Short Sunderland developments...

[Rheged]

Triggered by reading Ken Delve's "Short Sunderland "  (Crowood Press  978 8612 6355 4)  may I offer the following information.  As I have not the cash, time or display space to take this further, another member (or members) of  the group are welcome to use the fruits of my research.  Anyone fancy building a SHORT SEVERN  or a SHORT SOLWAY  based on this?

A paper "An Aspect of Flying Boat Plans"  was first issued by the air  staff in December 1939.   It  offered the following  thoughts on the future development of the Sunderland.
*Increased fuel tankage
*Hull fore-body modifications
*Powered bomb gear
*Folding wing-tip floats
*Twin tail fins

In April 1940, the Director General of Research and Development  convened a meeting to discuss future flying boat design.  On the agenda were a small flying boat (presumably a Walrus replacement),  the use of Centaurus or Sabre engines for Sunderland development, and even a six engined version.

As the war progressed, ad hoc experiments were undertaken with Leigh lights,  Radar, the replacement of 0.303  armament with 0.5 Brownings, a twin 20mm cannon  mid-upper turret (Bristol B17 design)  and even replacing two of the  fixed forward firing machine guns with 20mm cannon.  There was also a proposal for RP-3 60 lb rocket projectiles to be carried by Sunderlands operating in Bay of Biscay.

Another item  of note  is the rescue by aircraft RN282  on 15th January 1951  of a downed USN Corsair pilot  who was in his dinghy close to the Korean coast. The Sunderland crew are  described as having  "comprehensively supressed" North Korean units in the area before landing and picking up the exhausted pilot.

[TallEng]

Sounds interesting
Is all this information contained within the book?
If it is it sounds like a good buy.

Regards
Keith

[Rheged]

Sounds interesting
Is all this information contained within the book?
If it is it sounds like a good buy.

Regards
Keith

About 90%  of my data is from the book (priced at £25), the rest from consequent investigation.  I borrow the book from the local public library   'cos it's  free to read that way.  I agree, it is a mine of useful data.

[rickshaw]

How about a Sunderland designed expressly for riverine operations with strengthened bows?

[Radish]

I built a Very Short Sunderland some time ago, but it's now deceased.
I plan to build another.

Also, I have a deiselpunked Sunderland to build soon for this year's Biggles theme.

What about a clipped-wing autogyro version?

Gunship variant?

A zwilling version, with walkways on the upper hull and on linking gangways between the hulls? Passenger version, of course.

[kitnut617]

The Short Seaford was a direct development of the Sunderland, it had a lot of what you've written.  In civvie guise it was called the Solent.  Of course you could go as far as the Shetland ---

[Rheged]

The Short Seaford was a direct development of the Sunderland, it had a lot of what you've written.  In civvie guise it was called the Solent.  Of course you could go as far as the Shetland ---

Ah, yes, the Shetland.  I was thinking in terms of a  Whiffed Shetland  development.  6 engines, foldingtip floats ,twin tails and an armament like a Nelsonian frigate!

[The Wooksta!]

Other than a long deceased Contrail vacform, I don't think there's been a kit of the Shetland.  A search on Google should get a decent sized side view.

Best bet would be scratching it with an Airfix Sunderland crossed with an Airfix Stirling for the fuselage top half - as that's really what it appears to be.

[Mossie]

If anyone want's to do a either a military or civvie Shetland, here's some plans.  Clicky, they're quite large pics.

[The Wooksta!]

Yep.  Looks to be basically a Stirling fuselage with a set of Sunderland wings and planing hull grafted underneath.

[Tophe]

*Twin tail fins

Do you mean twin-tails (He 111Z-like) or twin-fins (Bf-110-like)?

[Rheged]

*Twin tail fins

Do you mean twin-tails (He 111Z-like) or twin-fins (Bf-110-like)?

I assume twin fin.......

[Tophe]

Thanks!

[The Rat]

Dad was a First Officer on Sunderlands, so I'm very interested in this one! I've had plans for updated ones too, the only idea on your list that parallels mine is the folding floats. I thought of clipping the wings and empennage, the straight edges would look more modern than the rounded ones. Also thought about possibly going to a twin turboprop, possibly four. Which brings me to an aerodynamic fix - taking the 4° sweep out of the wing. Due to the rearward sweep (it was introduced to counter the C of G effects of the 4-gun Fraser Nash tail turret) the Sunderland had the unusual habit of suddenly pitching up if power was quickly reduced, so I imagine that trait might be exacerbated if the aircraft is given more powerful engines. Of course, other modifications could mitigate that, so it may not be necessary.

Here is a very preliminary sketch I made years ago, T-tail, the front turret has been replaced with a large radar, and a MAD boom is in the tail:

[Captain Canada]

Sounds interesting. I love big boats. Not sure about the six engines tho. Wouldn't the engines of the time or the 'new' turboprops be enough for her ? Also dig that mash up you've got going there Rat. As for aerodynamic conundrums, you don't have to gret that technical....just build it