Fly Past

38 RAF CENTENARY CELEBRATION PATROLLERS AND AIRLIFTERS

T

he mainstay of RAF Coastal

Command’s air-sea rescue

fleet for the majority of the

war, the Supermarine Walrus

was affectionately known as the

‘Shagbat’ to its crews, or those who

were rescued by it.

It was initially designed by

Supermarine as a private venture

project; created as a single-engined

amphibian capable of being

catapulted from warships.

Constructed specifically with the

Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF)

in mind, the aircraft was originally

dubbed the Seagull V and traced its

ancestry to Supermarine’s Seagull

II, as well as the Sea King and Seal

flying boats.

Building of the prototype (K4797)

began in 1930 but with other types

considered a priority it would be

June 21, 1933, before the airframe

was ready for Mutt Summers to take

it for its maiden flight.

Conventional construction ruled,

with a single-step hull made from

aluminium alloy, and stainless-

steel forgings for the catapult

spools and mountings. Most of the

airframe was made from metal, as

experience had shown that wooden

structures deteriorated rapidly

under tropical conditions. As such

the slightly swept, fabric covered

wings had stainless–steel spars,

although wooden ribs were added

for lightness. The wings could be

folded, giving the machine a stowage

width of just 17ft 6in (5.33m).

Power came from a 750hp

(559kW) Bristol Pegasus II radial

engine mounted in the ‘pusher’

configuration behind the wing,

which turned a four-bladed wooden

propeller. The later Mk.II variant

had a 775hp (578kW) Pegasus VI

and a wooden hull.

AEROBATICS

Five days after its maiden flight,

K4797 appeared at the 1933

Hendon Air Pageant where Summers

put on a startling aerobatic display.

The manoeuvres were possible

because the aircraft had been stressed

for catapult launching.

Following months of extensive

trials, including shipborne tests

aboard HMS Repulse and Valiant,

the type was accepted by the RAAF,

which ordered 24 as the Seagull V.

The aircraft also gained the

attention of the British Ministry

of Supply, which ordered 12 as

the Walrus I. The first production

Walrus (K5772) flew on March

18, 1936 and the type proved so

popular that Supermarine had built

285 by the time the factory began

concentrating on Spitfires, and

flying boat production moved to

Saunders-Roe.

Virtually all these initial airframes

were delivered to, and flown by, the

Fleet Air Arm and it was not until

1941 TO 1946

WALRUS

SUPERMARINE

1918 2018

WALRUS

“By the end of the war Walruses had

rescued more than 1,000 downed aircrew,

with 277 Squadron alone responsible for

598 of these.”

Right

The Walrus’ wings could

fold to help storage

above or below decks.

This reduced the width

to just 17ft 6in (5.33m).

ALL KEY UNLESS STATED

Below right

An RAF-operated Walrus

demonstrates its air-sea

rescue prowess, with

crews posing alongside

an infl ated life raft.