fins and. rudders but from the outset was found to be seriously lacking m lateral stability, and displayed a determination to roll and yaw in cruising flight, making the aircraft impossible to fly 'hands off, a damning indictment for a maritime patrol aircraft. In due course a single fin and rudder was fitted, but not until this was considerably enlarged was any improvement in the handling characteristics discernible. Starting with the seventh production example, wing incidence was increased and enlarged propellers fitted to the Hercules II radiais, but the latter were found unsuitable for operating on rough water. Moreover, stalling tests showed the Lerwick to have vicious traits, the stall under alighting conditions being accompanied by sharp wing-drop. Nevertheless 21 examples were produced and the Lerwick was first delivered for service with No, 209 Squadron m December 1939 at Oban, but after the type had flown a small number of semi-operational patrols it was decided to abandon further efforts to rectify its problems. The last eight aircraft were powered by Hercules IVs and the final example was completed m November 1940; one aircraft was flown by No, 240 Squadron but was lost on 20 February of that year, and some flew with No. 4 Operational Training Unit at Invergordon.

 

[vikingBerserker]

Excellent

 

[gekho]

The Supermarine Seagull was a biplane amphibian, originally designed to operate as a spotter for naval gunfire at the start of the 1920s. It was then almost completely redesigned for the RAAF in 1933 as the Seagull V, and this version of the aircraft entered British service as the Supermarine Walrus. The Seagull was first developed by R.J. Mitchell as a Commercial Amphibian, probably known as the Seal I. This aircraft was evaluated by the Air Ministry, which then ordered a single Seal II. This was a two-bay biplane, with a wingspan of 46ft. The wings folded back to reduce storage space on ships. The Seal II was powered by a single 450hp Napier Lion IB engine in a tractor configuration (propeller at the front). The hull was wooden, with an oval cross-section and two steps (to help the aircraft takeoff from water). The pilot operated from a single seat open cockpit positions well forward, and armed with a single machine gun. The radio operator was just behind the wings, with a dorsal gun position further back.

The Seal II made its maiden flight in May 1921. It was then ordered into production in July 1921, as the Seagull I. Six of these aircraft were used from the aircraft carrier HMS Eagle as spotter planes, but the Fleet Air Arm preferred the Fairey IIID in this role, and so the Seagull spent most of its service career operating as a coastal reconnaissance aircraft.

 

[gekho]

To meet requirement R.2/33 of the Air Ministry for a general reconnaissance flying boat, Short developed the S.25 Sunderland from their famous S.23 "Empire" or "C-class" flying boat, the flagship of Imperial Airways. The S.25 first flew on 16 October 1937. The Sunderland had a deep hull, and the wings were set high on the fuselage, to keep the engines and propellers away from the water spray. For the time, its size was very impressive. The hull had a single step, which served to break the suction of the water, and allow the flying boat to unstick. The characteristic blunt nose contained a two-gun turret, and the tail a four-gun turret. To correct a problem with the center of gravity, the wings were given a slight sweepback; the result was that the engines were slightly toed out. This cost some engine efficiency, but an advantage was that it improved controllability with one engine out. The stabilizing floats under the wing tips were attached by two struts and wire-bracing. On the water the aircraft was steered by canvas drogues, which were deployed through the galley windows.

The Sunderland was a pure flying boat, and if it had to be brought on shore special beaching wheels had to be fitted. Usually the Sunderlands were moored to a buoy. For this purpose, the front gun turret was rolled back and a chain was ran out. An anchor was on board, too. Daily maintenance was performed while the aircraft was moored. Supplies, fuel and ammunition were brought by boats, and some care was required to avoid damaging the hull. It was not uncommon for crews to live in their Sunderland between flights. If the aircraft was moored two men were required to be on board during the night, and during gales a pilot had to be on board because the engines were used to turn the aircraft in the wind. Of course the bilges had to be pumped out regularly, and for this both a manual pump and a pump driven by an Auxiliary Power Unit were installed.

The Sunderland Mk.I was powered by four Bristol Pegasus XXII air-cooled radial engines of 1010hp. The fuel for these engines was held in ten self-sealing fuel tanks in the wings, for a total of 2552 gallons (11600 liters). In addition to the guns in the nose and tail turret, the Mk.I had two guns in hatches on the upper aft fuselage. The Mk.II had slightly more powerful Pegasus XVIII engines with constant-speed airscrews, and late in its production run a dorsal gun turret was introduced, replacing the hatches. The Mk.II also carried ASV Mk.II radar . The Pegasus engines and the dorsal turret were retained by the Mk.III, which also had a more streamlined hull with a faired step. This reduced drag, but could cause porpoising during take-off and landing. The Mk.IV was redesigned for operations in the Pacific; it was later renamed Seaford. Only six Seafords were built before the project was cancelled.

