I showed this video to my grandmother's cousin whose older brother, Frank, flew RCAF Sunderlands through the Donegal Gap on 12+ hour anti-submarine patrols over the North Atlantic until KIA in Oct 1943, This walkaround brought tears of joy to a 94 year old man who still mourns and misses his brother. Sincere thanks!
My late neighbour was a flight engineer on the Sunderlands, mostly based out of Cromatry but they flew out of Singapore as well as somewhere India, I believe. Please forgive me if this is not 100% accurate - I didn't write down the information when we were talking at the time.
My father was part of coastal command stationed at Pembroke Dock, my birthplace and was the radio operator on a Sunderland, named BOY. Know he was involved in the supplying the British Artic Expedition. Landing was the most dangerous especially on choppy water.
My old boy undertook 3 tours of operations between 1939 and 1945. Towards the end of the war he transitioned to Coastal Command on Sunderlands as a WOpAG. He then went on to fly as an AOE/Instructor on Shacks and then Nimrods and retired in 1975 having joined up in 1937. He received the DFC, MID *2, KCVS (Air) *2 and was awarded LDeH before he died at the age of 97. He loved the Sunderland.
I think a Sunderland would have been granted leave for his final journey to the great unknown. I hope it was all he wished for. All the best Nick Cart motor services UK
@@jimmydesouza4375 hello Jimmy. My grandad, insisted that I should call him old boy! Everyone else called him peppy. He was originally a French man, but he believed, and it's true that as soon as anyone steps on British soil he is a free man. Of course he did extremely well for him self as a patisserie Chef in Muswell hill a well healed suburb in London .he owned the property that he traded from and was extremely proud of his little empire. He would slip in and out of French and English with ease adopting lots of accents no problem. He was a lovely bloke who's head told him he was British and heart said French. Old boy or Peppy miss those days. Anyway cheers for starting memories. All the best Nick Cart motor services UK ,
@@mytube9367 that's a kind thing to say. He did get a flight in a Catalina at the age of about 93 which made the local papers and he was very very chuffed!
Hi. Ex Short Brothers engineering apprentice here. Gouge flaps were designed by Arthur Gouge, Short Brothers Chief Designer. Hence the name. I don't know of any other aircraft using Gouge flaps; the design may have been copyrighted. Great video!
Probably the first WW2 Era flight deck I got to sit in at eight years old. That was 1979 and I've loved the Sunderland ever since. In the decades since, New Zealand's Museum of Engineering and Technology has restricted internal public access so I'm lucky to have my childhood photos.
@@guaporeturns9472 Kermit Weeks Sunderland is actually a Sandringham, but because Shorts didn't do the conversion, it's still called a Sunderland. It's the sister aircraft (NZ4108) to our Sunderland NZ4115 here in Auckland
If you like large flying boats and happen to find yourself in Auckland, New Zealand, you can see TWO of them side by side at the MOTAT aviation park. A Sunderland and a Short Solent MK4. They are both beautifully restored and sitting side by side. Well worth a look.
As an ATC cadet I was visting RAF Pembroke Dock in 1952 and was fortunte to fly in a Sunderland for about 4 hours when we flew around Southampton. I then went on the join the RAF for 5 years and spent following 40 years in the Aviation industry, flew on many old aircraft such as the Anson, Tiger Moth and Lincoln bomber. But I never once experianced the excitment of that Sunderland trip and it will always remain one of my favourite Aircraft, apparently named a flying Porcupine by the German airforce.
Its awesome that you're getting some exclusive looks at normally restricted parts of planes. This is preserving those bits in a way that museum can't. Keep up the great work, sir.
What an excellent, detailed tour of a legendary aircraft. Well done, and 'thank you' to the R.A.F. Museum for allowing for video access to all areas on board. As kids, we would build Airfix kits of WW2 aircraft. My brother once chose an Airfix kit of a Sunderland as a Christmas present. Our biggest model plane. Great days. Thanks again.
