I imagine that docking scenario as pictured would have been a nighmare in real life. Flying boat hulls are not of the thickness and strength of ship hulls and the constant bumping against the “wharf” would have holed it pretty quick.

Normal flying boat mooring was to buoys so that they could swing around the buoy with wind changes and loading of passengers was by launch. The swinging with the wind is caused by the inbuilt weathercocking effect of the vertical tail.

That pictured system could only have been used in an absolutely flat calm and even then tidal effects would have to be accounted for.

A scheme much like this ( but with the aircraft tail-in ) was actually used at BOAC’s terminal at 50 Berth at Southampton, there is a picture here: http://www.plimsoll.org/Resources/SCCMuseums/10192.asp

Tail of the bomb in the photo does not look like that of a Tallboy or a Grandslam.

Blue Danube ? Seems unlikely there would be one on public display though.

Hi MARK V, what can I say, thank you again
Philip, I am a bit confused, You saying that original Schielder winning aircraft was painted to be another aircraft.
I apologize in advance if :
A I have not read your post correct.
B I being thick .

ATB

Dave

Thats right – S.6A N248 was one of two S.6 aircraft ( N247 & N248 ) built by Supermarine in 1929 which competed in that year’s Schneider Trophy Contest at Calshot, the contest was won by the other aircraft N247, N248 would have come second but was disqualified for turning inside one of the pylons. In 1931 it was modified as an S.6A ( longer floats, more powerful engine, control mass balances, more radiator area, etc ) and used for training and as a reserve aircraft for the two new build S.6B aircraft ( S1595 & S1596 ) for the 1931 contest. After the contest it was stored until being used in the filming of the film “The First of the Few” when it was mocked-up to represent an S.5; after the movie its identity was lost and by the time it was presented to Southampton council for display it had been painted as the second S.6B ‘S1596’. It remained in these markings until 1976 when it was put on display in the R J Mitchell Memorial Museum in Southampton ( the predecessor of Solent Sky ) and examination of the aircraft revealed its true identity. The 1931 winning aircraft and speed-record holder S1595 was presented to the Science Museum ( in the 1930s ? ) and is still on display there.

—
Philip Morten

There was the Hiller Rotorcycle, see:

http://www.nasm.si.edu/research/aero/aircraft/hiller_yroe.htm

and

http:///www.hiller.org/rotorcycle.shtml

Philip Morten

Secondly, is anybody aware of or can recommend any biographies available for both Hugh Trenchard and Hugh Dowding?

“Trenchard”, by Andrew Boyle, published Collins 1962.

Philip Morten