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The Supermarine Walrus is a British single-engine amphibious
biplane A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two main wings stacked one above the other. The first powered, controlled aeroplane to fly, the Wright Flyer, used a biplane wing arrangement, as did many aircraft in the early years of aviation. While ...
designed by
Supermarine Supermarine was a British aircraft manufacturer. It is most famous for producing the Spitfire fighter plane during World War II. The company built a range of seaplanes and flying boats, winning the Schneider Trophy for seaplanes with three cons ...
's R. J. Mitchell. Primarily used as a
maritime patrol Maritime patrol or maritime reconnaissance is the task of monitoring areas of water. Generally conducted by military and law enforcement agencies, maritime patrol is usually aimed at identifying human activities. Maritime patrol refers to active ...
aircraft, it was the first British squadron-service aircraft to incorporate an undercarriage that was fully retractable, crew accommodation that was enclosed, and a
fuselage The fuselage (; from the French language, French ''fuselé'' "spindle-shaped") is an aircraft's main body section. It holds Aircrew, crew, passengers, or cargo. In single-engine aircraft, it will usually contain an Aircraft engine, engine as wel ...
completely made of metal. Supermarine originally named the type the Supermarine Seagull V, before changing it to the ''Walrus''. The type first flew in 1933, its design process had begun four years earlier as a private venture. It shared its general arrangement with that of the earlier Supermarine Seagull. Having been designed to serve as a fleet spotter launched by
catapult A catapult is a ballistics, ballistic device used to launch a projectile at a great distance without the aid of gunpowder or other propellants – particularly various types of ancient and medieval siege engines. A catapult uses the sudden rel ...
from cruisers or
battleships A battleship is a large, heavily naval armour, armored warship with a main battery consisting of large naval gun, guns, designed to serve as a capital ship. From their advent in the late 1880s, battleships were among the largest and most form ...
, the aircraft was employed as a maritime patrol aircraft. Early aircraft had a metal hull for greater longevity in tropical conditions, while the later variant, the Supermarine Walrus II, had a wooden hull to conserve the use of light
alloy An alloy is a mixture of chemical elements of which in most cases at least one is a metal, metallic element, although it is also sometimes used for mixtures of elements; herein only metallic alloys are described. Metallic alloys often have prop ...
s. The Supermarine Seagull V entered service with the
Royal Australian Air Force The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is the principal Air force, aerial warfare force of Australia, a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Australian Army. Constitutionally the Governor-Gener ...
in 1935. The type was subsequently adopted by the
Fleet Air Arm The Fleet Air Arm (FAA) is the naval aviation component of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy (RN). The FAA is one of five :Fighting Arms of the Royal Navy, RN fighting arms. it is a primarily helicopter force, though also operating the Lockhee ...
, the
Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...
(RAF), the
Royal New Zealand Navy The Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN; ) is the maritime arm of the New Zealand Defence Force. The fleet currently consists of eight ships. The Navy had its origins in the Naval Defence Act 1913, and the subsequent acquisition of the cruiser , whi ...
, and the
Royal New Zealand Air Force The Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF; ) is the aerial warfare, aerial military service, service branch of the New Zealand Defence Force. It was formed initially in 1923 as a branch of the New Zealand Army, being known as the New Zealand Perm ...
. Walruses operated against
submarine A submarine (often shortened to sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. (It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability.) The term "submarine" is also sometimes used historically or infor ...
s throughout the Second World War, and were also used by the
RAF Search and Rescue Force The Royal Air Force Search and Rescue Force (RAF SARF or RAF SAR Force) was a unit of the Royal Air Force (RAF) which provided around-the-clock aeronautical search and rescue cover in the United Kingdom, Cyprus, and the Falkland Islands, from 198 ...
to recover personnel from the sea. It was intended to replace the Walrus with the more powerful Supermarine Sea Otter, but this did not happen. After the end of the war the Walrus continued in service, and some aircraft operated in a civil capacity in regions such as Australia and the Antarctic. The Walrus was succeeded in its air-sea rescue role by the first generation of
helicopter A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which Lift (force), lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning Helicopter rotor, rotors. This allows the helicopter to VTOL, take off and land vertically, to hover (helicopter), hover, and ...
s.