Thank you for this video. I’ve seen this Sunderland many times but have never been able to see the upper deck. My grandfather, before being posted to the Far East, served as air crew on Sunderland’s with RAF Coastal Command. One of his roles was to prime and wind out the depth charges during attacks. On one occasion when they attacked a U Boat, a faulty depth charge fuse caused a premature explosion, seriously damaging the airframe. The explosion also caused the crew to lose consciousness and sent the aircraft into a dive. My grandfather came to first and crawled forward to the cockpit. The pilots were slumped forward and he pulled the captain back to check on him. The captain was still holding his control stick and this action pulled the stick back and took the aircraft out of it’s dive. The crew managed to limp the badly damaged aircraft back to their base in Scotland, dipped their flying suits into buckets of pitch, and used them to plug the biggest holes in the fuselage. The temporary repair allowed the Sunderland to land on the Scottish Lough, and the crew to escape. As they paddled their dinghy away they watched their Sunderland slowly sink into the Lough. However my favourite story was of his participation in a top secret, unlogged mission to fly to N Ireland from Scotland and buy turkeys from the local farmers for an unofficial squadron Christmas dinner 👍
My dad flew on the Sunderlands out of Scotland as navigator, before the squadron switched to PB-Y's (Catalinas), and then he too was moved to the far east (India, Indian Ocean patrols). It would be very likely that he knew your grand-dad, I imagine, and probably the story that you told about the depth charge explosion was known to everyone in that area of service.
@@arnastubuttwehak994 my grandad was called Samuel Barfoot from Belfast. I think he spent a couple of years with Coastal Command in the North East of Scotland. His pal was being posted to Burma, but didn’t want to go as he had just got married, so my grandad offered to go instead, and he spent the rest of the war in the Far East
Great video and walkthrough as always. About the rifle rack. I read somewhere that it was actually for the four fixed .303 machineguns in the nose when the aircraft was handling on water so they would not get salty seawater all over and rust up. So this was apparently where they were stored and only put into firing places when in flight. Also about the speed of reloading the bomb racks. I read several accounts that after a first run on a submarine, by the time the Sunderland had ascended and turned to be in position for a second pass, many crews were able to reload the racks and roll them out again. Of course, that depends on how fast a Sunderland could turn around a safe distance from the U-boat firing back. But it was apparently possible to do it in a matter of minutes.
I'm watching this later, but posting now for the algorithm. I'm also curious to see how well this video does in terms of views. Do people want sea plane stuff? I know I want to watch it.
Personally I find all ww2 aircraft content super interesting especially the lesser known or rather more corectly less famous planes(meaning anything thats not a fighter) both here and on your channel.
Sunderlands and their civilian passenger/mail versions are an important part of British Empire/Commonwealth history. My grandfather was in the RNZAF during WW2 and was stationed at a flying boat base in Fiji which was a fuel stop for flights from USA to NZ and Australia. Post war flying boats were a new “fast” connection from NZ to Australia and the rest of the world for several years until the facilities to operate land based aircraft were upgraded to a sufficient standard. So perhaps not a big thing to the rest of the world but a vital step in connecting those of us out on the far edge.
The father of a friend of mine, back when I was a teenager, used to be a navigator in one of these. He used to be in the pacific theatre. The good man has been dead for many years now, but it's great to finally see his work station. We, being young, cared/asked way to little about what he went through inside these aircrafts when he was our age. Thanks to you and the RAF museum for sharing!
This was a wonderful tour, thanks so much. My grandfather was employed as maintenance engineer in these aircraft, based with RAF Coastal Command in Scotland through the majority of the war.
Very interesting tour I don't think you missed a function on the plane. My wife gave me a ride in a B-24 for my birthday three years ago. it was a dream come true. the construction of the aircraft are very similar. As with the B-24 I am amazed how small the turrets were. I'm a big man 6', there is no way even when I was a 180 pound runner I could not have manned one. My short legs won't fit forget my shoulder. I saw you have an issue at the pilot's seat. Great job one of the most fascinating tours yet and you do a good job always. Thanks John G
Brilliant timing! I got stuck at Heathrow for two nights last week so I used the enforced day to visit the RAF museum. I think the Sunderland is the star of the show. At the time I was disappointed not to be able to access the upper deck but your excellent video fixed that problem. Thank you.
