Supermarine Seagull (1921)
The Supermarine Seagull was a single-engine, three -seat reconnaissance flying boat of the Royal Air Force, which was also used on British aircraft carriers. The Seagull was an amphibian, what landing on aircraft carrier decks, and made their wings could be folded back like most carrier aircraft. The wooden flying boat hull was under the lower wing and the engine was suspended between the two wings.
The Australian Air Force ( RAAF ) in 1926 was a slightly improved version for working with the Australian Navy ( RAN), which remained in use until 1936 and from Seeflugzeugträger HMAS Albatross and was last used by the Australian cruisers. The replacement development for the Australian Navy led to the Supermarine Walrus.
Development of the Supermarine Seagull
The company developed the Supermarine Seagull on behalf of the Air Ministry from 1920. The company had participated in the fall of 1920 in a competition of the Ministry with three other companies in which a take-off on the water civilian aircraft was sought. The competition, which took place in September and October 1920 in Felixstowe and Martlesham Heath near Woodbridge ( Suffolk ), was obtained from the Vickers Viking G- III EAUK scarce. The 2nd prize of £ 4000 won the first independent design of Super Marines new chief designer Reginald Joseph Mitchell, the Commercial Amphibian G- EAVE, before the Fairey III floatplane G- EALQ. The prize money has been doubled from the Ministry to £ 8000 because it was thought there that Supermarine had an excellent design with outstanding performance, despite inferior engine performance presented. Unfortunately, the new Supermarine plane crashed in October 1920 and was not rebuilt.
The Air Ministry ordered at Supermarine prototype N146 for military use under the name Seal Mk.II. Under a straight biplane work of equal span, there was an oval boat hull with 2 steps. In order to facilitate the accommodation could on aircraft carriers, the wings are beige flap backwards. Between the wing was braced -to - a Napier Lion installed IB two wings with a train - propeller, although the company Supermarine had been preferred pusher propeller behind the wing. The pilot sat in an open cockpit in front of the wings, next to a rigid machine gun was mounted. The radio operator was in a second cockpit behind the wings, where a movable MG was installed. The prototype first flew in May 1921 and an identical machine was shipped to Japan. During the test, the tail had to be modified.
According to the specification, 7/20, the N146 was further remodeled and received a Lion II engine and a modified radiator and modified ailerons and modified float under the wings. After the changes, it was renamed in July 1921 in Seagull Mk.I. In February 1922, two more prototypes ( N158, N159 ) were then ordered that received a modified tank system. Also from this Seagull Named Mk.II version of a machine for Japan was built
The first five production aircraft ( N9562 - N9566 ) were manufactured according to the specification 21/21 and formed in May 1923 "Fleet Reconnaissance Flight" ( swarm ) 440 In February and June 1923 an additional 18 aircraft were ( N9603 - N9607, N9642 - N9654 ) ordered according to the specification 13/23. In use, the machine usually had a pilot, an observer and a radio operator on board. The only armament was 7.7 mm Lewis machine gun.
Overall, the pilots used in the fleet of the RAF received the following versions:
To the
In addition to the supplied last-named machine two more machines came in the British civil register ( G- EBXH ex N9653, G EBXI ex N9654 ). The N9644 was used as a test machine for the installation of a Bristol Jupiter IX radial engine with pressure screw.
Use the Seagull Mk.II / Mk.III
On April 1, 1923, the Royal Air Force reorganized its for the fight by sea provided units. For the first time specific Flights were erected ( swarm ) for the use of aircraft carriers. On 1 May 1923, the "Fleet Reconnaissance Flight" 440 was placed with Supermarine Seagull flying boats. Previously, only three Flights ( 441, 442, 443) have been prepared with identical tasks whose initial was still derived from the World War Parnall Panther.
The Flight 440 was for the HMS Eagle bestimmtund went to the end of the year finished aircraft carrier early June 1924 Mediterranean Fleet. The plane group of the Eagle was then the biggest of an aircraft carrier and consisted of four Flights of six machines. Apart from Flight 440 were the flights 402 with Fairey Flycatcher fighter planes, 422 Blackburn Blackburn scouts and 460 Blackburn Dart torpedo aircraft on board. However, usually one of the four had been detached Flights on one of the country bases ( Halfar in Malta or Aboukir near Alexandria ). A Seagull II was supposed to be 1925, the first British aircraft, which was launched with a catapult. In January 1925, the Seagull amphibians were replaced in the fleet service at the Flight 440 by Fairey IIID Radflugzeuge that could be used, if necessary, on floats.
The Australian Navy was in 1926, nine Supermarine Seagull Mk.III and MK.II that formed at Point Cook, Victoria, the 101.Flight the Royal Australian Air Force ( RAAF ). The unit moved in August 1926 RAAF Base Richmond. Together and supported by the HMAS Moresby undertook the Seagull's surveying work on the Great Barrier Reef and the Queensland coast. Partly as a photographic reconnaissance of Papua New Guinea has begun. From 1929, the flight was the aircraft group on the come into service Seeflugzeugträger HMAS Albatross to this 1933 went into reserve. After the Flight presented the board aircraft for the heavy cruiser HMAS Australia and HMAS Canberra. The Supermarine Seagull Mk.III was in 1935 replaced by the new Supermarine Seagull Mk.V, like the Supermarine Walrus was initially because it had been developed for the RAAF and the HMAS Albatross. As a final Seagull Mk.III in active service, the A9 -5 was given to the country on March 3, 1936 by the HMAS Canberra and discarded.
Use in other states
Small reconnaissance flying boats was the company Supermarine from the previous type Supermarine Channel in Norway ( 4 ), Japan sale (3 Mk.II ), Sweden and Chile (per 1 Mk.II ). From the new development for the RAF sold per a Mk.II Seal, Seagull Mk.II and Mk.III Seagull (?) In Japan.
Another order of twelve machines of the type Supermarine Scarab of Spain was settled on the basis of civil Supermarine Sea Eagle.
Development
1923 began a revision of the Seagull after the first use experience and Supermarine built as ordered a prototype Sheldrake, but there was no mass production. The structure of the Seagull in 1928 also used for two other prototypes, which were given the name Seamew. They were small twin-engine flying boats that have been tested up to 1930, but not convincing. The manufacturer was certainly more interested in the continuous development of Southampton.
In 1930 the development of a small flying boat, which was a metal frame and was powered by a Bristol Jupiter IX engine with pusher propeller. Should be used to the new type from the Australian Seeflugzeugträger HMAS Albatross and as on-board aircraft of cruisers. This machine was called the Seagull Mk.V, first flew in 1933 and was first used in 1935 in the Australian Navy. Further developed, it was given the name Walrus and was the most produced British flying boat and had the Sea Otter even a double-decker successor.