Out of the blue

What’s that? Lay your own smoke screen?

To be replaced shortly.

The two pics of the carrier show Fairey Fireflies and F-4-U Corsairs at a quick glance what else is on there I haven’t looked at yet.

I did not reduce HMS Hermes in size so as to give the clear impression of just how large it was – Sydney Harbour late 60s. What has this to do with an aviation forum – hopefully there are Fleet Air Arm types out there who are happy for me to show one of my favourite photos.

What is that up the back of the store – a Sopwith Camel or Pup?

Avro 504, A3-4 now on show in the Over the Front display in the main Australian War Memorial’s Anzac Hall.

http://cas.awm.gov.au/item/RELAWM11080

What is that up the back of the store – a Sopwith Camel or Pup?

I can’t be sure, but it looks a bit more like an Avro 504, judging by the rudder shape.

What is that up the back of the store – a Sopwith Camel or Pup?

They are indeed ‘earlier wooden Supermarines’ – Seagull III type, as I said. The Seagull I II & III were very different structure to the Seagull V / Walrus, although the layout and role was identical. The Southampton was a twin-engine flying boat (not amphibian); I suspect you are thinking of the related earlier Sea Lion or the Seal, which led into the Seagull I – III.

Um…

Aren’t the third and fourth flying boats, the two with darker-coloured hulls, earlier wooden Supermarines (Southamptons or something of that ilk)? They sure look too rounded for the Seagull/Walrus series to me, to say nothing of the two-bay wings…

S.

Thanks for clarifying.

…is there an interest in more?

Certainly!

All photos taken by me except for the BXW pre-war photographs. The water colour was on display at the Naval & Military Club of which I was a member. I had forgotten the source of the BXW photos and may need to gain approval for posting them retrospectively. The Brussels photos were taken in the mid 80s; the Vietnam photos were taken in the early 70s; the Sunderland in the late 60s or early 70s; the B17 in the early 70s; the Mustang in the mid 60s; is there an interest in more?

This is a famous pre-war shot of Seagull V A2-4, the sole survivor of the type (there are three surviving Walruses and one Seagull) which is now in the RAF Museum Hendon, in wartime camouflage, and was also the last airworthy member of the family.

The RE-8 painting is in the AWM collection, and is by the excellent painter Arthur Streeton (better known in Australia for “The Purple Noon’s Transparent Might” in the National Gallery of Victoria). It is “Watercolour by Arthur Streeton of R.E.8. aircraft “N” of 3 Squadron A.F.C. (1918)” according to the AWM site.

http://www.3squadron.org.au/subpages/RE8.htm

Obviously the RE-8 isn’t your image, Sandy, but are some / all of the others from your own collection or taken by you?

Some more stuff:

Some interesting stuff here:

Not so final after all – here are some more.

Don’t get all pedantic on here, we just won’t stand for it. Absolutely not, we’ll find a nice comfy chair and sit down.

Walrii surely?

Very true and a day spent without learning anything is a day wasted. Thanks for putting me straight maybe I will learn not to argue in future.

No problem Mike, we live and learn…

As the Seagull predates the Walrus I get the impression us Brits took a look at the Seagull and thought we could do with some of those and pretty much copied it for the ‘flying gas ring’.

Pretty much. As they were initially both built by Supermarine, it wasn’t a copy as just (almost) the same thing to two orders under different names.

Thank you very much, a slightly chastened but wiser man sits at the computer now. Not that it’s much of an improvement as I knew little enough in the first place. As the Seagull predates the Walrus I get the impression us Brits took a look at the Seagull and thought we could do with some of those and pretty much copied it for the ‘flying gas ring’.