Development

The Supermarine Walrus, originally called the Supermarine Seagull V, was initially developed by
Supermarine Supermarine was a British aircraft manufacturer. It is most famous for producing the Spitfire fighter plane during World War II. The company built a range of seaplanes and flying boats, winning the Schneider Trophy for seaplanes with three cons ...
as a private venture in response to a
Royal Australian Air Force The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is the principal Air force, aerial warfare force of Australia, a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Australian Army. Constitutionally the Governor-Gener ...
(RAAF) requirement for an
observation seaplane Observation seaplanes are military aircraft with flotation devices allowing them to land on and take off from water. Their primary purpose was to observe and report enemy movements or to spot the fall of shot from naval artillery, but some were a ...
to be
catapult A catapult is a ballistics, ballistic device used to launch a projectile at a great distance without the aid of gunpowder or other propellants – particularly various types of ancient and medieval siege engines. A catapult uses the sudden rel ...
-launched from
cruiser A cruiser is a type of warship. Modern cruisers are generally the largest ships in a fleet after aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships, and can usually perform several operational roles from search-and-destroy to ocean escort to sea ...
s. Designed by a team led by Supermarine's chief designer, R.J. Mitchell, it resembled Mitchell's earlier Supermarine Seagull III in general layout. Supermarine began construction of a prototype during 1930, but due to other, more pressing, commitments did not complete it until 1933. The
prototype A prototype is an early sample, model, or release of a product built to test a concept or process. It is a term used in a variety of contexts, including semantics, design, electronics, and Software prototyping, software programming. A prototype ...
of the Seagull V, known as the Type 228, following modifications to the design, was first flown by "Mutt" Summers on 21 June 1933. Five days later, the aeroplane (now marked ''N-1'') made an appearance at the SBAC show at
Hendon Hendon is an urban area in the London Borough of Barnet, northwest London northwest of Charing Cross. Hendon was an ancient Manorialism, manor and parish in the county of Middlesex and a former borough, the Municipal Borough of Hendon; it has ...
, where Summers made an unscheduled loop during the display, startling the spectators (Mitchell included). On 29 July Supermarine handed the aircraft (re-marked as ''N-2'') over to the Marine Aircraft Experimental Establishment at
Felixstowe Felixstowe ( ) is a port town and civil parish in the East Suffolk District, East Suffolk district, in the county of Suffolk, England. The estimated population in 2017 was 24,521. The Port of Felixstowe is the largest Containerization, containe ...
. Over the following months extensive trials took place; including shipborne trials aboard the HMS ''Repulse'' and the HMS ''Valiant'' carried out on behalf of the
Royal Australian Navy The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is the navy, naval branch of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The professional head of the RAN is Chief of Navy (Australia), Chief of Navy (CN) Vice admiral (Australia), Vice Admiral Mark Hammond (admiral), Ma ...
. There were also catapult trials carried out by the
Royal Aircraft Establishment The Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE) was a British research establishment, known by several different names during its history, that eventually came under the aegis of the Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom), UK Ministry of Defence (MoD), bef ...
at Farnborough, when the Seagull V became the first piloted aircraft in the world to be launched by catapult, piloted by Flight Lieutenant Sydney Richard Ubee. The strength of the aircraft was demonstrated in October 1935, when a Seagull V carrying the Commander-in-Chief of the
Home Fleet The Home Fleet was a fleet of the Royal Navy that operated from the United Kingdom's territorial waters from 1902 with intervals until 1967. In 1967, it was merged with the Mediterranean Fleet creating the new Western Fleet. Before the First ...
, Roger Backhouse, landed in the water in
Portland Harbour Portland Harbour is beside the Isle of Portland, Dorset, on the south coast of England. Construction of the harbour began in 1849; when completed in 1872, its surface area made it the largest human-made harbour in the world, and it remains ...
with its wheels unretracted. The aircraft's hull flooded following the impact of the landing, which caused it to flip over, but Backhouse and the crew managed to escape with minor injuries. An automatic
horn Horn may refer to: Common uses * Horn (acoustic), a tapered sound guide ** Horn antenna ** Horn loudspeaker ** Vehicle horn ** Train horn *Horn (anatomy), a pointed, bony projection on the head of various animals * Horn (instrument), a family ...
and indicator lights were subsequently fitted to ensure the pilot checked the wheels before landing. The machine was later repaired and returned to service. Soon afterwards it became one of the first aircraft to be fitted with an undercarriage position indicator on the instrument panel. Test pilot Alex Henshaw later stated that the Walrus was strong enough to make a wheels-up landing on grass without much damage, but also commented that it was "the noisiest, coldest and most uncomfortable" aircraft he had ever flown.


