Country of origin:

United Kingdom

Description:

Amphibious reconnaissance biplane

Power Plant:

One 336 kw (450 hp) Napier Lion twelve-cylinder, broad-arrow, liquid-cooled engine

Specifications:

Armament:

One free mounted 7.69 mm (0.303 in) Lewis machine gun in rear cockpit

History:

The Seagull series of amphibious seaplanes was developed in late 1921 from the Supermarine Seal II, the prototype Seagull I (N158) being a two-seat deck-landing amphibian, making its first public appearance at the 1922 RAF Hendon Display.  Construction was all-wood with fabric covered flight surfaces.Power plant was the 336 kw (450 hp) Napier Lion II twelve-cylinder broad-arrow unit, the twelve cylinders being in three sets of four-cylinder banks.

Some modifications were made before it entered production, the development aircraft becoming the Mk II.  For production aircraft, known as the Mk III, a third crew member position was built in tandem with the rear gunner, this being an observer.  Two were entered in the 1924 King’s Cup Air Race.  Six were supplied to No 440 (Fleet Reconnaissance) flight on board the British carrier HMS Eagle for two years before becoming based on Malta.  After service in the UK three were converted for civil use seating six.

Nine Seagull IIIs were ordered by the Australian Government in 1925 for the RAAF to serve aboard HMAS Albatross, the seaplane tender of 6,096 tonnes (6,000 tons) built in Sydney at Cockatoo Island Dockyard and which was launched 21 February 1928 and commissioned on 23 January 1929.  Acquired to replace the Fairey IIID floatplanes which had been in service up to then, the type was designed by R J Mitchell (designer of the Supermarine Spitfire).  Designed primarily for operations from ships, the wings could folded for ease of storage.

The vessel HMAS Albatross was designed to carry six aircraft, and a further three were to be held in reserve.  In 1931 four Seagull IIIs were embarked on the vessel but in 1933, as part of the Governments cost cutting, all were removed from the ship and taken to shore stations, and HMAS Albatross was paid off.  The ship remained in service until April 1938 when it was transferred to the Royal Navy as part payment for the cruiser HMAS Hobart.

The aircraft was amphibious, the wheels being raised or lowered manually by a crank handle in the pilot’s cockpit.  Occasionally, when operating at sea for any length of time, the undercarriage was removed to save weight.  The Seagull III had a crew of three, pilot, observer, and telegraphist, the latter to operate wireless transmission equipment fitted to the aircraft.  In order to use the latter, a trailing aerial was wound out in flight.

The Seagull III performed useful work during its career with the RAN, three aircraft being used to carry out a photographic survey of the Great Barrier Reef, in conjunction with HMAS Moresby, and the north Queensland coast in 1927.  Other surveys included the New Guinea coast from Port Moresby to Madang.  They also were used in co-operation with Government departments, such as the Queensland Forestry Department, to check forest belts; and similar work was carried out along the southern coastline of Tasmania.

Whilst on board the HMAS Albatross they were usually hoisted over the side by the vessels three cranes and took off from the sea.  The six aircraft attached to the ship were loaded on board at Geelong, VIC on 25 February 1929 and operated by No 101 Fleet Co-operation Flight in the reconnaissance, spotting and shadowing roles.  Following the laying up of HMAS Albatross in 1932 the type served aboard other ships of the RAN, including HMAS Australia, which had A9-2 on board in the Tulagi area of the Solomons in 1932, and HMAS Canberra.

The first RAAF aircraft (A9-1) was christened on 6 February 1926 at Southampton by Dame Mary Cook and, together with A9-2, A9-3 and A9-4, was shipped to Australia on board the SS Nicholson.  The first three aircraft (A9-1, A9-2 and A9-3) were assembled at Point Cook and in August that year were flown to Bowen, Qld, where they made a survey of the Great Barrier Reef, this being completed in March 1927.  A9-1 then served at RAAF Richmond, on 29 January 1934 embarking on HMAS Australia.  It was retired in July 1934.  A9-2 operated from Richmond, NSW and was retired in July 1934.

A9-3 operated from Richmond. In 1928 it was loaned to the Controller of Civil Aviation for a survey flight to Rabaul.  It operated at times on board HMAS Canberra before being retired in September 1936.  A9-4 operated from HMAS Albatross but during a gunnery exercise it crashed at Roaring Beach, 56 km (35 miles) south-east of Hobart on 19 March 1930. A9-5 and A9-6 arrived in Australia on board SS Maldaria, the former becoming part of the Papuan Survey Flight in August 1927.  The aircraft of the flight were flown from Point Cook, VIC to Darwin, NT during September and October 1927.  A9-5 later served on HMAS Canberra until retirement, at which time it was presented to the Melbourne Technical College as a training aid.

A9-6 served on board HMAS Australia, making a forced landing due to engine trouble on 26 March 1934.  It was wrecked in a storm on 24 August 1934 whilst on board the ship near Devenport, Tas.  In February 1927 three further aircraft were ordered (A9-7, A9-8, A9-9), these all being ex-RAF aircraft obtained for scrap value.  They were assembled at Point Cook and flown to Richmond via Junee and Goulburn, NSW following transfer from No 1 Flying Training Flight to No 101 Flight.

A9-7 served on board HMAS Albatross and was retired in July 1934. A9-8 whilst on board HMAS Canberra was badly damaged on 5 April 1935 during a storm.  The aircraft was returned to Richmond but was not repaired and was presented to the East Sydney Technical College for use as an instructional airframe by students.  A9-9 also saw service on HMAS Albatross, being ultimately retired on 31 July 1934.  The fate of the two presented to technical colleges is not known but it is assumed they were eventually broken up.