Flying boats operating on the river Thames

[McColm]

Got an idea for a fictional flying boat company operating from a peir just past Tower Bridge on the river Thames in London.
I'm not too sure if this was a real world business but what I have found on the internet is that several float plane companies have put bids in to operate commercial flights.
Decommissioned World War II flying boats, the obvious choice is the Shorts Sunderland but I was thinking the largest being the Blohm & Voss BV222 Wiking, the Martin Mariner and the Consolidated Coronado as these were replaced by the Martin Marlin ( sold for scrap!). The Kawanishi H8K2 Emily and H6K Mavis.
These can be obtained in 1/72 scale, later flying boats or float planes/ whiffs will be added as I have a few in the stash and a couple of builds on the bench. The Mach 2 Martin SeaMaster (SeaMistriss) is one of them, Shinmeiwa PS-1/US-2 being the other. The rest are being whiffed into AEW and ASW examples. The Grumman Albatross could be converted if the interior was heavily soundproofed due to the Rolls-Royce Griffon engines.

[tigercat]

Sounds interesting . A Smaller aircraft could fill the equivalent niche of the Dragon Rapide for tourist flights

[ericr]

beautiful idea, a float of civilianized flying boats over the years

[NARSES2]

Don't want to put a dampener on the idea but I don't think you could have a flying boat terminal there. You have the huge horseshoe bend in the river just downstream of the Tower. You might be able to put one in once you are past the Barrier down by City Airport or perhaps use the old docks before the airport was built ?

This map might help visualise the problem

http://thameslimo.co.uk/are-route/

[PR19_Kit]

What Chris said.

The bit of the river that goes through the Thames Barrier and past London City Airport is about 2 miles long, and that's not totally straight, but it might do as a take-off strip if they'd let the aircraft go through the Barrier at speed. The next straightish bit isn't until Dagenham or thereabouts, and that's 10-12 miles away from the Tower.

In the early 80s I used the P&O Boeing Jetfoil that 'flew' from Tower Pier to Ostend a few times. I thought they'd 'fly' at idle until they reached Purfleet or somewhere, but the Cap'n had us up on the foils at 45 kts as soon as we were through Tower Bridge! 

It was awesome banking around the U-bend but we had to slow down to hull-borne speed to pass through the Barrier, but it wasn't operational at the time and they were still working on it.

[NARSES2]

Even without the barrier I'm not sure the river would make a seaplane base thinking about it. Large seaplanes take a lot of water to take off and land so you'd probably have to go down to the Estuary.

There was a documentary a few years ago where a retired Air Vice Marshall or similar waxed on about how we could have had super sized passenger aircraft (1000/1500 seaters  ) if we'd have stuck with seaplanes. Theoretically there wouldn't have been the objections to airport building as they wouldn't need an airport as such. He suggested the main terminal would have been in the Solent as the Thames had problems not only with bends but also shoals and shifting sands.

[McColm]

Tilbury,
Looks like a better location as the Dartford bridge gets in the way.
As this is Whiffland my original idea would work as the City Airport hasn't been built yet not has the Dartford bridge.
A second terminal at Greenwich for the larger flying boats and the Thames Pier for the float planes/ heliplanes. Broadens the range.

[kerick]

How about CL-415s close to the city?

[tigercat]

How about an amphibious Rotodynes to cover all the bases l

[The Rat]

[Doug K]

There was a commercial service from the river Clyde in Glasgow for a couple of summers. Stopped flying a few years ago, sadly. It was operated by Loch Lomond seaplanes (who usually operate of course from the Loch).

[McColm]

Newer aircraft would replace the older ones the Supermarine Walrus could be converted into the Sea Otter. Just swap the engine so it's forward facing.
The Catalina is always a crowd pleaser. The Supermarine Stranraer.
A demilitarized version of the Super Felon helicopter, even my Fokker Friendyne Rotodyne.
I was thinking of naming the company" Bluebird Airlines" or "Seabird Airlines".

[Nick]

Don't forget the SRA/1 and Princess from Saunders Roe http://www.globalaviationresource.com/reports/2012/aviation-events-saunders-roe-princess-60th/

http://www.gettyimages.fr/detail/photo-d'actualité/looking-down-on-the-lower-thames-reaches-as-the-photo-dactualité/2637504?#looking-down-on-the-lower-thames-reaches-as-the-saunders-roe-a1-jet-picture-id2637504

[NARSES2]

Not sure which side of Tower Bridge those Sunderland's (is the civvie one a Sandringham ?) are but if on the Pool side then they would have taxied a fair way.

[PR19_Kit]

(is the civvie one a Sandringham ?)

That's the Sunderland V that Kermit Weeks bought from Edward Hulton, but it was partially converted for civvie use while it was here in the UK which is why it looks like a Sandringham.