I took my grandson to the museum and he went inside on his own as my back problems would not allow me. He loved it, and so especially thank you for this great video as you allowed me to see it now as well! I especially like your structured presentation approach and clear contextual explanation of what you are about to do next.
Many thanks for posting this fascinating and detailed tour! My father flew on these things as a navigator, and told me a little of how cramped they were on board, especially after some hours. He was with 205 Squadron (mostly) during 1945 and 1946, flying around Hong Kong, Penang, Singapore and Ceylon, etc. I have his log book and a couple of flight plans. Some flights are in excess of 10 or even 11 hours. I think most of the time they were dropping supplies, but there is one reference to dropping depth charges. I have some photos, but cannot identify the particular aircraft; there's also a "certificate" for the first time he crossed the Equator, in a Sunderland called "Love". I really must go to Hendon one day and see the plane for myself.
That was fantastic - thank you so much. I was at the RAF Museum a few months ago so saw this beautiful flying boat and some of the interior. This film, together with the explanation, have given me some real insight into what my father experienced in the late 1940s as an RAF Sunderland pilot in Ceylon (Sri Lanka). He loved the Sunderland, and I can see why! I’ve written a children’s adventure story (Biggles-style) where the Sunderland plays a starring role.
Grandfather was a navigator in the RAAF. He always said he loved flying in these birds! Thank you so much for showing me a bit of how his time was spent in these great birds!
Excellent presentation. My Dad was in 422 sqdn, RCAF, although a Brit. Undertook patrols between late '42 to the end of '43. Shot down by two surfaced subs 17th October 1943 in Mid-Atlantic. 7 men picked up by convoy destroyer (other four killed) and taken back to Nova Scotia and finally back to Castle Archdale. Just building a diorama of the attack to keep his memory and exploits alive. Great amount of detail. Well done!
Thanks for giving an insight on this mighty plane. I read all Ivan Southall's books (a RAAF Sunderland pilot based Pembroke) when I was younger and the hunts on these submarines were captivating to say the least, even if those missions lasted very long indeed. He also mentions a surprise encounter with a FW200 where they play hide and seek in icing clouds if I remember. Worth a read!
I have an affinity with Sunderlands. I am of an age when I rember as a child, Belfast Harbour and the Lough . My first aircraft memory is of being brought through the harbour and seeing white Sunderlands waiting outside the Shorts factory to be converted to civilian use. I didn't know what they were at the time but recognised them later in life Some were obviously well used and streaked with oil . I lived on the Lough side so a treat was watching them take off and landing. Thank you for letting us see what was in those beasts . I saw the one in Duxford but you cannot get in it.
Thank you! My grandfather was an Engineer flying on the Sunderlands out if Scotland during WW2. He flew these, Catolinas and B-17s . Loved them all but talked about the Sunderland the most.
I'm a fairly frequent visitor to the RAF Museum and often walk through the Sunderland. I've always wanted to see the upper deck, so this was a real treat, especially the detailed explanation of all the equipment- that was very interesting indeed. Though my favourite WWII aircraft is the Lancaster, I've had an affection for the Sunderland since I built the Airfix kit about 50 years ago. I'm always impressed by the real thing's size although standing under the nose of the Vulcan is slightly more mind-blowing. Well done for a most interesting and informative video.
Ah, an old friend! Used to live in Hendon and the museum became my coffee shop for a while! When I was younger, my dad used to take us every year too. I don’t know how many times I’ve been through that bird (many,many times), but never I’ve got to the cockpit - good to finally see!
Many years ago I was lucky enough to get to know Wing Commander Derek Martin (who lived near Marlow) - a WW2 Sunderland pilot. An amazing and humble man.
my father was rear gunner on sunderlands mainly based at Pembroke dock one time they returned with depth charge stuck on the racksothey landed outside the bay and sent an SOS message and a launch was sent topics up the crew; At the next camp dance a fellow member point out the wireless operator who answered the call my father took one look at her and said he would marry her and that is how my parents met each other!