Design


Airframe

The Type 236 Supermarine Walrus is a single-engine amphibious
biplane A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two main wings stacked one above the other. The first powered, controlled aeroplane to fly, the Wright Flyer, used a biplane wing arrangement, as did many aircraft in the early years of aviation. While ...
, principally designed to conduct maritime observation missions. The all-metal hull, an innovation for its day, was constructed from an anodised alloy, with
stainless steel Stainless steel, also known as inox, corrosion-resistant steel (CRES), or rustless steel, is an iron-based alloy that contains chromium, making it resistant to rust and corrosion. Stainless steel's resistance to corrosion comes from its chromi ...
forgings for the catapult spools and mountings. Metal construction was used because experience had shown that wooden structures deteriorated rapidly under tropical conditions. Although the aircraft typically flew with one pilot, there were positions for two. The
control column A yoke, alternatively known as a control wheel or a control column, is a device used for Pilot (aeronautics), piloting some fixed-wing aircraft.Crane, Dale: ''Dictionary of Aeronautical Terms, third edition'', page 563. Aviation Supplies ...
was not fixed, but could be inserted in either of two sockets in the floor, so that the column could be passed between the pilots. Behind the cockpit there is a small cabin with work stations for the
navigator A navigator is the person on board a ship or aircraft responsible for its navigation.Grierson, MikeAviation History—Demise of the Flight Navigator FrancoFlyers.org website, October 14, 2008. Retrieved August 31, 2014. The navigator's prim ...
and radio operator.


Wings

The fabric-covered wings are of equal span, with a noticeable sweepback, and have stainless–steel spars and wooden ribs. The lower wings are set in the shoulder position with a stabilising float mounted under each one. The
elevators An elevator (American English) or lift (English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English) is a machine that vertically transports people or freight between levels. They are typically powered by electric motors that drive tracti ...
are high on the tail-fin and braced by a pair of struts on either side . The wings can be folded, giving a stowage width a little greater than that of the tailplane. The Seagull V was the first British military aircraft to be fitted with a retractable undercarriage. A senior technical assistant at Supermarine suggested the idea of completely retracting the wheels into the wings, so as to make the aircraft more streamlined.


Powerplant

The single Bristol Pegasus
radial engine The radial engine is a reciprocating engine, reciprocating type internal combustion engine, internal combustion engine configuration in which the cylinder (engine), cylinders "radiate" outward from a central crankcase like the spokes of a wheel. ...
is mounted at the rear of a
nacelle A nacelle ( ) is a streamlined container for aircraft parts such as Aircraft engine, engines, fuel or equipment. When attached entirely outside the airframe, it is sometimes called a pod, in which case it is attached with a Hardpoint#Pylon, pylo ...
mounted on four struts above the lower wing and braced by four shorter struts to the centre-section of the upper wing. This drives a four-bladed wooden pusher
propeller A propeller (often called a screw if on a ship or an airscrew if on an aircraft) is a device with a rotating hub and radiating blades that are set at a pitch to form a helical spiral which, when rotated, exerts linear thrust upon a working flu ...
. The nacelle contains the oil tank, arranged around an air intake at the front to act as an oil cooler, as well as electrical equipment, and has a number of access panels for maintenance. A supplementary oil cooler is mounted on the starboard side. Fuel is carried in two tanks in the upper wings. The Seagull's pusher configuration has the advantages of keeping the engine and propeller out of the way of spray when operating on water and of reducing the noise level inside the aircraft; also the propeller was safely away from a crew member standing on the front deck when hooking on a hoisting cable. The engine is offset by three degrees to starboard to counter any tendency of the aircraft to yaw due to unequal forces on the
rudder A rudder is a primary control surface used to steer a ship, boat, submarine, hovercraft, airship, or other vehicle that moves through a fluid medium (usually air or water). On an airplane, the rudder is used primarily to counter adverse yaw ...
caused by the
vortex In fluid dynamics, a vortex (: vortices or vortexes) is a region in a fluid in which the flow revolves around an axis line, which may be straight or curved. Vortices form in stirred fluids, and may be observed in smoke rings, whirlpools in th ...
from the propeller. A solid aluminium tailwheel is enclosed by a small water-rudder.


Armament

The armament consisted of a pair of .303 in (7.7 mm)
Vickers K machine gun The Vickers K machine gun, known as the Vickers Gas Operated (Vickers G.O.) or Gun, Machine, Vickers G.O. .303-inch in British service, was a rapid-firing machine gun developed and manufactured for use in aircraft by Vickers-Armstrongs. The hig ...
s, one each in the open positions in the nose and rear fuselage. In addition, there were provisions for carrying either bombs or
depth charge A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare (ASW) weapon designed to destroy submarine A submarine (often shortened to sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. (It differs from a submersible, which has more limited ...
s mounted beneath the lower wings.


