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Posted by Tom Kwiatkowski Sr. - 309C
on 11/6/2009, 7:03 pm
74.44.81.74
Although Sunderlands did engage in many a "shootout" with German vessels, sometimes the sight of the large and well armed aircraft was enough to have an enemy crew scuttle their boat - such was the case on 31 January 1940 when the arrival of a Sunderland from No. 228 Squadron prompted the crew of U-boat U-23 to do just that.
The Sunderland Mk II was introduced at the end of 1940, powered by four Pegasus XVIII engines with two-stage superchargers, a twin-gun dorsal turret, an improved rear turret and Air-to-Surface Vessel (ASV) Mk II radar. The most numerous version was the Mk III that first flew in December 1941. This variant had a modified hull for improved planing when taking off. This was followed by a larger and heavier version designated the MK IV/Seaford. However after evaluation by the RAF the project was abandoned.
The Mk V was the ultimate version of the Sunderland and made its appearance at the end of 1943. It was powered by four 1,200 hp. Pratt & Whitney R-1830-90 Twin Wasp engines and carried ASV Mk VI radar. By the end of the final production run in 1945, a total of 739 Sunderlands had been built and after World War II, many continued to serve with the British, French , Australian, South African and New Zealand air forces.
Post-war RAF Sunderlands delivered nearly 5,000 tons of supplies during the Berlin Airlift, and during the Korean War Sunderlands were the only British aircraft to operate throughout the war. During the Malayan Emergency RAF Sunderlands carried out bombing raids against terrorist camps.
The Sunderland finally retired from the Royal Air Force on 15 May 1959, when No. 205 Squadron flew the last sortie for the type from RAF Changi, Singapore, where the illustrious career of the Sunderland flying boat had begun over two decades earlier. It was, however, the Royal New Zealand Air Force who in 1967 became the last air arm to retire the type from military service.
Between 1937 and 1946 a total of 749 Sunderlands were built - this included 240 built at Blackburn's Dumbarton plant.
Short Sunderland Mk V
First flight: 16 October 1937 (prototype)
Power: Four Pratt & Whitney 1,200 hp. R-1830 Twin Wasp 14-cylinder air-cooled radials.
Armament: Eight 0.303 in. Browning machine-guns in turrets, four fixed 0.303 in. Browning machine-guns in nose, two manually-operated 0.5 in. machine-guns in beam positions and 4,960 lb. of depth charges or bombs.
Size: Wingspan - 112 ft. 9 in.
Length - 85 ft. 3 in.
Height - 32 ft. 11 in.
Wing area - 1,487 sq. ft.
Weights: Empty - 37,000 lb.
Maximum take-off - 60,000 lb.
Performance: Maximum speed - 213 mph.
Ceiling - 17,900 ft.
Range - 2,980 miles
Climb - 840 feet per minute
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