Flying boats are next to the DC-3 in my love for slow fat planes. I first heard about them from my mom who along with my grandmother almost got run over by one while in a small boat between the islands of Grenada and Trinidad circa 1944. The pilot did not see them until the last minute because he had to pull up hard. They got showered by the water falling off the floats. She enjoyed watching Tales of The Gold Monkey with me back in '82. A flying boat was a main character in this adventure tale. Back them I did not know of their wartime duties and exploits. This was a treat getting a walk through.
I've seen a film on Talking Pictures TV (in the UK), as part of their regular IWM films series called "BOMB HANDLING, FUZING AND LOADING", and it is a period training film showing all the steps needed to arm and de-arm a Short Sunderland (which a quick search of the IWM site has revealed it's film number is "AMY 410") Hope that helps Chris.
My late father was an RAF Pilot who flew the Sunderland in the 1950’s. Stationed in Singapore he was ordered home with his crew to pick up a newly renovated Sunderland from shorts of a Belfast. He then flew it back to Singapore. The trip was full of hazards and it took them approximately one month. It was the last Sunderland flown to Singapore and the story got into the papers. Sadly just a few months later the squadron was disbanded and the Sunderland is cut up for scrap and everybody came home.
I remember seeing this particular Sunderland when living near Pembroke Dock in the early 60's. As a child I recall the huge tail towering over a high brick wall and trying to imagine the size of the whole thing. Now I have to imagine no longer. Thank you for posting.
I've loved the Sunderland since I was a kid. My dad had a book from WWIi about the RAF. It included a cutout view of the Sunderland and I was amazed how much stuff could be fit in a single aircraft.
A big bird deserving of its big Inside the Cockpit video. A wonderful video Chris, give the RAF Museum my thanks for allowing such unprecedented access for this.
Really nicely made and interesting film. Thank you very much. My 1970 Airfix Sunderland was a great favourite for a postwar child. A winter’s night on patrol over the North Atlantic must have been an ordeal .
Loved the "second bomb aimers position" line.Great video and have been to Hendon and seen the great aircraft itself and all the rest on display there.Fantastic place.
My uncle Gerald Saunders (RIP) was an RAF flight engineer on Sunderland’s posted as liaison to an RCAF squadron operating out of Castle Archdale during the war, (he was a native French speaker). After many long atlantic patrols his Sunderland crashed on landing hitting a submerged log….my uncle who was in the bow at his landing station (to hook onto the buoy) was badly injured….his log entry which I once saw simply said “shaky do”. While in hospital my dad (who was in the Navy) got special leave to visit his brother. While in the hospital recovering (he needed plastic surgery) the remainder of his crew went on another patrol and all were lost after hitting a mountain in low cloud. My uncle lived in Pinner and when the museum got this Sunderland in the 1970’s he was invited there and the local paper did a story on him which I still have a copy of along with his manual for the Bristol Pegasus engine. Brave guys.
When I was in the RAF museum the Sunderland and the Vulcan bombers were the most impressive beasts for me. Ever since I built a Sunderland model as a kid, this plane fascinated me as hell. Just the sheer size is impressive. Normally warbirds seem small compared to giants in the sky like the Jumbo. Not the Sunderland though.
I remember as a seven year old kid in the late 60's, sat at the kitchen table watching my dad show me how to build and paint my first plastic model kit.That aircraft was the Airfix 1/72nd scale Sunderland.That model hung, with loads of others from my bedroom ceiling for ages.
Thanks for your outstanding work - I love to be in museums looking at planes, bore my wife and sometimes even have the possibility to get into those technical masterpieces. Your "Inside the Cockpit" videos help me to get this feeling even at home and it is nice to see how happy you are while getting in the pilots seats and explain everything 🙂
Flying boats are beautiful aircraft and the Sunderland and Catalina are amongst the very best. I saw a Catalina flying about 20 years ago but like a lot of people I didn't think there were any Sunderlands left, flying or not. I remember when I was a kid and into airfix kits I got a Catalina, Halifax, Lancaster and Sunderland one xmas, magic.
