Supermarine Stranraer

JDK · **Posted:** Tue Sep 29, 2009 4:13 am

When they say 'on the step' this is what they mean.

RCAF Supermarine Stranraer. (Via Shearwater Aviation Museum - http://www.shearwateraviationmuseum.ns.ca/ )

When 'planes were 'planes and men were scared.

ww2John · **Posted:** Tue Sep 29, 2009 4:32 am

JDK said "When 'planes were 'planes and men were scared"

Actually not all men, just pilots of Stranny's!

:lol:

JDK · **Posted:** Tue Sep 29, 2009 4:48 am

ww2John wrote:

Actually not all men, just pilots of Stranny's!

Oh, I think the guys in the open gun positions in sub-zero conditions and the groundcrew having to work 40 ft up probably had some reservations, too.

Michel Lemieux · **Posted:** Tue Sep 29, 2009 10:18 am

Speakng of the Shearwater Aviation Museum.

Any news on their Firefly ?

Last I read, engine runs where getting close.

Holedigger · **Posted:** Tue Sep 29, 2009 10:32 am

Definitely Up On the "Step" is when the hull has lifted up but not yet broken free of the water, What was the Strannie power to weight ratio?

That one is practically flying! Nice pic by the way!! I recall reading that heavily loaded Cats could take MILES to get up to speed for take-off! :shock:

lestweforget · **Posted:** Tue Sep 29, 2009 1:15 pm

There are also stories of heavily laden Walrus's (I have no idea if that is the correct plural of Walrus, please correct me if I am wrong James!) being unable to take off after picking up downed bomber crews and having to taxi back to base.

Lovely picture by the way.

RMAllnutt · **Posted:** Tue Sep 29, 2009 3:14 pm

lestweforget wrote:

There are also stories of heavily laden Walrus's (I have no idea if that is the correct plural of Walrus, please correct me if I am wrong James!) being unable to take off after picking up downed bomber crews and having to taxi back to base.

Lovely picture by the way.

Plural for Walrus is Walruses, as Walrus is not a Latin word ... if it were, the proper plural would be Walri, of course

Ok... time for me to stop being cheeky!

Cheers. R.

lestweforget · **Posted:** Tue Sep 29, 2009 6:21 pm

I thought about Walri , but decided against it, in my limited wisdom :lol:

JDK · **Posted:** Tue Sep 29, 2009 9:37 pm

I've not heard anything recent on the Shearwater Firefly.

http://www.shearwateraviationmuseum.ns. ... irefly.htm

Not particularly current, but good background.

Air Sea Rescue Walruses (sometimes I do say Walrii just for fun...) did, indeed carry out long taxis after recovering 8th AF and RAF Bomber Command crew rescues - sometimes through minefields...

The Stranraer wasn't capable of overloads like the Cat, I don't think. The postwar civil Strannies were re-engined, but the originals had Bristol Pegasus engines, and as here, four blade fixed pitch wooden props. These were swapped for two blade fixed pitch wood, and later still, metal fixed pitch three blade Fairey Reed props.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supermarine_Stranraer

JDK · **Posted:** Tue Sep 29, 2009 9:42 pm

Not a good day at sea.

An anonymous RCAF Supermarine Stranraer after an open sea landing. (via Shearwater Museum again.)

Note the lost stbd float, crew on the port wing struts, the nose of the port underwing overload fuel tank has been stove in, and the holes in the lower wingtip fabric. If not made by the wave action, this was often done by crews to enable the waves to go through, rather than tip the aircraft and avoid capsize.

Looks like rum tots will be served shortly.

JDK · **Posted:** Wed Sep 30, 2009 8:28 pm

There is one complete Supermarine Stranraer left, in the RAF Museum, Hendon.

It's too tall to go in the W.W.I hangars on its beaching gear, so the wheels have been detached.

There is also a set of substantial remains of a Stranraer in Canada. They were privately owned but on loan to the museum at Langley, BC, but recently transferred to the Shearwater museum on the opposite coast. Rebuilding to a complete Stranraer would be a huge task, but not impossible. Displayed as a wreck would be good even so.

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Supermarine Stranraer

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