Why did every country have a flying boat ?

[GrauGeist]

From the context it seems as if they were Bv 138's.

Or could have been the Do18, as they had several units active during the invasion plus the Bv138 was introduced into service late in 1940 but didn't see active service until early 1941, almost a year after the invasion .

 

[Reluctant Poster]

Better still, Quentin Tarantino.

You can be sure it would be dark, violent and very entertaining...

Half the cast will have been killed in the first episode

 

[Just Schmidt]

Or could have been the Do18, as they had several units active during the invasion plus the Bv138 was introduced into service late in 1940 but didn't see active service until early 1941, almost a year after the invasion .

I was not sure, and I'm away from my books which anyway may not be helpful here. On the other hand, if German wiki is anything to go by:

Der erste Einsatz erfolgte schon mit den drei Vorserien-Flugzeugen BV 138 A-01 bis 03 als Truppentransporter während des Unternehmens Weserübung, der Besetzung Norwegens.

Approx: The 3 pre-production aircraft were deployed as troop transports during operation weserübung. If anybody can definitely confirm or disprove this, I'd be much obliged.

Again from memory only several rare long range aircraft and seaplanes were used in that operation.

 

[WARSPITER]

Don't know for sure but the only other references I've seen say that BV 138 A-1 was flown as a reconnaissance aircraft
during the invasion of Norway.

BV's A-01 to 06 were used for testing (no reference to area flown but expect Germany).

B-0 into service Oct 1940
B-1 into service Nov 1940

Trouble with the original engines meant these variants didn't get a lot of operational use.
The later model with the newer type engine was the most prolific.

Maybe it was the Do18 and someone got the reference wrong at a later time ?

 

[yulzari]

For style and class one has to travel by Saunders Roe Princess:

But the sleeker choice is the Saunders Roe Duchess:

Although for mass transport nothing beats the airborne cruise liner that is the mighty Saunders Roe Queen:

 

[chris ballance]

As a side note the BV 138 was originally developed by the best named German aircraft company ever, Hamburger Flugzeugbau.

 

[chris ballance]

Every decent Pacific Island needs a Grumman Goose. Sort of like the one in "Tales of the Gold Monkey."

 

[muskeg13]

Or could have been the Do18, as they had several units active during the invasion plus the Bv138 was introduced into service late in 1940 but didn't see active service until early 1941, almost a year after the invasion .

Or could they have He-115s? These were used by both sides (sometimes the same aircraft was used by both sides) during the Norwegian Invasion. The Wiki "Operational History" is interesting for this aircraft. Heinkel He 115 - Wikipedia

 

[PAT303]

Evan Arnie flew in a Goose,

 

[Just Schmidt]

So I got to my books, or at least one of them: "Warplanes of the Luftwaffe" David Donald (Ed) Aerospace publishing London/AIRtime publishing USA 1994. I'ts a rather balanced work (I think), avoiding many of the older misconceptions or whatever we'd call it. The info could still be wrong.
According to p24 the two first 138 A1's served with KGzbV 108 as transports during the Norwegian campaign.
P26 have at least Ha 139B/U (third prototype) flew transport and arctic weather reconnaissance with Kustenfliegergruppe 406.
The same group flew Do 26D's, two being shot down by hurricanes on 28th of may, one being captured by Norwegian forest after emergency landing, p38.
Land planes of the rarer sort, BV 142, Ju 89&90 were also pressed into service as transports, p27.
I'm not certain it is all true, or conversely if I found all the examples, but this must serve. I'm a pain typing on my telephone.

 

[Shortround6]

The Germans certainly seemed to empty out most of their hangers for practically anything that would fly during the Norwegian invasion so it is not surprising that prototypes and oddballs showed up.
Planes that were not lost went back to home airfields fairly soon?

Keeping track of planes that were not noted as destroyed may be hard.

 

[Wild_Bill_Kelso]

Yabut he didn't get Ginger or MaryAnne, so what reasons? Did he have a warrant out for his arrest, or something? Maybe he really, really liked coconuts? No, he's got and engine, plenty of wood, an MIT education, and an energy source:

View attachment 682956

You're going far too easy on the man. Are you his lawyer?!

We didn't get to see him get Ginger or Maryanne, but do you really think these ladies were celibate the entire time? If you do, you don't know women real well!

It was the mid-20th Century, so broadcast media followed fairly strict rules. They couldn't show what was going on behind the scenes, or all the inventions the professor made from coconuts. My guess is a bar, stools, coco-kerosene for the lamps and other devices, for sure rum-coco, and much much more. Or what he did with them, or where (secret Tiki bunker) or who with . Think of all those scenes where it was all about Gilligan and the Skipper, and the Prof, Ginger, and Maryanne were all ... elsewhere?

This is the thing, there are always layers. Some people remain on the surface, others transcend the mundane ...

 

[Wild_Bill_Kelso]

A nerd not bragging about getting some tail? That's too unbelievable even for a sitcom.

He's a professor. This is a 1950s MIT graduate, and probably a war veteran. Not some dork from "Big Bang Theory"

 

[Wild_Bill_Kelso]

The Germans certainly seemed to empty out most of their hangers for practically anything that would fly during the Norwegian invasion so it is not surprising that prototypes and oddballs showed up.
Planes that were not lost went back to home airfields fairly soon?

Keeping track of planes that were not noted as destroyed may be hard.

The Norwegians were also pressing all kinds of weird things into service, including some German-made seaplanes

Heinkel He 115 - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Arado Ar 196 - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Wild_Bill_Kelso]

For style and class one has to travel by Saunders Roe Princess:
View attachment 683099
But the sleeker choice is the Saunders Roe Duchess:
View attachment 683100
Although for mass transport nothing beats the airborne cruise liner that is the mighty Saunders Roe Queen:
View attachment 683101

These are all magnificent. I had never seen 'The queen' but I think it really needs to be made. Tell Elon Musk about this thing.

 

[Admiral Beez]

The Japanese used flying boats for long range patrols operating from atolls and others remote islands without having to build and maintain large airstrips.

I suppose they still do. It would be something else if the US began operating Kawanishi (aka ShinMaywa) flying boats.


View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pEpTrkpTCeg

 

[swampyankee]

My theory was that the Professor of course could have gotten them off the island, but chose not to. Because reasons.

He was teaching in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. He didn't want to go through another winter.

Of course, the real reason was plot (what there was of it) and that he had to re-invent spinning, weaving, dying, sewing, and tailoring, along with soap and razors. How else to explain their clothes lasting several years and everyone remaining groomed?