In 1949 I flew in a civilian version of the Sunderland from Singapore to Darwin, a weeks trip! We landed at all the Indonesian islands en route for the night. It was an extremely comfortable and roomy 'plane. It had a lounge area with Lloyd loom chairs and up the spiral staircase were the sleeping cabins with double beds. Such luxury and elegance doesn't exist nowadays.
Dad flew in these as a rear gunner from RAF Seletar in Singapore (1952/54). As well as local flights during the Malaya emergency, they flew up to Korea during that war
Brilliant as always. I saw this beast being restored (from a great distance!) on my previous visit. Everyone who saw it will return to see this amazing aeroplane.
An iconic aircraft from my very own childhood, growing up just down the road from the museum. It always stood out to me just by its sheer size as well as the fact that you could go inside it and look out of the sides! I love the Hendon Museum and likewise recommend it - the First World War in the Air exhibition just next door to that hangar is exceptionally good and worth the visit alone!
All the Short Sunderland's that were built at Shorts in Rochester Kent my grandfather was responsible for building and installing the cockpit sections. He was team lead/senior engineer/manager of a group of men that built and installed the the cockpit section, all the instrument panelling, the wiring etc etc. Funny thing is though he would never talk about his time working on the planes but then again I was just a very very young boy. The company changed to Marconi Avionics and I do remember when on school holiday visiting my grandparents, my father and me driving out there to pick up my grandfather from work. It was a massive place, the car park was huge :)
A very interesting and enjoyable video. My late father-in-law worked at Short Brothers at Rochester at the start of the war helping to make these planes until the factory closed and production was moved to Northern Ireland. He showed me around a museum plane lower deck only explaining what he made. (not sure if that one or at Yoevil) He was a sheet metal worker. He said the flying boat was nicknamed the Flying Porcupine because of its array of guns. I believe where you say the landing lights were installed they added extra powerful lights (similar on the catalina) to disguise the outline of the plane flying low across the sea from the sun direction to help catch a U-boat on the surface.
My late maternal Grandfather was a flight engineer on these and Catalinas. He didn't really tell us much about that time. But he did mention the repair station. Thank you for showing us where these guys worked and lived.
Great video thanks for making it. My dad was and engineer on Sunderland's during the 2nd World War, but unfortunately he passed away when I was very young so I never learnt much about them. I know he was out in Singapore, Alexandra, Cairo and some other places . It was a beautiful big sea plane and must have been a great sight to see and hear but also a terrifying sight for an enemy submarine.
Great tour, my first time in a flying boat, thank you. What always impressed me it that during WW2, these planes were crewed by men as young as 18 years old. My Dad was in the 8th Air Force, stationed first in north Africa then at Hardwick. He went into the war at 21 as a Staff Sergeant.
There's just something special about flying boats - and the Sunderland is one of the most beautiful of them all. Once again: you have given us an excellent overview of a flying icon. Thank you!
My late Father was based with RAF Coastal Command during WW2. 201 Squadron at Lough Erne in Northern Island. He always had a soft spot for the good old Sunderland. He said it was site to behold watching them take off and land on the Lough. He made an Airfix Model of the Sunderland when I was a Young lad.
Never really appreciate how big that big white bird is .I am sure you could have spent all day studying what all the equipment does and having fun doing it. One of the best tours I've seen had me almost saying what's next !
These guys were special forces of the RAF, the technology and learning skills were huge, amazing and brilliant, manufacturing and technical intergration must have been collosal.
A few years ago I was lucky enough to be allowed on the flight deck of the Short Sandringham that is in the Solent Sky museum in Southampton and was able to sit in the captain's seat. An experience I greatly treasure 😃
It is definately worth checking out the Museum of the Sunderland/Sandringham in Southampton. The Sandringham is the civilian version of the Sunderland and I understand that many Sunderland's were turned into Sandringham's at the end of the war. Don't visit on a public holiday and if its not too busy you will get access to the cockpit and sit in the pilots and co pilots seats. Its a great plane and you will have a fabulous time.
