Walrus at Hanwell?

The Viaduct is on the Uxbridge Road in Hanwell. Immediately opposite is the Lower Boston Road – follow this to the south for about half a mile and you’ll come to Trumper’s Way on your right. The frame mounted engine was in the same yard as the Walrus (I’m virtually sure – there were everal yards down the road).

I have the vaguest recollection of it being in the small area between the River Brent and the Viaduct Pub, which is now occupied by a builders supply yard, but I can’t throw any light on a radial engine though.

That sounds about the right kind of location.
I’m sure it was to the rear say of the Viaduct pub, I know that I had to raise myself up so that I could look over the fence and then I could see it.
I seem to remember it was a single row radial mounted on a frame, although I do not recall whether it was an aircraft engine bearer frame or just a knocked up steel frame?
It was a long long time ago i’m afraid

Bomberboy

This has been reported as HD920, although this is shown in Air-Britain as having crashed 17th May 1945 at Errol, Perth & Kinross. Other occupants of the yard according to BCAN were Proctor G-AIKJ marked “VP-KOM” and Consul G-AIOS. The place is now a housing estate and the contents were locally reported as having been taken to another yard beside the canal in Southall, down the track opposite the Lamb pub.

If you mean the Trumpers Way yard, that must mean it was on the right hand side as you went down from Boston Manor road, but I think those flats have been there a lot longer than that.
I thought the yard was down the end of the road by the river which the industrial estate was built on in the late 1960’s, originally a large trade cash n carry called Nurdon & Peacock IIRC…..mind you, the memory cells arn’t what they used to be.

Interesting thread particularly revolving around Hanwell, lead me to remember that there was a small ‘scrapyard’ somewhere near the Viaduct pub along the Uxbridge Rd………………and in there was a mounted radial engine.

I have the vaguest recollection of it being in the small area between the River Brent and the Viaduct Pub, which is now occupied by a builders supply yard, but I can’t throw any light on a radial engine though.

I’m pretty certain there was a rumour of one or two ‘flying boats’ rotting away in the Basingstoke Canal (post WWII), and something tells me a friend actually cycled there to see them or it. It would have been in the Aldershot, Farnborough, Ash area.

Anyone?

This has been reported as HD920, although this is shown in Air-Britain as having crashed 17th May 1945 at Errol, Perth & Kinross. Other occupants of the yard according to BCAN were Proctor G-AIKJ marked “VP-KOM” and Consul G-AIOS. The place is now a housing estate and the contents were locally reported as having been taken to another yard beside the canal in Southall, down the track opposite the Lamb pub.

Thanks to all those that replied, especially to JDK who I knew would throw his expertise in on this subject.;)

Interesting thread particularly revolving around Hanwell, lead me to remember that there was a small ‘scrapyard’ somewhere near the Viaduct pub along the Uxbridge Rd………………and in there was a mounted radial engine.
I remember seeing it, but don’t remember if I took any photos or not.
I then started to wonder if there was a connection between the two?

Bomberboy

Great thread, keep it going! Was surprised after a quick google to find out that there’s still a substantial piece of Sea Otter surviving.

The Walrus has always been a favourite of mine – I blame Budgie the Little Helicopter!

OK, I’ve been digging around.
This photo isn’t a photograph distortion, the first Sea Otter had this ‘scissor’ setup on the two sets of wooden blades to lower the overall height for hangarage on ship. They switched to a three blade wooden prop for production.

(Source unknown – presumably Supermarine / Vickers.)

And the sole survivor. This is it, I think in the 1960s.

Given the FAA Museum’s Walrus in the UK was in worse condition before restoration, it’s a pity all that was saved is:

(Period shot Aviation Photo News, modern shots, JDK.) But at least we’ve got that! At the Royal Australian Navy Fleet Air Arm Museum, Nowra, NSW.

Am I correct in thinking the same happened with these two types as with the Swordfish and Albacore? i.e. the Sea otter was intended to replace the Walrus but ended up being oulasted by its predecessor?

Essentially, yes, it’s a good comparison. However the ship-spotting aircraft became obsolete just before the torpedo bomber, and both the Swordfish and the Walrus found new roles ‘only’ they could do – MAC carriers in the Stringbag case and Air Sea Rescue for the Walrus (and Sea Otter.) In both latter cases, although they were ‘improvements’ they weren’t enough of an improvement to merit serious production, hence their eclipse. The MAC Swordfish crews would’ve probably appreciated a canopy and heater though…

Now ther’es another machine I’d like to see in the air. Can we get one in flying condition in time to have another Sea Wings in 2010 with her present?

