Sunderlands to the UK

Indeed there is a Sandringham F-OBIP that has been in store at the Musee
de I’Air at Le Bourget since 1984. It was damaged in a gale and blown into a hangar I think. Sadly it has not seen the light of day for 20 years and went into store just months before I made my first visit to LBG 😡 , so it is much on my wanted list. Although I think its under slow restoration.

Thanks for the info on the IWM example John, I hope the reunion went very well. And thanks to everyone else for the info and corrections. It is a pity that when the Sunderland was in service around the world right into the 1960’s that so few remain today.

So there are four Sunderlands, one each at Duxford, Hendon, Auckland, and with Kermit Weeks. There is a Sandringham at the Southampton Hall of Fame, and there two are Solents, one at Auckland and the other at Oakland, USA (which starred in Raiders of the Lost Ark). Have any others of Short’s lovely big flying boats survived intact and preserved anywhere?

The Solent at Motat in Auckland is just soooo lovely, restored so well. It has everything in it from its TEAL passenger service days, right down to glasses, cigarettes, cards etc., on the tables. The team who restored it after so many years outside have performed a real miracle. I’d love to have had the opportunity to take one of its flights up to the Pacific Islands when it used to fly the Coral Route. That must have been a smashing trip.

I know Ferrymead in Christchurch, NZ has a Sunderland cockpit section, and there is a derelict airframe in the Chatham Islands I believe. Any other possible restorations about (apart from the sunken one/s in Windemere)?

Thanks John.

So why is Tich known as Tich then? 😀

L to R on photo

Pete Biggadike, John Cooper, Alex (Tich) Carrie and Patrick Lawrence sadly a diminishing group as can be seen from some of our sizes! 😮

Pertama di Malaya
205/209 Squadron

http://splashdown2.tripod.com/HandleyPageHastingsTG579/id12.html

Was the guy on the right the cabin boy?

Names please!

NAWWWW ,He was the tourist guide/ security chap making sure those distinguished looking chaps did’nt run riot,you know what happens to men when they get into groups of 4 or more 😀

Was the guy on the right the cabin boy?

Names please!

Dave

I was at Duxford yesterday June 4th and on ML796, the notes read:-

The first Sunderland Mark V to enter (RAF) service 1945-51. Was sold to the French Navy and used until 1960based at Dakar, West Africa. Was then in private hands from 1965 and was used as a cafe in Brittany until taken to the IWM at Dux in 1976 (in sections) by road and sea.

Interesting that a few of us old webfooters got together yesterday and by sheer chance we were discussing the last Sunderland to see service with the RAF and that was Papa ML797 that too was a MarkV. So the first Mark V to enter service is at Duxford and the last flying boat in service with the RAF (scrapped 1959 at Seletar) had consecutive numbers.

Me with the hat!

I can remember on an early visit to Duxford seeing it after delivery, sectioned length wise about waterline level and seperated by railway sleepers! Excellent epic restoration on a par with the Avro York.
mmitch.

The RAF Museum Sunderland was preserved at Pembroke Dock for years by Peter Thomas of Skyfame, before being roaded to Hendon. The IWM example is ex French Navy and was on display at Nantes for years, again transported by road/sea/road.

then sadly further on to Mr Weeks .

Er, and the alternative was what? Let’s just accept that Kermit likes, looks after and continues to look after this last flyer. Yes, it’s not ideal, but there was NO interest in the UK in taking on the Sunderland when it was G-BJHS – in fact Chatham (allegedly) ‘historic’ dockyard told them to leave. Where was the money to keep it flying in the UK? Nowhere. Sorry, rant over.

Sunderland histories. A bit of web digging will help Dave. Too long a set of stories about peraptetic airframes for me to type up here! The ‘Last Flying Boat’ by Peter Smith on the ex-G-BJHS is worth getting if you can. and vols 1 and 2 of ‘Sunderland Flying Boat Queen’ (IIRC)

Suffice it to say a BIG thank you to Capt Charles Blair who operated Antillies Airlines and was a custodian of a number of magnificent seaplanes, including the Southampton Hall of Aviation machine, and the Sikorsky VS-44 as well.