Back in 1949, in Hong Kong, the RAF had several Sunderlands that would land and take off in the water. They made a spectacular show when taking off, the spray looked like the wake of the hydroplane "Slo-Mo-Shun". They'd break from the surface and gracefully climb away, it was a really beautiful sight to see. One of them took a doctor up to the HMS Amethyst when she was ambushed on the Yangtze in, also saw the Amethyst as she sailed into HK harbor a couple of weeks later.
Great that you could see the upper deck! Huge Kudos to the RAF meseum and you for building that kind of relationship. You mentioned Health and Safety and Conservation - could you go into a little detail about each. H&S - nasty paints and fire proofing ?
Thanks for doing this one. Ever since I was a kid I've been fascinated with this plane. Thought it looked great. I've never seen one in person so your tour was really appreciated.
"You're flying over the Atlantic, it's not the best of times, well, there's a war on..." Bismarck here proving he's spent too much time with the Brits, picking up the understated humour. Love it.
Great video, thank you very much. Built in my home town Rochester, Kent. In Shorts 'Esplanade Works' Also ref 'The Gouge Flap' it was as you implied named after an employee but rather an important one being (Sir) Arthur Gouge who left school aged 13 and became an employee I think 1915 or 16 and was responsible for many designs from the Singapore through to the 'C class' Empire flying boats and the ubiquitous Sunderland, the Gouge flap was I think specifically designed for the civil 'C class' around 1936 or so, from which of course the Sunderland was developed. Gouge who was Chief Designer by now and Chairman Oswald Short both suffered forced resignations in early 1943 after refusing to switch production Lancaster bombers instead of the Stirling bomber. Gouge then went on to Saunders Roe and became heavily involved in the design of the S45 (Princess) flying boat. (Sorry, USA readers Flying Boat not Seaplane they are different things over here)
Excellent video. My dad worked at Shorts in Rochester during WW2. Radio and avionics (was it called that back then?)was his trade. Funny feeling looking at the radio gear in this aircraft and wondering if he handled those actual instruments.I wish I'd talked to him more about those days,not an easy time for young men in civilian but essential work.
I recall going on my RAF AEF flight from RAF Waddington in a Shorts Belfast whilst I was a raw RAF recruit. So it is great to see inside another aircraft from the Shorts' stable. Thank you so much and to the RAF Museum too, for making that possible.
In Singapore I used to play by the river where two Sunderlands were being scavanged for spares, they joked they killed more terrorists in the jungle with the parts falling off. I understand that the german pilots called them flying porkupines and I remember they had larger bomb doors for the barrel depth charges and could fire out of hatches below the wings I belive.may just be my age, my father was stationed at Salita and we joined him there, he ended up as ADC to the Queen.
Thanks, been inside her a couple of times and really hated that perspex no-go panel! so good to see at least the rest in your video. I read that at one stage in the U-boat battles the subs began to fight it out on the surface, fitting extra AA guns and that it was the Aussies who, having lost a Sunderland to the sub it still sank, decided to fit the four flank guns to clear the AA crews away. I had often wondered why the bigger longer ranged fifty cals were not used but as BoFoens says further down that the guns were meant to be stacked in the racks you showed and fitted once in flight that could explain .303 over .50? Would like to know what was involved in getting her to Hendon in the first place!
Brilliant tour! I used to drink with an old guy in the 80s who was a wireless operator on Sunderlands... wish I could remember the stories! However he did love the aircraft and you've brought back some great memories. I love flying boats, especially the Sunderland, but surprisingly it's not as "roomy" as I expected... fascinating walkaround, thanks!
My late father was a fight engineer on sunderlands in ww2 and in his last years I took him to Hendon to visit that plane. I first saw that plane in Pembroke dock when I was a young lad
My father piloted a RCAF Sunderland based in Ireland on anti-submarine patrols. I have only ever seen photos of the plane. The tour of the interior was really informative.
I worked on engine build at Rolls Royce in the early 80s. They built engines vertically and had a pit in the floor with an engine lift ram. Sometimes you dropped a spanner and had to walk down the factory, down ladders and walk along a tunnel to get to where your spanner had dropped. There was always a joke...you would be hopeless working on a flying boat.
