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Sunderland Flying Boat

Old 15th Mar 2010, 22:54
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I think all the above negative comments are probably right; but with a Sunderland factory nearby, and as aforesaid the attraction of a forced landing onto the lake ( by any aircraft type ) compared to stuffing into the nearby hills seems a reasonable prospect, I would be surprised if there are not any aircraft down there.
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Old 20th Mar 2010, 13:11
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Double Zero.
I think you are confusing my nom-de-plume,with the "Old Harry" rocks
"Old Hairy" has a diferent meaning.
As for writing a book!!! I did cobble together a version of my formative years,but its not of sufficient interest to any publisher. If you have not yet discovered "Gaining an RAF Pilots Brevet in WWII" on the Military Pilots Forum,I would recommend it for some superb stories,far more interesting than mine,and its still ongoing.Im certain you would enjoy it.

If they do manage to reconstitute the PD Sunderland with WD40.You can give me a rub down with the same and I'll give it a crack
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Old 20th Mar 2010, 19:25
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Secret of Eternal Life

Hello Old Hairy,

I've had better offers in my time than rubbing down an ex-RAF bloke with WD40, but if things really do get that bad, and I'm not handed a bottle of whisky & revolver, I suppose it may be a go-er !!!

Let's hope the Sunderland/s ( and anything else underwater ) are recoverable.

DZ
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Old 20th Mar 2010, 19:31
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Sunderland

There is one at RAF Hendon and I think it is sectioned so you can see the accomodation inside. It did look cosy. Oops sorry it was a walk throughand one can only peer through the "portholes" now. I think?

Last edited by obnoxious; 20th Mar 2010 at 19:43.
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Old 23rd Mar 2010, 19:42
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"I think all the above negative comments are probably right; but with a Sunderland factory nearby, and as aforesaid the attraction of a forced landing onto the lake ( by any aircraft type ) compared to stuffing into the nearby hills seems a reasonable prospect, I would be surprised if there are not any aircraft down there"

I would be fairly surprised if there were any aircraft down there. I've been using side scan sonar on the Lake for nearly a year now and although I've found over 40 wrecks, none of these are aircraft (or parts of aircraft) and apart from the almost certainly incorrect local rumour about a sunken part-built Sunderland, there are no other stories about aircraft in the Lake. I can say with 100% confiidence that the area around White Cross Bay is aircraft free. The closest I've got to a Sunderland connection is the wreck below, which I suspect may be one of the Sunderland maintenance barges.

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Old 23rd Mar 2010, 20:05
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A lot of work ahead here; some years back I remember reading that this fuselage section was being used as a chook house.
Chatham Islands' historic lifeline comes together... | Stuff.co.nz
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Old 1st Apr 2010, 15:39
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The Ships That Flew in new print DVD at last!

I have used the Search key and haven't found this announced.
The Sunderland thread looks like the best place to post:

The whole colour print of The Ships That Flew by Tim Read (Film Australia 1974) has been released on DVD by Chevron Marketing in Sydney.

What a pleasure to see this film at last in full colour and complete - earlier prints were severely washed-out - or just as severely edited.

Where else could you see Captain Maundrell AFC take a sunshot on the way to Lord Howe island? Just one of the many moments in this remarkable film with readings from P. G. Taylor and music by P. Telemann.

Kudos to Chevron!

www.chevron.com.au

No commercial interest, just a love of film making and aviation

Miss Ambra
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Old 12th Apr 2010, 10:56
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Southampton ditching

The following was told to me some years ago by an AC2 'erk' type
who had worked on Sunderlands during WW2.
He told me that one day while working on a Sunderland moored in Southampton waters a small motor launch approached to tie up alongside to discharge a small jolly looking Air Commodore
or similar high rank who alighted from the launch and climbed up into
the Sunderland as smart salutes were exchanged - The A/Comm
then 'wandered around and had a little poke around here and there' and
then made ready for his departure. Again smart salautes were exchanged
as the A/comm backed down the ladder.

Unfortuneatly he was not aware that his launch had moved away -
and one red faced no longer smiling A/comm was fished out of
Southampton water.

Brian ex G BCVI
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Old 13th Apr 2010, 09:20
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Pasir, I rather feel he was shooting you a line !!
Normal access was via the front door,which when moored is a step down from the launch.The rear door,never used it once in three years on the Sunderland.again does not need a ladder. The only ladder ever used ,was the mooring ladder clipped on the port side of the bow,to allow a crew member to grab the mooring strop off the buoy. It was then stowed inboard.Groundcrew working on the aircraft would use the front door as the front turret would be in the forward position on the trots.
He may of course been so enthralled to visit the Queen of the Skies, he stepped into space ?? Alternately,and to ruin the story,it happened ashore,when a ladder was used to access the front door. In which case he would have broken his bloody legs !! Smartly saluting erks !! I smell a porky.
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Old 13th Apr 2010, 19:44
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Sunderland 'no ladder'

Nice to hear from you Hairy - Yes there is every possibility that
the story of the Air Comm type taking a swim in Southampton waters was
a porky however to be fair to him it was I that embelished the tale by assuming that a ladder would have been used - also adding the word 'smart' to 'salutes' - I may also have been unfair by describing him as
an 'erk' when in fact for all I know he could well have been a skilled
competent and respected ground flight engineer.