The Mk.V had American Pratt Whitney R-1830-90B engines of 1200hp. Both the Pegasus and the R-1830 were very reliable engines, but the R-1830s had fully-feathering propellers, and in combination with the additional power this significantly increased a chance of a Sunderland to stay airborne with one or two engines out. The Mk.V also had four fixed, forward-firing guns, and two hatches in the aft fuselage for additional guns. The late production Mk.IIIs and the Mk.Vs had centimetric ASV radar. When the war broke out, Coastal Command had 34 Sunderlands in service. Over 700 Sunderlands were built and they served until 1959: 90 Mk.Is, 43 Mk.IIs, 456 Mk.IIIs and 150 Mk.Vs. The fuselage of the Sunderland was roomy enough to give the crew of ten or more men some comfort on their long patrol flights, which could last up to 13 hours. The front part of the fuselage was divided in two decks. The upper deck contained the cockpit with the two pilots, and the stations for the flight engineer, the wireless operator and the navigator. There was also a compartiment for flares, and positions for the gunners.

On the lower deck there was a bomb room, were bombs or depth charges were stored on movable racks, which were moved to under the wing before an attack. For this purpose there were large rectangular doors under the wings. There was a bomb-aiming position in the nose, below the turret. The bomb load was small for such a large aircraft, but its primary task was reconnaissance. The lower deck also had a wardroom, a galley with two primus stoves and an oven, two bunks for off-duty crewmembers, a flush lavatory, a wash basin, and a shaving mirror. Crews would often collect their own set of dishes and cooking utensils, add curtains to the small wardroom, and install luxuries like a portable radio. The Sunderland was easy and pleasant to fly, but for long patrols the pilots had the benefit of an autopilot. Its cruising speed was about 225km/h and it usually flew patrols at low altitudes. The main task of many Sunderlands was tracking enemy shipping, flying long patrols over an empty sea. Some crews never saw an enemy in the entire war. The Sunderland also flew search-and-rescue missions. It has to be pointed out that normally, the Sunderland could not land to pick up survivors. Like other flying boats, it could land and take-off only from sheltered coastal waters. From 1942 onwards, landings in open sea were expressly forbidden, except in special circumstances and with permission.

U-boat patrols, carrying eight depth charges, were an important task of the Sunderlands. They patrolled the approaches, or flew convoy protection missions. The two were often combined, with the Sunderlands meeting the convoys at some distance in the ocean. When an U-boat was sighted, the Sunderlands tried to attack it before it submerged. Although described as "depth charges", its bombs were set to explode at a depth of 25 feet to 30 feet, effective enough against surfaced submarines. Late in the war, the submarines were well-armed with Flak and willing to fight it out, while zig-zagging on the surface. In response, the Sunderlands were fitted with four fixed, forward-firing guns, to silence the Flak. The confrontations were extremely dangerous for both the Sunderland and the U-boat. Sunderlands also attacked small surface ships. The Sunderland was vulnerable to enemy fighters, because it was slow and operated out of the range of Allied fighters. However, the later Sunderlands were well-armed, with nose, dorsal and tail turrets, gun hatches in the aft fuselage, and often some additional guns added by the crews. Flying low above the waves to prevent attacks from below, a Sunderland was not an easy victim, and managed to defend itself very well. For example, in 2 June 1943 a Sunderland survived an attack by eight Ju 88s, shooting down three of them, although it was riddled with holes, lost an engine, and several crewmembers were wounded. Such exploits allegedly earned it the German nickname of "Fliegendes Stachelschwein" (Flying Porcupine), although this could also be attributed to the large array of radar antennas fitted to many Sunderlands. Perhaps the greatest weakness of the Sunderland was that its range, while significant, was not long enough the close the "mid-Atlantic gap". Coastal Command had to wait for the Liberator to cover the entire Atlantic. But where the Sunderland could operate, it was very effective.

