If It Can Fly, It Can Float!!!

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Snautzer01 said:
Blackburn TB British Anti-Zeppelin Looks like the idea of He111Z or Bf109Z were not German.
Click to expand...
There were many "dual fuselage" aircraft made by various manufacturers over the years. The earliest types happened to be in 1915 and there were three: the one shown above, the Caproni Ca.4 and the Fokker K.I (M.9) although the Caproni and the Fokker weren't seaplanes.
 
One of these has already been shown but this is my favourite picture of one of the three Spitfire V floatplanes at the top of the slipway at RAF station Kabrit (Landing Ground 213) by the Great Bitter Lake in Egypt.



This happens to be my next project in 1/24 scale!

Cheers

Steve
 
Capt. Vick said:
Did the spit - float ever see combat?
Click to expand...

No.

An operational role was initially found for them. The German outposts in the Dodecanese islands of the eastern Mediterranean relied heavily on re-supply by transport aircraft and the British had the idea to operate the Spitfire floatplanes from one of the uninhabited islands to cut this supply route. The aircraft would be supported by a radar equipped submarine which would act as controller.
Unfortunately at the very time the SS Penrith Castle set off carrying the Spitfires to Egypt the Germans re-entered the Dodecanese in force and also ejected British forces from Kos and Leros. This effectively put an end to the plan. The Spitfires flew off the Great Bitter Lake for a while, but no other operational use was found for them.

One Spitfire IX, MJ892, was later converted with a view to using the type in the Pacific. It first flew at Beaumaris, Anglesey, on 18th June 1944. The idea was soon abandoned and MJ892 was re-converted to a landplane.

Cheers

Steve
 
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