On another tack some years ago in my business I found myself in
the office of a Vicar somewhere down in the West country. As he sat
at his desk I noticed the framed photo of a Sunderland on his wall
- not what one would expect to find in the average parsonage. Turning to the vicar - a small slight elderly man who seemed no more than 5ft I pointed to the photo and queried why was the photo on his wall - Turning his head towards the photo he said "Oh - thats my old Sunderland" - It transpired that this small and seemingly meek mild man of god in earlier years had piloted Sunderlands somewhere in the Biscay on anti U-boat patrols !
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Old 14th Apr 2010, 11:16
  #131 (permalink)  
 
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Pasir

I don't suppose you recall the name of the vicar in question? My father flew similar patrols, and I wonder if this is someone with whom he coincided.
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Old 15th Apr 2010, 15:59
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Sunderland air com ditching

Sorry 240 Gardner - Too many many years have gone by for me to recall the name of the vicar.

I hope the following will be of interest to flying boat enthuisiasts -Sometime around 1947 there was a major incident involving the American equivilant of a Sunderland - forced to ditch in mid atlantic with some 62 or more on board.


The event is a sorry tale of pilot and navigator error involving
overloading, inadequate fuel and extra strong headwinds. The Bermuda Sky Queen (Boeing 314) flying boat was on route from Foyles Ireland - States bound but shortly after passing the USS BIBB about mid atlantic
was forced to turn back and alight alongside the Bibb in heavy seas -
where an oil slick had been laid. The hull of the Boeing at first seemed to have been totally immersed in the heavy seas - being very lucky to have
remained afloat under the conditions. The crew of the ship had to make severa attempts to rescue all 62 or so including children and 2 babes in arms. The event is described in detail in at least one book and can be googled under Bermuda Sky Queen



(Epilogue - about one year ago one of the rescued children - now an adult - made contact on the web seeking further information and contacts with any other survivors still alive as I beleive she was hoping to write a book on her experiences)
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Old 23rd Oct 2010, 01:36
  #133 (permalink)  
 
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Gummipuffer

Hi Whirlwind - Pls Let Me Know If You Still Want Any Info On The Shorts Flying Boats Have Heaps Of Tech Data + Websites + Shots - It Probably Was A Pre War Design 'c' Or Empire Class Purely Civil Boat , Not A Sunderland - Ta J.c.
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Old 23rd Oct 2010, 01:49
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Gummipuffer

Hi Bud - Affirmative They Were Very Similar To Std. R.a.f. Mk V - And Same Basic Color Scheme - Mostly White - I Served Apprentiship At Shorts Belfast In 1952-7 On Sunderland / Solent / Sandringham / Seaford / Sealand Flying Boats Etc- Thanx J.c.
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Old 23rd Oct 2010, 02:55
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GUMMI

Hi Old Hairy - Many Thanx For Excellent Bunch Of Shots - This Boat As You Would Know Has Been Butchered By So Many Outfits As To Remain Nothing Like A Sunderland Mk V - A Great Pity - It Would Be Wonderful To See It Retrofited Back To The Great Sunderland That You And I Worked On - Me At Shorts Belfast In 52 - 57 - Much Obliged J.c.
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Old 23rd Oct 2010, 03:13
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Gummipuffer Sunderland Mk Iii

Hi Bud - Thats A Mk Iii Sunderland - No Radar Scanner Domes Under The Wingtips - Only Fixed Asv Antennae - Thats All Ai Know - Sorry J.c.
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Old 23rd Oct 2010, 04:28
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Rnzaf Sunderland Conversion

Hi Hairy - You Are Quite Right - We Retrofitted These Sunderlands At Shorts Belfast In 1952 - For R.n.z.a.f. - With New Pilot Remote Control Collins T/r In Modern Al. Tube Rackmounts - No More Radio Op. Timber Desk Bulkhead - That Involved Fitting Another H.f. Antenna Mast + D.f. Loop Fairing - Also Other Mods Like Windows In Both Doors To Give Emergency Access To Axe + Fire Extinguisher - Thanx J.c.
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Old 23rd Oct 2010, 09:54
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B.314

Hi Pasir - No B.314 Survived - But There Is An Outfit Who Are Dedicated To Try To Recover That Boat Or Another One - There Also Is A Very Fine Replica Hull At Foynes - The Old Flying Boat Base In S. Ireland - Ta J.c.
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Old 23rd Oct 2010, 10:01
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Flying Boat Type

Hi Andy Cap - I Am In Syd. - Am Retd A+p - Worked On Most Shorts Flying Boats At Shorts Belfast - Inc. Sunderland / Sandringham / Solent / Sealand - But That Was In 1952 - Long After The 'c' Class Had Operated - The Sunderland First Flew In 1937 - Same As Me - So Mum Could Have Been On An R.a.f. One - If I Can Assist Further Pls Ask - I Have Large Amount Of Shots / Tech Data On Flying Boats Here - Ta J.c.
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Old 24th Oct 2010, 00:37
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Sunderland Book

Hi Hairy - I Like Yr Memory On Details On The Sunderland - Amazing - You Are So Accurate - I Can Remember Lots As I Helped Build Them At Shorts Belfast . I Would Encourage You To Write That Book Or Supply Yr Notes To A Writer . Had An Old Buddy Here - Geoff Wikner - Who Did Just About Every Thing In Aviation - Inc. Piloting / Designing / Building Airplanes In The Early Days Here + In U.k. In Wwii - Was Also In The Ferrypilots Org. - He Did Not Trust Anyone With His Notes While He Was Alive - The Resultant Book Is One Of The Worst I Have Ever Read On Aviation - Full Of Inaccuracies . Pls Do It Now ? - Have Pilots Manual On Mk V - Can't See How To Inc. A Shot Of It Here On This Website Tho - Pity - Happy To Send A Copy To You If You Like - Thanx J.c.
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