Wouldn’t it be nice? The only thing standing between G-RNLI and the sky is money. Solent Sky are developing a fund-raising plan, so watch this space. 2010 is a bit early, but fingers crossed. It’s going to be a bit cheaper than a Vulcan…

Now ther’es another machine I’d like to see in the air. Can we get one in flying condition in time to have another Sea Wings in 2010 with her present?

When I was in Malta 69 to 72 there were a several Sea Otter complete wing spars half buried at the Mdina end of Ta’Kali airfield. I measured them at the time to compare them with the plans in Aircraft of the Fighting powers to distinguish if they were Otter or Walrus and the sweep of the spar roots made them Otter.

John

Now ther’es another machine I’d like to see in the air. Can we get one in flying condition in time to have another Sea Wings in 2010 with her present?

The RAAF Museum’s Walrus has a Sea Otter tailwheel, with a pneumatic tyre, rather than the Walrus water rudder with a steel wheel – but this was a standard (and quiet) mod in service!. The metal wheel (very small, it was basically a roller inside a skid set up) was “Akin to the sound of the Forth Bridge collapsing when it contacted a metal carrier deck.” Passengers had to be warned…

In his book ‘Fly and Deliver’ Hugh Bergel said that no matter how good your landing was in a Walrus it always sounded like a tin bath falling down the stairs:D

I have always surmised that the cockpit noise level in a S Otter must have been ‘impressive’,at least in a Walrus the prop noise was a little more remote!
I imagine that the Walrus was noisy enough !!

Oh Dear !! Senior moment !!
I got my muckin flying boats fuddled :rolleyes:
I was actually thinking about this baby……
Supermarine Seagull ASR 1

Thanks to JDK again. Seeing the two types pictured so close together it’s easy to compare them. The lack of wing sweep was one of the first things I noticed on the Sea Otter. Am I correct in thinking the same happened with these two types as with the Swordfish and Albacore? i.e. the Sea otter was intended to replace the Walrus but ended up being oulasted by its predecessor?

I actually lived round the corner, not far from Trumpers Way, and i believe there were a couple of GA pre war? types (name of type escapes me right now) stored in Hanwell till a couple of years ago, one possibly went to Sywell.

I worked for a construction company in Southall from Nov 05 till March 06 and there was a film props company that had what looked like several drop tanks stored at the back of their compound…..

They looked like Hunter tanks but were covered by stuff, I can remember the street but not the company name:eek:

Tim

Great thread, keep it going! Was surprised after a quick google to find out that there’s still a substantial piece of Sea Otter surviving

http://www.adf-serials.com/na1.shtml

The Walrus has always been a favourite of mine – I blame Budgie the Little Helicopter!

I wonder how it would have coped sitting in a long trough of water placed on a moving conveyor. 🙂

See:- http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=75778

Mark

Well, it did everything else and some very silly things too*, so – no problem. 😀

*Ditching the CinC in Scapa Flow.

Both also were primarily designed to float, be catapulted with a full military load and be folded intro a box – the Cruiser hangar.

I wonder how it would have coped sitting in a long trough of water placed on a moving conveyor. 🙂

See:- http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=75778

Mark

Because of the load stressing requirement, they were effectively fully aerobatic as well – not meant to be, but…

Now THAT would be worth the price of airshow admission (preferrably OW – wouldn’t it fit the ambience so well?) – alone! 😮

Adrian

Do I spot another difference comparing JDK’s photos – there appears to be no wing sweepback on the Sea otter (presumably altered for the change in c of g in moving the engine forward?)

No sweep – yes. c of g? Don’t think that’s the main reason. Better to regard them as two different designs to do the same job, rather than variations in design. The geometry of the Sea Otter’s overall the same, apart from the engine orientation, but everything’s at different ratios – note the outswept struts on the Sea Otter, the 2.5 – 3 degree offset of the Walrus engine, height of the lower wing above the water line (hence the different floats) etc etc.

Both also were primarily designed to float, be catapulted with a full military load and be folded intro a box – the Cruiser hangar. Quite a job. The Sea Otter originally had a ‘scissor’ propeller to fit in that restricted space. Because of the load stressing requirement, they were effectively fully aerobatic as well – not meant to be, but…

25deg south:

(Origin unknown, in JDK coll.)

Not a ‘big’ restoration in today’s terms, but a remarkable job then – still impressive when I last looked it over. No, I don’t know the where they came from story. I’ve seen a fair number of Walrus floats – relatively speaking – and IIRC only one Sea Otter.

I can go on about Walrii at length, sorry. The competition in interest is less intense than on Supermarine’s single-seat fighter ~ the name of which escapes me.

Solent Sky,
Nice to see you on the forum – I (or we) need an update on plans!

Regards,