Operation from ships

Prior to the 1930s, aircraft catapults had been installed in any naval ship capable of launching an aircraft; by 1934, 25% of the FAA's aircraft were catapult-launched. When flying from a warship the Walrus would be recovered by touching-down alongside, then lifted from the sea by a ship's crane. The Walrus lifting gear was kept in a compartment in the section of wing directly above the engine. A crew member would climb onto the top wing and attach this to the crane hook. Landing and recovery was a straightforward procedure in calm waters, but could be difficult if the conditions were rough. The usual procedure was for the parent ship to turn through around 20° just before the aircraft touched down, creating a 'slick' to the
lee side In geography and seamanship, windward () and leeward () are directions relative to the wind. Windward is ''upwind'' from the point of reference, i.e., towards the direction from which the wind is coming; leeward is ''downwind'' from the point o ...
of ship on which the Walrus could alight, this being followed by a fast
taxi A taxi, also known as a taxicab or simply a cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a Driving, driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of thei ...
up to the ship before the 'slick' dissipated. Like other flying boats, the Walrus carried marine equipment for use on the water, including an anchor and a boat-hook.


Production

The RAAF ordered 24 Seagull Vs in 1933, to use as spotter-reconnaissance aircraft for the RAN. These were delivered during 1935 and 1936, with most of the aircraft being transported to Point Cook, Victoria, for use by the Seaplane Training Flight RAAF. The first order for 12 aircraft for the RAF was placed in May 1935; the first production aircraft, serial number ''K5772'', flying on 16 March 1936. In RAF service the type was named Walrus and initial production aircraft were powered by the Pegasus II M2, while from 1937 the Pegasus VI was fitted. Production aircraft differed in minor details from the prototype; the transition between the upper decking and the aircraft sides was rounded off, the three
strut A strut is a structural component commonly found in engineering, aeronautics, architecture and anatomy. Struts generally work by resisting longitudinal compression, but they may also serve in tension. A stay is sometimes used as a synonym for ...
s bracing the
tailplane A tailplane, also known as a horizontal stabilizer, is a small lift (force), lifting surface located on the tail (empennage) behind the main lifting surfaces of a fixed-wing aircraft as well as other non-fixed-wing aircraft such as helicopters ...
were reduced to two, the trailing edges of the lower wing were hinged to fold 90° upwards rather than 180° downwards, and the external oil cooler was omitted. A total of 740 Walruses were built in three major variants: the Seagull V, Walrus I and Walrus II. Of these, 462 aircraft were constructed by
Saunders-Roe Saunders-Roe Limited, also known as Saro, was a British aerospace and marine-engineering company based at Columbine Works, East Cowes, Isle of Wight. History The name was adopted in 1929 after Alliott Verdon Roe (see Avro) and John Lord took ...
in
Weybridge Weybridge () is a town in the Borough of Elmbridge, Elmbridge district in Surrey, England, around southwest of central London. The settlement is recorded as ''Waigebrugge'' and ''Weibrugge'' in the 7th century and the name derives from a cro ...
,
Surrey Surrey () is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Greater London to the northeast, Kent to the east, East Sussex, East and West Sussex to the south, and Hampshire and Berkshire to the wes ...
, with fuselages built by Elliotts of Newbury. This variant had a wooden hull, which was heavier but economised on the use of light
alloy An alloy is a mixture of chemical elements of which in most cases at least one is a metal, metallic element, although it is also sometimes used for mixtures of elements; herein only metallic alloys are described. Metallic alloys often have prop ...
s. Saunders-Roe license-built 270 metal Mark Is and 191 wooden-hulled Mark IIs. The Walrus was called the "Shagbat", the "Steam Pigeon", and other names by its crews. The successor to the Walrus was the
Sea Otter The sea otter (''Enhydra lutris'') is a marine mammal native to the coasts of the northern and eastern Pacific Ocean, North Pacific Ocean. Adult sea otters typically weigh between , making them the heaviest members of ...
, which was similar in design but more powerful. Sea Otters never completely replaced the Walrus, and both were used for air-sea rescue during the latter part of World War II. A post-war replacement for both aircraft, the
Seagull Gulls, or colloquially seagulls, are seabirds of the subfamily Larinae. They are most closely related to terns and skimmers, distantly related to auks, and even more distantly related to waders. Until the 21st century, most gulls were placed ...
, was cancelled in 1952, with only prototypes being constructed. By that time, air-sea rescue helicopters were taking over the role from small
flying-boat A flying boat is a type of seaplane with a hull (watercraft), hull, allowing it to land on water. It differs from a floatplane in having a fuselage that is purpose-designed for flotation, while floatplanes rely on fuselage-mounted floats for b ...
s.