Source: Short Sunderland - Aircraft - Fighting the U-boats - uboat.net

 

[gekho]

The Supermarine company may be best remembered for its graceful Spitfire, but the company designed a series of utilitarian flying boats and amphibians alongside the Schneider trophy racers that led to the Spitfire. Throughout the Second World War, the Supermarine Walrus served from land and sea, performing air/sea rescue (ASR), gunnery spotting and other duties with the Royal Navy. The Sea Otter resembles a modernised Walrus, with a conventional, tractor propeller installation, driven by a Bristol Mercury XXX radial engine. The Sea Otter entered Fleet Air Arm (FAA) service in 1944. It continued in service for some years, outlasting the Swordfish and Albacore to claim the title of the last biplane in squadron service with the FAA. After the end of the war, British aircraft in India were turned over to the French Aeronavale. The Sea Otters were flown to Indochina, where they served with Escadrilles de Servitude 8S and 9S, replacing even more archaic Loire 130s. The Sea Otters served into the 1950s, despite the fact that the basic design was essentially obsolete before it ever flew.

 

[vikingBerserker]

Man, I would loved to have flown on a Sunderland!

 

[gekho]

The Northrop A-17A was a single-engined attack aircraft of 1936 vintage, whose active role in the Army Air Corps was mostly over by the time war broke out. A-17As saw unit service with the Army for less than four years. In June 1940, all but 20 A-17As were sold overseas to England and France. The remaining Army Air Forces A-17 and A-17As were used as advanced trainers and squadron support aircraft, most ending up as ground maintenance trainers. The last A-17A was written off of Army Air Forces records in early 1945. The Royal Air Force received 61 ex-French aircraft redesignated as Nomad I but 57 were handed over to South Africa. British Nomads were serialed AS440 to AS462, AS958 to AS976 and AW420 to AW438.

 

[gekho]

In 1935 the British government took the bold decision to carry all mail within the Empire at the ordinary surface rate (in Britain then equal to 0.625 p). Combined with.increasing passenger traffic, this called for a sudden expansion of Imperial Airways and the equally bold decision was taken to buy 28 of a totally new flying-boat 'off the drawing board' from Short Brothers. Flying-boats were then favoured because they could be more heavily loaded than landplanes, the latter being constricted by the small and rough fields available. The prototype S.23 made its very successful maiden flight on 4 July 1936. It was named Canopus and all sister-ships had names beginning with C, the boats also being known as the C class.

Features included light-alloy stressed-skin construction; a cantilever high wing with electric Gouge flaps; four 685êW Bristol Pegasus Xc radial engines driving DH Hamilton two-position propellers; and a streamlined nose incorporating an enclosed flight deck for captain, first officer, navigator and flight clerk. A steward's pantry was amidships and in the normal configuration seats were arranged in front and rear cabins for 24 passengers. On long hauls sleeping accommodation was provided for 16, with a promenade lounge. On some routes experience showed that the mail capacity had to be raised from 1.5 to 2 tonnes, reducing the passenger seats to 17.

All 28 were delivered, plus three for Qantas (Australia). Two were long-range boats with increased weight and transatlantic range. Eleven S.30s (eight for Imperial and three for Tasman Empire Airways) had 663kW Perseus XIIc sleeve-valve engines and greater range - the first four also being equipped for flight refuelling to greater weight. The final two boats were S.33s with increased weight and Pegasus engines.

During World War II most of these great aircraft served on long routes all over the world. Four were impressed for RAF use with radar (two being destroyed in Norway in May 1940) and most were re-engined with the same 752kW Pegasus 22 engines as the Sunderlands (the derived military version). Their achievements were amazing: one made 442 crossings of the Tasman Sea, two evacuated 469 troops from Crete and one was flown out of a small river in the Belgian Congo in 1940. Others maintained schedules on the North Atlantic, between Britain and Africa, the dangerous Mediterranean route from Gibraltar to Malta and Cairo, and the Horseshoe route between Australia, India and South Africa. Most were retired in 1947

Source: Short S.23 Empire - passenger flying boat

 

[nuuumannn]

Excellent pictures again, Gekho; the third picture from the top of the Sunderland thread is a Short Seaford, possibly the prototype as marked with the 'P' in a circle on its side. The Seaford was to be the next version of the Sunderland, which started life as the Sunderland IV, but only eight were built.

 

[Gnomey]

Good stuff!

 

[gekho]

Building on the success of the Mustang Mk.I, North American Aviation pressed the USAAF to issue a contract for US-production aircraft. While the USAAF had acquired a handful of Mustangs for evaluation and were interested, money for fighter production was already committed for the year (1942). Ironically, there were funds available for an attack aircraft and the A-36 project was launched in an effort to keep North American's production lines open while funding could be directed to P-51 production.

To create an attack aircraft out of the basic Mustang airframe, the aircraft retained the two .50 caliber machine guns in the nose, replaced the four 20mm Hispano cannons in the wings with four additional .50 caliber machine guns, added hydraulically activated dive brakes to the wings as well as bomb racks. A special Allison engine optimized for sea level powered the aircraft, and the movable radiator intake scoop was replaced with a fixed scoop. Sand filters were later added to the carburetor intakes for desert operations.

