Country of origin:

United Kingdom

Description:

Long-range maritime reconnaissance flying-boat

Power Plant:

(Mk V)

Four 895 kw (1,200 hp) Pratt & Whitney R-1820-90B Twin Wasp 14-cylinder two-row air-cooled radial engines

Specifications:

History:

The Short S-25 Sunderland was a development of the commercial Short “C” Class flying-boat designed to fulfill a specification issued by the RAF for a four-engine monoplane to serve in the coastal patrol and long-range reconnaissance roles.  Embodying all the modern aerodynamic and constructional features then available, a prototype of the new design was ordered for evaluation, along with a competing design, the Saunders Roe A-33.  So great was the need for the new aircraft that in March 1936 an order was placed for 21 examples, although the prototype (K4774) did not make its first flight until October 1937.

The design of the aircraft structure was basically similar to the “C” Class but, because the Fraser-Nash power-operated gun turrets were to be fitted in the nose and tail, it was necessary to reposition the flight deck.  To compensate for the weight of the tail turret, a slight sweep-back was applied to the wings.  The hull was divided into two decks. Bombs, mines or depth charges could be carried on racks inside the fuselage. These were then wound out through slots in the fuselage under the wings, on rails, to be ready for dropping.

The first model produced (Mk I) was fitted with four Bristol Pegasus XXII radials and had a normal loaded weight of 20,231 kg (44,600 lb). By the time World War II commenced, four RAF squadrons had been equipped and one Australian unit (No 10 Squadron), which was in training in the United Kingdom, was directed by the Australian Government to remain in Europe instead of returning to Australia with its new aircraft.  This unit was successful in its operations in the European Theatre and German submarines sunk by the unit included U-454 and U-426.

After the completion of 75 examples of the Mk I, the first of 58 Mk IIs was built and these were fitted with Pegasus XVIII engines. These were followed by the Mk III, which had a modified hull planing bottom and a dorsal turret. By the time production changed to the Mk V in 1943, a total of 407 Mk IIIs had been completed. The Mk V differed from the earlier models mainly in having the 895 kw (1,200 hp) Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp engine, and 143 examples were built.  A total of 721 Sunderlands was built, 471 by Short Bros at Belfast, Northern Ireland, and 250 by Blackburn at Dumbarton, United Kingdom.

As noted, No 10 Squadron RAAF was in the United Kingdom at the commencement of the war collecting nine Sunderlands Is which were to be serial numbered A18-1 to A18-9.  The Australian Government ordered that these remain in Europe to assist the war effort until the end of the war, operating in RAF markings. The service of these aircraft in operations against Kriegsmarine U-boat submarines is well known and the unit was very successful in this regard.

A small number of Sunderland IIIs were brought to Australia, these aircraft being powered by Bristol Pegasus XVIII radial engines.  These (ML730 to ML734) received RAAF serials A26-1 to A26-5, were to be attached to No 40 Squadron, and operated in the transport role. This unit was formed at Townsville, QLD on 31 March 1944, and operated in Australia and New Guinea during the war years, initially being under North Eastern Area Command. The first two aircraft (A26-1 and A26-3) left the UK on 27 January 1944, the second pair (A26-2 and A26-6) on 14 February, and the last two (A26-4 and A26-5) flying via Gibraltar, West Africa, Brazil, the Caribbean, San Francisco, Honolulu and Fiji, arriving at Rose Bay in Sydney, NSW.  They had their armament and other wartime equipment removed and the internal space was used to carry cargo and passengers, being able to carry an additional 680 kg (1,500 lb) of payload.

The first aircraft converted for the unit was A26-5 and was flown to Port Moresby, PNG where a base was set up for the unit.  A26-5 was damaged on 18 July when struck by a freighter.  A26-5 was used to transport the unit’s Headquarters Section to Port Moresby on 22 July and by late August the unit was ensconced at Port Moresby, making regular flights to Darwin, NT.  On 29 August A26-5 collided with A26-1 at moorings and was seriously damaged.

On 30 September 1944 A26-3 commenced services to Townsville, QLD.  On 28 November A26-6 hit a mooring post at Townsville and holed the hull.  Attempts to taxi the aircraft ashore failed and it sank. It was subsequently broken up.  In February1945 further services were introduced from Port Moresby to Cairns and Karumba, QLD.  One aircraft (A26-1) was used by the Air Board on a War Loans tour of NSW, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia and Western Australia raising subscriptions for the Third Victory Loan. At the end of the war the surviving aircraft saw a lot of service returning Australian POWs from distant islands.