Operational history


Initial use

The first Seagull V, ''A2-1'', was handed over to the Royal Australian Air Force in 1935, with the last being delivered in 1937. The type served aboard the County-class cruisers and , and the ''Leander''-class cruisers , and . Walrus deliveries to the RAF started in
1936 Events January–February * January 20 – The Prince of Wales succeeds to the throne of the United Kingdom as King Edward VIII, following the death of his father, George V, at Sandringham House. * January 28 – Death and state funer ...
when the first example to be deployed was assigned to the New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy, on —one of the ''Leander''-class light cruisers that carried one Walrus each. The Royal Navy s carried two Walruses during the Second World War, and Walruses also equipped the and County-class heavy cruisers. Some battleships, such as the ''Queen Elizabeth''-class battleship and the
Nelson-class battleship The ''Nelson'' class was a ship class, class of two battleships ( and ) of the British Royal Navy, built shortly after, and under the terms of, the Washington Naval Treaty of 1922. They were the only British battleships built between the , ord ...
carried Walruses, as did the seaplane tender . By the start of the war, the Walrus was already in widespread use. Although its principal intended use was gunnery spotting in naval actions, this only occurred twice: Walruses from the battlecruiser (the
lead ship The lead ship, name ship, or class leader is the first of a series or class of ships that are all constructed according to the same general design. The term is applicable to naval ships and large civilian vessels. Large ships are very comple ...
of her class) and the Town-class cruiser were launched in the Battle of Cape Spartivento, and a Walrus from the Town-class was used in the
Battle of Cape Matapan The Battle of Cape Matapan () was a naval battle during the Second World War between the Allies, represented by the navies of the United Kingdom and Australia, and the Royal Italian Navy, from 27 to 29 March 1941. Cape Matapan is on the so ...
. The main task of ship-based aircraft was patrolling for
Axis An axis (: axes) may refer to: Mathematics *A specific line (often a directed line) that plays an important role in some contexts. In particular: ** Coordinate axis of a coordinate system *** ''x''-axis, ''y''-axis, ''z''-axis, common names ...
submarines and surface-raiders. By March 1941, Walruses were being deployed with ASV radar systems to assist in this. During the Norwegian Campaign and the East African Campaign, Walruses saw limited use in bombing and strafing shore targets. In August 1940, a Walrus operating from HMAS ''Hobart'' bombed and machine-gunned the Italian headquarters at
Zeila Zeila (, ), also known as Zaila or Zayla, is a historical port town in the western Awdal region of Somaliland. In the Middle Ages, the Jewish traveller Benjamin of Tudela identified Zeila with the Biblical location of Havilah. Most modern schola ...
in
British Somaliland British Somaliland, officially the Somaliland Protectorate (), was a protectorate of the United Kingdom in modern Somaliland. It was bordered by Italian Somalia, French Somali Coast and Ethiopian Empire, Abyssinia (Italian Ethiopia from 1936 ...
. By 1943, catapult-launched aircraft on cruisers and battleships were being replaced by
radar Radar is a system that uses radio waves to determine the distance ('' ranging''), direction ( azimuth and elevation angles), and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It is a radiodetermination method used to detect and track ...
, which occupied far less space on a warship. Walruses continued to fly from Royal Navy carriers for air-sea rescue and general communications. The low landing speed of the Walrus meant they could make a carrier landing despite having no flaps or tailhook.