North American produced 500 A-36s which remained in service throughout most of the war, initially in the Mediterranean theater and later in the China/Burma/India theater. The low-altitude Allison was at a significant disadvantage while flying over the 'Hump' in CBI operations. While the A-36 was a lesser-known variant of the Mustang, it did represent the USAAF's first combat experience in the Mustang family and as the war progressed, even the A-36s were frequently referred to as Mustang.

 

[Wayne Little]

More, please...

 

[gekho]

Ten of these aircrafts, designated PB2Y-3B, were supplied to the RAF and based initially at Beaumaris, Anglesey, intended for service with Coastal Command. Their stay there was only brief, for they were transferred to No. 231 Squadron of Transport Command and Used from June 1944 to operate freight services.

Source: Consolidated Coronado

 

[woljags]

fantastic thread and info,thanks very much for sharing it

 

[vikingBerserker]

I had no idea the RAF operated them, great info!

 

[gekho]

British army co-operation aircraft used between the wars were largely conversions of existing airframes. In 1934, however, the Air Ministry Issued Specification A.39/34, for a new aircraft to replace the Hawker Hector biplane which was then used for the purpose. In June 1935 Westland tendered and won a contract covering two prototypes which the company designated P.8. The name Lysander was adopted after a Spartan admiral who defeated the Athenian fleet in 405 BC. It was then the British Army's custom to name co-operation aircraft after classical warriors. It soon earned the nickname "Lizzie". The first prototype (K6127) underwent taxiing trials at Yeovil, Somerset on 10 June 1936, before being taken by road to Boscombe Down, where it made its first flight on 15 June, in the course of which it returned to Yeovil. Minor modifications were made and the prototype was shown at the SBAC Display at Hatfield at the end of June, and on 24 July it went to the Aircraft and Armament Experimental Establishment at Martlesham Heath for a week to under-take handling evaluation. A production order for 144 aircraft was placed in September, and the second prototype flew on 11 December 1936, spending much of its time at Martlesham Heath before going to India in 1938, for tropical trials with No. 5 Squadron. Deliveries to the RAF began in June 1938, when No. 16 Squadron at Old Sarum received its first aircraft to replace the Hawker Audax then in service. The School of Army Co-operation was also based at Old Sarum, and its pilots received instruction on the Lysander from squadron personnel.

During 1939, 66 Lysander Mk Is were completed and of these, No. 16 Squadron received 14, the School of Army Co-operation nine, while other deliveries were made to No. 13 Squadron at Odiham, No. 26 at Catterick and No. 4 at Wimborne, the Lysanders in all cases replacing Hawker Hectors. On the outbreak of war there were seven Lysander squadrons, the others being No. II, and the Auxiliary Air Force's squadrons Nos. 613 and 614. By this time most of the home-based squadrons had replaced their 890 hp (664 kW) Bristol Mercury XII powered Mk Is with Lysander Mk IIs. These had the 905 hp (675 kW) Bristol Perseus XII engine rated at 2,750 rpm at 6,500 ft (1980 m), which offered a slightly better performance at altitude. Many of the Mk Is were sent overseas, for service in Egypt, India and Palestine. A total of 116 Mk Is was followed on the production line by 442 Mk IIs, and it was with this latter mark that Nos II, 4, 13 and 26 Squadrons moved to France in 1940. As the German attack began, No. 4 Squadron moved to Belgium, but such was the fury of the onslaught that 11 Lysanders were lost between 10 and 23 May, some being eliminated on the ground. One of the squadron's Lysander crews destroyed a Bf 110 during a running battle with six Messerschmitts and managed to return to base. On 22 May an aircraft of No. II Squadron, flown by Flight Officer Doidge shot down a Henschel Hs 126 while his rear-gunner accounted for a Ju 87 Stuka. By then the end of French resistance was near, and the Lysander squadrons were withdrawn to the United Kingdom, although some sorties were still made over the battle area to drop supplies to Allied forces. One of these sorties was decimated when, of 16 Lysanders and Hectors sent out on a supply sortie over Calais, 14 aircraft and crews failed to return. Of the 174 Lysanders sent to France and Belgium, Eighty-eight were lost in air combat, another 30 destroyed on the ground, and a loss of 120 crew members between September 1939 and May 1940. The heavy fighting on the continent, and severe losses incurred by army co-operation units, indicated that the old concept of this type of operation was outdated, particularly when air superiority had not been achieved. Accordingly, Lysanders were withdrawn from the UK-based squadrons, which began to re-equip in early 1941 with Curtiss P-40 Tomahawks.