Hi Dave

The Kermit Weeks A/C is one of the Ex Ansett Airlines machines that went to Antilles airways thence to Ryanair and thence to Kermit. So I can’t remember it’s history with the Kiwis but I will find out and Post.

The other Ansett machine is on display at Southampton UK.

I can’t remember the history of the other UK Sunderlands you mention but I don’t know if they were RNZAF or not – I think not. I am sure a sooth sayer on this site will beat me to a post but I will look it up.

Kindest regards
John P

The Kermit Weeks machine never actually made it to Ryanair , Sir Edward Hulton rescued her and she was based at Calshot Water . There was a deal which would have seen her based just outside Dublin operating tourist flights around Ireland , she got as far as Dublin and even sported the Ryanair name , but she never operated any flights for Ryanair and was flown back to the UK , then sadly further on to Mr Weeks .

Hi Dave,

I think that both the IWM ant the Hendon Sunderlands are ex-french navy airframes:

http://www.sweptwings.co.uk/sunderland_gallery.htm

http://www.iwm.org.uk/duxford/brit5.htm

HTH

Laurent

Hmmm, I have looked a little further and it seems I may have been fed some duff info on the RAFM and IWM Sundys, I can’t find anything about them being ex-RNZAF. I am sure I have read at least a couple of times that they had been in the RNZAF at some time, but I don’t know where and it could of course be wrong.

But the one with Kermit now definately was ex-RNZAF. Here is a piece from Phil Treweek’s Kiwi Aircraft Images website.

NZ4108 (c/n974, ex ML814) was held in storage when it was was sold to Ansett Flying Boat Services in 1963. It was delivered to Australia in December, registered as VH-BRF and named ‘Islander’. After conversion to passenger configuration, it was used on the Lord Howe run. When land based services began in 1974 it was sold to Antilles Air Boats. Reregistered as N158J and renamed ‘Excalibur VIII’ by owner Capt.Blair it departed for its new home in the Caribbean on September 25, 1984. As US authorities did not recognise Ansett’s workshop as an authorised conversion facility they would not issue a CoA for passenger work, so the aircraft was laid up – where it provided spares for VH-BRC (see below). After Capt.Blair’s death in a flying accident in 1978 the aircraft was put up for sale. In 1979 the aircraft was sold to Edward Hulton and repaired for a flight to Britain, where it arrived in May 1981. Flown on to Marignane, Marseille, France on 24 May 1981, it underwent further restoration work. It was registered as G-BJHS and used for passenger flights. Damaged in a gale in October 1987 it was again restored and based at Chatham. Plans in 1989 to acquire the aircraft as part of a Museum for Foyne, Eire fell through and the aircraft was laid up at Calshot. In 1991 the aircraft auctioned by Sothebys but failed to reach reserve. In 1993 the aircraft was purchased by Kermit Weekes. It departed from Calshot on July 23, 1993 to become N814ML. Today it is the last Sunderland in airworthy condition (although the last reported flight was in 1996), and is with Kermit Week’s collection in Florida.

As far as I know both the IWM and RAFM Sunderlands are ex French Navy examples although with RAF service histories.

Anne

Last NZ Sunderland

From page 366 of “Shorts Aircraft sice 1900” is this photo of NZ4116, said to have been withdrawn from service at Hobsonville in March 1967.

Hi Dave

The Kermit Weeks A/C is one of the Ex Ansett Airlines machines that went to Antilles airways thence to Ryanair and thence to Kermit. So I can’t remember it’s history with the Kiwis but I will find out and Post.

The other Ansett machine is on display at Southampton UK.

I can’t remember the history of the other UK Sunderlands you mention but I don’t know if they were RNZAF or not – I think not. I am sure a sooth sayer on this site will beat me to a post but I will look it up.

Kindest regards
John P