Other military uses

The Walrus was used by the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force for air-sea rescue missions. The specialist RAF Air Sea Rescue Service squadrons flew a variety of aircraft, using
Spitfire The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and other Allied countries before, during, and after World War II. It was the only British fighter produced continuously throughout the ...
s and Boulton Paul Defiants to patrol for downed aircrew,
Avro Anson The Avro Anson is a British twin-engine, multi-role aircraft built by the aircraft manufacturer Avro. Large numbers of the type served in a variety of roles for the Royal Air Force (RAF), Fleet Air Arm (FAA), Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), R ...
s to drop supplies and dinghies and Walruses to pick up them up from the water. RAF air-sea rescue squadrons were deployed to cover the waters around the United Kingdom, the Mediterranean Sea and the
Bay of Bengal The Bay of Bengal is the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean. Geographically it is positioned between the Indian subcontinent and the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese peninsula, located below the Bengal region. Many South Asian and Southe ...
. Over 1000 aircrew were picked up during these operations, with 277 Squadron responsible for 598 rescues. In 1939, two Walruses were used at Lee-on-Solent for ASV trials, with the
dipole antenna In radio and telecommunications a dipole antenna or doublet is one of the two simplest and most widely used antenna types, types of antenna; the other is the monopole antenna, monopole. The dipole is any one of a class of antennas producin ...
e fixed on the aircraft's interplane struts. In 1940, a Walrus was fitted with a forward-firing
Oerlikon 20 mm cannon The Oerlikon 20 mm cannon is a series of autocannons based on an original German Becker Type M2 20 mm cannon design that appeared very early in World War I. It was widely produced by Oerlikon Contraves and others, with various models empl ...
, intended as a counter-measure against German submarines. The gun was operated successfully, but the idea was abandoned when it was found that the flash blinded the pilot. A Walrus was shipped to
Arkhangelsk Arkhangelsk (, ) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and the administrative center of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. It lies on both banks of the Northern Dvina near its mouth into the White Sea. The city spreads for over along the ...
with other supplies brought on the British Convoy PQ 17. It was supplied to the 16th air transport detachment, and flew to the end of 1943. After the war, Walruses continued to see limited military use with the RAF and foreign navies. Eight aircraft were operated by Argentina, with two flying from the cruiser until 1958. Other aircraft were used for training by the French Navy's .


Post-war civilian use

A Supermarine Walrus was used experimentally in the 1940s by a
whaling Whaling is the hunting of whales for their products such as meat and blubber, which can be turned into a type of oil that was important in the Industrial Revolution. Whaling was practiced as an organized industry as early as 875 AD. By the 16t ...
company, United Whalers. Operating in the Antarctic Ocean, it was launched from the
factory ship A factory ship, also known as a fish processing vessel, is a large ocean-going vessel with extensive on-board facilities for processing and freezing caught fish or whales. Modern factory ships are automated and enlarged versions of the earlier ...
''Balaena'', which was equipped with a surplus naval catapult. The aircraft used were fitted with sockets to power the electrically-heated suits worn by the crew under their immersion suits. A cabin heater was fitted in the aircraft to help keep the crews warm during flights that could last over five hours. A Dutch whaling company embarked Walruses, but never flew them. Four Walruses were bought from the RAAF by Amphibious Airways of
Rabaul Rabaul () is a township in the East New Britain province of Papua New Guinea, on the island of New Britain. It lies about to the east of the island of New Guinea. Rabaul was the provincial capital and most important settlement in the province ...
. Licensed to carry up to ten passengers, they were used for
charter A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified. It is implicit that the granter retains superiority (or sovereignty), and that the ...
and
air ambulance Air medical services are the use of aircraft, including both fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters to provide various kinds of urgent medical care, especially prehospital, emergency and critical care to patients during aeromedical evacuation an ...
work, remaining in service until 1954. During the first part of the 1960s, the remaining Walrus ''A2-4'', registered for both private use and charter work, was provided with improved radio equipment and additional passengers seating. It was used to transport tourists and cargo out to the
Great Barrier Reef The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef system, composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for over over an area of approximately . The reef is located in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland, ...
and along the eastern coast of Australia.


Variants

;Seagull V :Original metal-hull version. Production—27 aircraft. ;Walrus I :Metal-hull version. Production by Supermarine—281 aircraft: ;Walrus II :Wooden-hull version. Production by Saunders-Roe—270 aircraft.


