Mmm. We all have our preferences. I’m happy with Spit for Spitfire – it’s got a good provenance with the blokes who used them in W.W.II; My personal hate is ‘loop the loop’.

How do you spell Mozzie?

Airplane? No thanks, it’s an aircraft; and you won’t have a 36 ship formation of Battle of Britain aircraft – though you can have a Balbo.

Ah, that’s better.

And (IIRC) Roger Freeman was saying that ‘Jug’ for P-47 is a postwar name – is that right?

Eddie’s Wasp painted Spits

And here’s a picture of the Spits on USS Wasp in ‘rough’ colours, or as Eddie said, USN deck colours.

was this one of the pics you were thinking of Eddie?

Cheers

Remembering RR299

You’ve got a point. As a kid, many years ago now, I was at Brounton Burrows (North Devon) in some massive dunes looking out to sea, when RR299 the Mosquito came howling in from the sea and overhead inland. I’ve seen this mossie on countless occasions and the tragic loss of her crew is still difficult to accept, but for me that’s what flying, not static aviation is all about. It was about 10sec total, but it’s unforgettable. I was suddenly like a small boy in Holland, 1942. Ave atque vale. Thanks for the memories.

To stand with a group of veterans and see the Lanc, that’s rather special too.
Cheers

A2-4

Nope, not kidding, have a look at http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/supermarine-seagull-v.htm
for a piccie. My pictures are at home.

Good luck with your book. When / where was your uncle rescued?

Cheers

PS My last post shoul’ve IIRC all over it – haven’t got my notes to hand, so dates are a bit vague!

And another point raised at the start – As far as I know, the armament ‘fit’ on all Walri / Seagulls was the same – 3 recesses on each lower wing for two bomb racks (RAF standard type) and a box space for a small bomb container. The fore and aft hatches had special Supermarine mounts for guns, normally a Vickers K, or VGO, sometimes a twin mount avaliable in the aft cockpit. The prototype actually had scarff rings, but that changed for the production machines. If anyne knows different, I’d love to hear from them!
Cheers

Hi, all, first post.
I’m currently writing a book on the Walrus and I’ve been researching the thing rather a lot recently!

There are two good books on the ASR work of the Walrus I’d recommend; both by Norman Franks. Another Kind of Courage (1994, now out of print) covers the UK ASR units, and just published is Above Courage, covering the Med ASR units. Both make amazing reading. I agree with Ross’ post, but each rescue was different, and they’d try and pick up who was in the water – this often resulting in a long taxi home on the water in whatever conditions as a take off with the overload was often not possible (and sometimes it was possible to land, to pick up, yet not to take off – what would you do if you saw a fellow airman in a dinghy?)

As regards the types – simple really, but often confused: The type was originally ordered by the Aussies to replace their Seagull III type.

Seagull V prototype – Hand built rather like the prototype Spit, and thus had a number of detail differences to the production machines.

Seagull V – 20 built, for the RAAF to use with the RAN. Differed to the Walrus by having Handley Page slats on the upper wings, and a removable jury strut on the inner end of the folding wing. Oh, the A2-xx serial was a clue too!

Walrus Mk.I – For the RN, later the RAF. The jury strut was fixed, no slats

Walrus Mk.II – Same as above with a wooden hull, designed by Saro. Saunders Roe took over production of the Walrus because Supermarine were busy with some fighter or other, can’t quite recall the name…

Seagulls – Before all this in the 20s, there was a I, II, and for the Aussies a III which was a II for down under! Apart from the layout, none looked like our Walrus. Just to complete the confusion Supermarines produced a Seagull (no other suffix, mark, clue given) after WW.II which looked like a cross between a Seafire 47 and a Walrus – go faster but overtaken by the helicopter for fleet ASR work. Oh, yes, the Sea Otter (different, looked the same, tractor rather than pusher) came in between.

There are four survivors – a Walrus in the FAA Museum Yeovilton, ironically a Seagull V in the RAF Museum and a Walrus in the RAAF Museum, as well as Mr Melton’s machine. All four have fascinating histories.

As to D*ck Melton’s machine – it’s a complete ‘kit’ engine, wing parts (spars etc) but there’s a lot of work and time to be put in. Like Yak 11 Fan I’d love to see it fly – D*ck says he’s getting too old to finish it, though the work so far is as good as you’d expect. He’s looking for a sensible offer from an interested party… Of the 4 survivors, it’s the only potential flyer – anyone for a Walrus club?

Hope this helps!

James