Sunderland G-BJHS. Operational query

On one of her water trials, she is taxied down the slipway at Southampton, and off into the water, where she paddles about, but still with the huge beaching gear legs attached.

If flight is intended, at what stage are the legs released, and how, and what happens to them? Or are the legs normally used just for handling on land, and some other means employed to move the machine into the water if she is expected to fly ?

Shock, horror “she is taxied down the slipway”!

I worked on the very last flying boat squadron in the RAF that operated Short Sunderland V aircraft of 205/209 Squadron, well in 10 months on the squadron I never saw this happen once, the beaching of a Sunderland and despatching into the water was a time consuming operation. Often the aircraft would be taxied to the mooring buoy on two engines by a pilot, a floating tender would take the two beaching gear legs to the moored aircraft, a team of riggers (Airframe bods) would attach these legs to the aircraft, they had to swim to the aircraft and only those that could swim from the wing tip to the entrance door was permitted to work on Sunderlands on the open sea or lake.

A wire hawser (steel rope) from a pulley system was attached to a shackle at the rear of the Sunderland from a Matador Motor Transport truck which was weighted at the back to prevent any tilting/tipping. The Sunderland would be pulled to the shallow reaches of the slipway where a team of riggers would attach a tail dollie or trolley.

When the winch was in operation no one stood anywhere near the hawser in case of breakage, this operation was performed at a snails pace and the reverse happened when placing the aircraft back into the water. The most dangerous part of the operation was the turning of the aircraft by using the tail trolley, too tight a turn and, crash, one written off Sunderland as can be seen on ML745 after being accepted on to the Squadron from Pembroke Dock on photos of this accident and the beaching of a Sunderland on my website at http://community.webshots.com/album/35863241TEEChG these photos are courtesy of Alex Carrie.

A few of us from that 1958 period will be meeting up at the Duxford Sunderland at 1100hrs on Friday June 4th, anyone that wants to say ‘Hi’ you are more than welcome.

I remeber this Aircraft preparing for the ferry flight. It was one of the aircraft that really got me hooked on Historic aviation. We live only 10mins from where the sunderland was based at Calshot, a war time RAF costal command station, and I remeber the first time I saw her flying. I was visiting my Grandpearets just down the road when we hear a large piston aircraft so we rushed out into the back grarden to see the Sunderland flying around in the distance. I am fairly sure that my Grandad took some video of it flying that night and I know that he took alot more later of it accutally at Calshot flying. We spent quite a few Evenings and afternoons at Calshot during 1992/93 watching her flying around. It was such a shame to see her disapering up southampton water for the last time. 🙁

Here’s a couple of pics of the MOTAT Sunderland on beaching gear in NZ here.

Hope this helps..

Believe the main gear was detached and towed away by a tender (it usually floated). The rear of the keel was supported on a launching/beaching trolly of sorts
The Sunderland/Solent/Sandringham was not designed to land or take off on land and the undercarriage, such as it was, was castorable (swivvled so that the aircraft could be pushed sideways, for example) and used just for manoeuvering purposes.
Remarkable how few pix there are of the undercarriage/trolly!

Flood.