Operators


Military operators

; *
Argentine Navy The Argentine Navy (ARA; ). This forms the basis for the navy's ship prefix "ARA". is the navy of Argentina. It is one of the three branches of the Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic, together with the Argentine Army, Army and the Argentine ...
**
Argentine Naval Aviation The Argentine Naval Aviation (', COAN) is the naval aviation branch of the Argentine Navy and one of its four operational commands. Argentina, along with Brazilian Navy, Brazil is one of two South American countries to have operated two aircraft c ...
; *
Royal Australian Air Force The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is the principal Air force, aerial warfare force of Australia, a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Australian Army. Constitutionally the Governor-Gener ...
** No. 5 Squadron RAAF ** No. 9 Squadron RAAF ** No. 11 Squadron RAAF ** No. 101 Flight RAAF ; *
Royal Canadian Air Force The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; ) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environmental commands within the unified Can ...
*
Royal Canadian Navy The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN; , ''MRC'') is the Navy, naval force of Canada. The navy is one of three environmental commands within the Canadian Armed Forces. As of February 2024, the RCN operates 12 s, 12 s, 4 s, 4 s, 8 s, and several auxiliary ...
; *
Egyptian Navy The Egyptian Navy (), also known as the Egyptian Naval Forces, is the maritime branch of the Egyptian Armed Forces. It is the largest navy in the Middle East as well as Africa, and is the twelfth largest (by the number of vessels) navy in the w ...
; *
French Navy The French Navy (, , ), informally (, ), is the Navy, maritime arm of the French Armed Forces and one of the four military service branches of History of France, France. It is among the largest and most powerful List of navies, naval forces i ...
** Aeronavale ; *
Irish Air Corps The Air Corps () is the air force of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Organisationally a military branch of the Defence Forces (Ireland), Defence Forces of Ireland, the Air Corps utilises a fleet of fixed-wing aircraft and rotorcraft to carry out ...
; *
Royal New Zealand Air Force The Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF; ) is the aerial warfare, aerial military service, service branch of the New Zealand Defence Force. It was formed initially in 1923 as a branch of the New Zealand Army, being known as the New Zealand Perm ...
** No. 5 Squadron RNZAF ** Seaplane Training Flight *
Royal New Zealand Navy The Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN; ) is the maritime arm of the New Zealand Defence Force. The fleet currently consists of eight ships. The Navy had its origins in the Naval Defence Act 1913, and the subsequent acquisition of the cruiser , whi ...
** HMNZS Achilles **
HMNZS Leander HMNZS ''Leander'' was a light cruiser which served with the Royal New Zealand Navy during World War II. She was the lead ship of the . The ship initially served as HMS ''Leander'' in the Royal Navy before her transfer to New Zealand in 1937. I ...
; *
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Fleet Air Arm The Fleet Air Arm (FAA) is the naval aviation component of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy (RN). The FAA is one of five :Fighting Arms of the Royal Navy, RN fighting arms. it is a primarily helicopter force, though also operating the Lockhee ...
(FAA) ** 700 Naval Air Squadron ** 701 Naval Air Squadron ** 702 Naval Air Squadron ** 710 Naval Air Squadron ** 711 Naval Air Squadron ** 712 Naval Air Squadron ** 714 Naval Air Squadron ** 715 Naval Air Squadron ** 718 Naval Air Squadron ** 720 Naval Air Squadron ** 737 Naval Air Squadron ** 743 Naval Air Squadron ** 749 Naval Air Squadron ** 754 Naval Air Squadron ** 764 Naval Air Squadron ** 765 Naval Air Squadron ** 773 Naval Air Squadron ** 777 Naval Air Squadron ** 779 Naval Air Squadron ** 789 Naval Air Squadron ** 810 Naval Air Squadron ** 820 Naval Air Squadron ** 1700 Naval Air Squadron ** 1701 Naval Air Squadron *
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** No. 3 Squadron RAF ** No. 89 Squadron RAF ** No. 91 Squadron RAF ** No. 198 Squadron RAF ** No. 269 Squadron RAF ** No. 275 Squadron RAF ** No. 276 Squadron RAF ** No. 277 Squadron RAF ** No. 278 Squadron RAF ** No. 281 Squadron RAF ** No. 282 Squadron RAF ** No. 283 Squadron RAF ** No. 284 Squadron RAF ** No. 288 Squadron RAF ** No. 292 Squadron RAF ** No. 293 Squadron RAF ** No. 294 Squadron RAF ** No. 624 Squadron RAF


Civilian operators

; * Amphibious Airways ; * Kenting Aviation ; * Two aircraft were embarked on board of whaling ship '. ; * Vestlandske Luftfartsselskap ; * Somerton Airways * United Whalers


Surviving aircraft

Three examples of the Walrus survive in museums, in addition to a single privately-owned aircraft. Wreckage that is thought to be that of the Walrus assigned to the cruiser HMAS ''Sydney'' was photographed when the wreck of the vessel was rediscovered in 2008.


Seagull V ''A2-4''

One of the original Australian Seagull Vs, ''A2-4'' is on permanent display at the Royal Air Force Museum London. Built at Woolston in 1934, it arrived in Australia in early 1936, where it was initially allocated to No. 101 Flight RAAF (shortly afterwards becoming No. 5 Squadron RAAF). The aircraft had various pre-war duties, including survey work and flying from HMAS ''Sydney''. It served for most of the war with No. 9 Squadron RAAF in Australia. In 1946, ''A2-4'' was sold to civilian owners, and five years later was allocated the civil registration ''VH–ALB''. During the 1950s and 1960s, it was flown by various Australian private owners before being badly damaged in a take-off accident at Taree, New South Wales in 1970. The wreck was acquired by the RAF Museum in exchange for a Supermarine Spitfire and a cash payment of Australian $5,000. In 1973, en route the United Kingdom, it had to be Fumigation, fumigated in Hawaii, due to the discovery of Latrodectus, Black widow spiders. The restoration of ''A2-4'' began after its arrival at RAF Henlow; it has been on display at Royal Air Force Museum London since 1979.


