Fly Past

28 RAF CENTENARY CELEBRATION PATROLLERS AND AIRLIFTERS

Type: Six-crew general reconnaissance fl ying boat

First fl ight: July 27, 1934; entered service April 1937

Powerplant: Two 980hp (730kW) Bristol Pegasus X radials

Dimensions: Span 85ft (25.91m), length 54ft 10in (16.71m)

Weights: Empty 11,520lb (5,225kg), all-up 19,000lb (8,618kg)

Max speed: 165mph (266km/h) at 6,000ft (1,829m)

Range: 1,615 miles (2,599km)

Armament: Three Lewis guns in nose, midships and tail positions. Bomb load:

1,160lb (526kg)

Replaced: Supermarine Southampton

SUPERMARINE STRANRAER

SUPERMARINE

L

ike the Supermarine Scapa

[see page 20] the Stranraer

was a development of the

Southampton [see page 10].

Originally referred to as the

Southampton Mk.V, the new

aircraft was officially renamed

Stranraer in August 1935.

In reality the new Stranraer had

very little in common with the older

flying boats. It was considerably

larger, having an extra bay in

the wings and a lengthened hull

complete with a gunner’s position in

the tail.

It would be the final flying boat

designed by Reginald J Mitchell

and was powered by a pair of

Bristol Pegasus radial engines. The

prototype had 820hp (455kW)

Pegasus IIIMs turning two-bladed

wooden propellers, whereas

production versions had more

powerful 920hp (730kW) Pegasus

X engines with three-bladed Fairey

Reed metal propellers.

The prototype (K3973) performed

its maiden flight on July 27, 1934

and in August the following year the

Air Ministry placed an order for 17

aircraft against Specification 17/35.

A follow-on order for six other

examples was later cancelled, but 40

airframes were built in Canada for

the RCAF.

LIMITED OPERATIONS

RAF Stranraers entered service

with 228 Squadron at Pembroke

Dock, Wales, in April 1937 and

other examples soon joined 209 and

240 Squadrons. A small number of

airframes were also allocated to

4 OTU.

Unlike contemporary flying

boats such as the Saro London

and Supermarine Singapore, the

Stranraer served primarily with

home-based units and was not sent

on permanent overseas deployments.

Crews considered the type’s

performance to be marginal at best

and this led to unkind monikers;

the printable included ‘Supermarine

Strainer’ and ‘the Whistling

Birdcage’. Airmen also discovered

1918 2018

Below

The RAF Museum

London holds the

only surviving intact

example of a Stranraer.

The aircraft (920/

CF-BXO) was built in

Canada in 1940 and

served with the RCAF

until 1944. Post war it

was fl own by Canadian

Pacifi c Airlines and

Queen Charlotte Airlines

until 1952, when it

passed into private

ownership. It was

damaged by a ship in

1966 and acquired by

the RAF Museum four

years later.

STEVE BRIDGEWATER

Below right

For their limited

wartime use, the 15

surviving Stranraers

were camoufl aged and

fl own from bases on the

Scottish coast.

STRANRAENRAE

1937 TO 1941

STRANRAER