Overseas, Lysanders had replaced Audaxes in No. 208 Squadron in Egypt in April 1939, and the squadron's new aircraft saw action in the Western Desert alongside Hawker Hurricanes of the same squadron which were being used for tactical reconnaissance. The squadron later took part in the Greek campaign, its Lysanders being replaced by Tomahawks in 1942. No. 6 Squadron at Ramleh, Palestine, operated a variety of aircraft, and was using Hawker Hardies and Gloster Gauntlets when it received its Lysanders in February 1940. These were supplemented and later replaced, in 1942, by various marks of Hurricane and Bristol Blenheim Mk IVs. In September 1941 No. 28 Squadron at Ambala, India, was the first squadron in the area to receive Lysanders, replacing Audaxes. The squadron subsequendy took its new aircraft to Burma, and operated in ground-attack, bombing and tactical reconnaissance roles before being withdrawn to India in March 1942. In December of that year it converted to Hurricanes, becoming a fighter squadron. The last squadron to use Lysanders in action was No. 20, in Burma during late 1943, before receiving Hurricanes as replacements.

Although withdrawn from first-line service, Lysanders continued in operation for a variety of other roles as target-tugs, air-sea rescue aircraft and, least publicised at the time, with the Special Operations Executive (SOE), which formed three squadrons (Nos. 138, 161 and 357), using a mixed bag of aircraft which included Lysanders, maintained contact with resistance groups in occupied Europe, dropping ammunition, explosives, radios and other equipment and transporting agents to and from the continent. It was in these night operations in occupied territory that the Lysander really came into its own, being able to use its remarkable short landing and take-off capabilities to the utmost in the small fields marked out by the resistance. Lysander Mk IIIs and Mk IIIAs were used for this work, 367 of the former and 347 of the latter being built, powered by the 870 hp (649 kW) Bristol Mercury XX or 30 engines. Final production variant was the TT.Mk IIIA target-tug, of which lOO were built. Figures for total Lysander production vary, as a number of aircraft were cancelled, but around 1,652 were built, including 225 under licence in Canada by National Steel Car Corporation Lmited (Victory Aircraft Limited) in Malton (Toronto).

Source: Westland Lysander

 

[gekho]

No info

 

[gekho]

One of the unsung heroes of World War II, the Supermarine Walrus amphibian was a private venture development of the 1922 Seagull I, and indeed first flew as the Seagull V on 21 June 1933. A production order by the Australian government prompted evaluation by the Royal Navy's No. 702 Catapult Flight, which in turn led to an initial contract for 12 Walrus Mk I aircraft being placed by the Air Ministry in 1935, Following further trials, during which a Walrus was catapulted fullyloaded from HMS Nelson, production orders for 204 aircraft with the 474kW Pegasus II M2 radial were placed, and the little flying-boat entered Fleet Air Arm service in 1936. Early in World War II Walrus amphibians were serving aboard battleships and cruisers of the Royal Navy all over the world as components of No. 700 Squadron, as well as with Nos 701, 711, 712 and 714 Squadrons, their principal duties being over-the-horizon search for enemy shipping; they were also employed for gunnery spotting, antisubmarine and convoy protection duties. A Walrus was even catapulted from the cruiser HMS Dorsetshire to bomb a target in Italian Somaliland on 18 November 1940. Undoubtedly the work for which the Walrus (affectionately known as the Shagbat) will be best remembered was air/sea rescue, serving in this role with Nos 269, 275, 276, 277, 278, 281 and 282 Squadrons at stations in the United Kingdom, and with Nos 283, 284, 292 and 294 Squadrons in the Middle East. Called out in any weather, day or night, Walrus air/sea rescue aircraft frequently alighted in enemy coastal waters to pick up ditched Allied airmen from their dinghies, sometimes putting down in minefields where rescue launches could not venture. With their curious pusher engine nacelle located between the wings (and angled off centre), the sight of a Walrus to a shotdown airman meant the difference between rescue and years in a prison camp. The Walrus was slowly replaced in service from 1944 onwards by the tractor Mercury-powered Sea Otter from the same stable, although No. 624 Squadron was re-formed at Grottaglie in Italy in December that year with Walrus aircraft for minespotting duties. A total of 740 Walrus aircraft was built, production of the Walrus Mk I with metal-clad hull being terminated at Supermarine after 287 had been completed; thereafter production was switched to Saunders-Roe who built 453 Walrus Mk II aircraft with wooden hulls before finally ending in January 1944.