Walrus ''HD874''

''HD874'' is kept at the RAAF Museum, Royal Australian Air Force Museum at RAAF Williams Point Cook, Victoria (Australia), Victoria. It was originally flown by the Fleet Air Arm, before being transferred to the Royal Australian Air Force in 1943. During the war, ''HD874'' was flown by the RAAF's No. 9 Squadron and List of Royal Australian Air Force Communication Units, No. 8 Communication Unit. Post-war, it was placed in storage until 1947, when it was issued to the Antarctic Flight RAAF, RAAF's Antarctic flight, for use on Heard Island during the first Australian expedition to Antarctica since World War II. It was painted bright yellow. The Antarctic Flight only flew it once before it was badly damaged by a storm. It was recovered in 1980, and restored between 1993 and 2002.


Walrus ''L2301''

The Walrus displayed at the Fleet Air Arm Museum at RNAS Yeovilton (HMS Heron), RNAS Yeovilton is a composite aircraft, constructed using the fuselage and engine of Walrus ''L2301''. Built in 1939, ''L2301'' was delivered to the
Irish Air Corps The Air Corps () is the air force of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Organisationally a military branch of the Defence Forces (Ireland), Defence Forces of Ireland, the Air Corps utilises a fleet of fixed-wing aircraft and rotorcraft to carry out ...
, where it carried the Irish designation ''N.18''. During its delivery flight on 3 March 1939, it suffered engine failure and later hull damage from ditching into the sea. It was towed to the old launch strip for the Curtiss H.16, Curtiss H-16s at the former U.S. Naval Air Station Wexford Ireland. ''L2301'' was one of three Walruses (the other two being ''N.19'' (''L2302'') and ''N.20'' (''L2303'')) that were sent in March 1939 to the Irish Air Corps as maritime patrol aircraft during the The Emergency (Ireland), Irish Emergency. On 9 January 1942 ''N.18'' was stolen by four Irish nationals who intended to fly to France to join the Luftwaffe. However, they were intercepted by RAF Spitfires and escorted to RAF St Eval; the aircraft and its occupants were returned to Ireland. After the war, ''N.18'' was transferred to Aer Lingus and given the Irish civil registration ''EI-ACC''. However, the Irish airline never flew it and instead sold it to Wing Commander (rank), Wing Commander Ronald Gustave Kellett in 1946 for £150. It was given the British civilian registration ''G-AIZG'' and flown until 1949 by members of No. 615 Squadron RAF for recreation. In 1963 it was recovered from a dump at Haddenham, Buckinghamshire, Haddenham airfield, where RAF Thame had been based, by FAA crew from HMS ''Heron''. They presented it to the Fleet Air Arm Museum, who restored it between 1964 and 1966.


Walrus ''W2718''

After wartime RAF service, Walrus ''W2718'' was operated by Somerton Airways on the Isle of Wight, until it was decommissioned in 1947. It was subsequently used as a caravan. It became part of the collection of Solent Sky, an aviation museum in Southampton, UK, where work was begun on restoring the aircraft to flying condition. After being resold, restoration work was restarted in 2011 at Vintage Fabrics, Audley End, Essex. In 2018, after the aircraft was sold again to a private owner, it was moved to the Aircraft Restoration Company at Duxford Aerodrome.


Specifications (Supermarine Walrus I)


See also


Notes


References


Sources

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Further reading

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External links


Flying the Supermarine Walrus
by Flt Lt Nick Berryman (self-published)
A 2013 picture
of the privately owned Walrus, ''G/RNLI''.
The Walrus in action
– a 1935 news clip from British Movietone
Information about the Supermarine Seagull V
from the
Royal Australian Navy The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is the navy, naval branch of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The professional head of the RAN is Chief of Navy (Australia), Chief of Navy (CN) Vice admiral (Australia), Vice Admiral Mark Hammond (admiral), Ma ...
website
Further information and other images
from ''Naval Encyclopedia'' {{Authority control Supermarine aircraft, Walrus 1930s British military reconnaissance aircraft Biplanes Single-engined pusher aircraft Single-engined piston aircraft Flying boats Amphibious aircraft Carrier-based aircraft Aircraft with retractable conventional landing gear Aircraft first flown in 1933 Cruciform tail aircraft