Vildebeest on Floats?

Yes, Dave, the ones with the cowling were the MkIV, with Perseus engines rather than Pegasus. NZ got 11 MkIV’s, all the rest were III’s.

I much prefer the Pegasus versions myself, I like the way they give the impression that the designer almost forgot about putting engine on and had to slip one on at the last moment.

Paul

Yes, I have seen a photo of that mark and it doe’s remind me of a stringbag too,

Better looking I reckon

Here’s the proto, later fitted with supermarine float’s and a Hispano engine.

I think the CASA one’s look ok Dave :rolleyes: , a bit more streamlined and less chunky then the radial.

I see you had some buzzing around with a N.Z. built Radar too.

Must crash now, ” Gut Nacht ” 😉 .

Man, that Spanish version was UGLY, Hardly seems the same plane. It loses all its wonderful pugnacious British charm without the Pegasus

There is a picture of the prototype with floats at http://www.1000aircraftphotos.com/Contributions/Braas/4177.htm

One of the Spanish ones (insofar as I can undertand the Dutch) on floats on water at www.go2war2.nl/artikel/161

These are both Hispano Suiza ones though.

Paul

Thanks Anne.

Phil, the RNZAF did not use float equipped Vildebeests, I’d never seen any refrence to the type being on floats at all till tonight. The only floatplanes used in the RNZAF were Fairey IIIF’s and Austers.

39 Vildebeests were operated in the RNZAF – mainly as trainers – but a few were employed as General Reconnaissance bombers alongside the longer range Vincents.

A handful of our Vildebeests had engine cowls too (was this the Mk IV?) which gave them a much different look, a bit like a Swordfish.

The Beest

Well, was that the one modified in to a long-range float plane.

The first example’s built could be fitted with float’s, and some mention of a proposed Latvian model.

There was also the 27 spanish built one’s, with the 595hp hispano-suiza 12 engine.

It gave them a much cleaner appearence than the RAF model’s, and was operated by the SNAS as both land and seaplane’s. the fate of these aircraft is unknown, and all may have been destroyed in the Spanish Civil war.

What about your NZAF model’s Dave, I know they acquired over 30, were they both land and float model’s, as I am unsure.

I will check around my box of disk’s stored to see if I have a shot(as I have heap’s for plane Quiz’s), If not I will see what I can find mate.

Forgot to say…K2916 was a Mk. II

K2916 was used for float trials with the Marine Aircraft Experimental Establishment. As far as I know it was the only Vildebeest to be fitted with floats.

Anne

I thought they were used in the Middle and Far East during the inter-war years, predominently during the 30s, although I might be mistaken.