Later four Martin PBM-3R Mariners joined the unit in mid 1945 and operated alongside the Sunderlands. The unit was also involved on occasions in search and rescue duties. Last operational flight was on 5 March 1946 by A26-5 from Port Moresby to Rathmines, NSW flying boat base. The aircraft were later delivered to No 2 Flying Boat Repair Depot and the squadron was disbanded.  The aircraft were retired at Rathmines and in 1947 were sold to Captain Bryan Monkton of Trans Oceanic Airways (TOA) for civil use and were converted to Hythe class passenger-carrying flying-boats.

The Sunderland saw extensive service with the RNZAF.  Four Mk IIIs (serials NZ4101 – ex ML792 – Tainui; NZ4102 – ex ML793 – Tokomaru; NZ4103 – ex ML794 – Mataatua: and NZ4104 – ex ML795 Takitumu) were obtained in 1944 for the transport role.  This model was developed by BOAC from the standard Mk III in 1942, the aircraft having the military equipment removed, fairings installed over the turrets, and catering for 24 to 30 passengers. The aircraft were delivered by air via Africa and the Americas between October and December 1944 and were allocated to the Flying Boat Transport Flight at Hobsonville.  They were mainly used on the Auckland to Fiji and Auckland to Noumea and Espiritu Santo services.  They were retired in 1945 after finishing their military lives repatriating service personnel.

Later, sixteen Mk Vs (serials NZ4105 to NZ4120) were obtained for the RNZAF for the maritime reconnaissance role.  These aircraft operated in this role until 1966 when they were replaced by Lockheed P-3 Orions.  The Mk V aircraft saw service with No 6 Squadron operating from Hobsonville, Auckland; and No 5 Squadron operating from Lauthala Bay, Fiji.  The type was obtained for long-range maritime reconnaissance, anti-submarine warfare duties, and search and rescue. It was used extensively to patrol parts of the Pacific Ocean and will  always be remembered for its role in conducting mercy flights and assisting at the time of civil disasters and searches at sea.

Two were lost in accidents: NZ4111 (ex VB880) in November 1959 at Te Shaanga Lagoon at the Chatham Islands; and NZ4117 (ex RN306) off Tarawa in April 1961 and later scrapped at Lauthala. NZ4116 (ex EJ167) and NZ4119 (ex PP143) were dismantled for spares.  NZ4110 (ex PP129) became an instructional airframe (INST183) and was scrapped in 1964 at Hobsonville.  NZ4105 (ex PP110); NZ4106 (ex RN280); NZ4107 (ex VB883); NZ4112 (ex VB881); NZ4113 (ex PP124); NZ4114 (ex SZ561); NZ4118 (ex RN306); and NZ4120 (ex RN291) were all sold for scrap and broken up at Hobsonville.

NZ4108 (c/n 974 – ex ML814) was purchased by Airlines of New South Wales, flown to Rose Bay in Sydney where it was converted to Sandringham configuration, and entered service on the Lord Howe Island route as VH-BRF.  After completion of the airstrip on the island it was sold to Antilles Air Boats and, named Beachcomber, it left Australia as N158J.  It later went to France, and to the United Kingdom as G-BJHS, until auctioned and became N814ML in July 1993. It is part of the collection of Kermit Weeks at the Fantasy of Flight Museum in Florida, USA.

As noted above the remaining ten ex-RNZAF machines were sold for scrap or donated to various organisations in New Zealand.  One complete aircraft (NZ4115) is in the Museum of Transport & Technology (MOTAT) in Auckland.  Built as SN584 for the RAF by Short Bros at Belfast in 1945, it was loaned to BOAC as a crew trainer in 1946.  After being returned to the RAF and re-furbished, the aircraft was sold to the NZ Government in 1953.  It was flown with No 5 Squadron with the codes KN-B and KN-G, before serving with the Maritime Reconnaissance and Support Unit at Hobsonville, NZ.

Components from NZ4111 survive.  This aircraft whilst taxiing for take-off on 4 November 1959 on Te Whanga Lagoon in the Chatham Islands struck a rock.  It was uneconomical to rebuild and was dismantled. Its parts were sold locally. In recent years the parts have been collected at Kaingaroa and are being assembled as a museum project.  In addition, the Ferrymead Aeronautical Society at Christchurch has components it has retrieved from NZ4112.