I was an airforce cadet who flew once in a Sunderland. The thing I remember most was the walkway along the plane - "Stay on the boards or your foot will go through to atmosphere" - and the little kitchen , with a stove with a kettle on it.
My Father was always in great regard to Sunderland’s as he unexpectedly flew out of Crete on General Frieberg’s evacuation aircraft. He delivered a message to him after a long walk following escape after battle. He was invited to a seat but as he recalled most were standing and the aircraft was so overloaded they taxied half way to Alexandria!
I had the pleasure of taking a flight in a Short Sunderland off Calshot, near Southampton, sometime back in the early 1980's. Quite a remarkable aircraft and experience!
There's a Short Solent at the Oakland aviation museum which is derived from the Sunderland; you can tour inside and get right into the bow position which was used for grabbing mooring lines. The storage area, rather than having a rifle rack, has a Tiki Bar instead. Great being able to look around the interior with such freedom, small museums will often permit you much greater access than mainstream ones as they have far fewer visitors who tend to be enthusiasts and hopefully don't break too much...
Very nostalgic, this. I remember looking at this exhibit in the mid 1980s, with my dad. It wasn't open then. It was just this massive white thing (to my 11yr old eyes...) that sat in the most open area of the museum. I remember a balcony overlooked it, at just above wing level.
Excellent video. Just became a channel member. Thank you. I have been intrigued with these aircraft for a long time. I remember seeing the one at MOTAT in Auckland, here in NZ back in the early seventies but only from the outside. At least you could see the .50 cal guns mounted in their turrets on the Lancaster, obtained from Noumea.
My grandad worked on this aircraft when it was in storage at Alness in 1948. He was one of the fitters who prepared it for its ferry flight to Stranraer in May that year. It was wearing 330 Sqn code WH-T at that time.
"Cinderella Service" by Andrew Hendrie is a very interesting book about the British Coastal Command, including Sunderlands. The Sunderland was responsible for a lot of Uboat kills, however, it wasn't one sided and a lot of Sunderlands were lost - the book explains why.
I've been there, it's amazing. Thanks. And I've forgotten to say that my favorite aircraft is the Messerschmitt Bf-109 which looks incredible small, but was dadly. The best fighter of WW2. Got a lot of pictures.
There was a RAF Short Sunderland in the air during the Battle of the Denmark Strait and the cruel thing is that if the weather had not been so bad that the seas were so rough the Sunderland could have assisted in the search for survivors and the 3 survivors could have been rescued far in less time than it took
I showed this video to my grandmother's cousin whose older brother, Frank, flew RCAF Sunderlands through the Donegal Gap on 12+ hour anti-submarine patrols over the North Atlantic until KIA in Oct 1943, This walkaround brought tears of joy to a 94 year old man who still mourns and misses his brother. Sincere thanks!
Thanks so much for sharing this and tell me about it, don't know what to say, very touching!
my Mother's elder brother Frank D flew them, too
My late neighbour was a flight engineer on the Sunderlands, mostly based out of Cromatry but they flew out of Singapore as well as somewhere India, I believe. Please forgive me if this is not 100% accurate - I didn't write down the information when we were talking at the time.
My Dad was shot down on 17th October 1943. He was RAF but his plane was an RCAF Sunderland. He survived but four crew died.
My father was part of coastal command stationed at Pembroke Dock, my birthplace and was the radio operator on a Sunderland, named BOY. Know he was involved in the supplying the British Artic Expedition. Landing was the most dangerous especially on choppy water.
My old boy undertook 3 tours of operations between 1939 and 1945. Towards the end of the war he transitioned to Coastal Command on Sunderlands as a WOpAG. He then went on to fly as an AOE/Instructor on Shacks and then Nimrods and retired in 1975 having joined up in 1937. He received the DFC, MID *2, KCVS (Air) *2 and was awarded LDeH before he died at the age of 97. He loved the Sunderland.
Never heard the term old boy before. It mean grandfather? Where are you from (I am curious where this turn of phrase is used)?
I think a Sunderland would have been granted leave for his final journey to the great unknown. I hope it was all he wished for. All the best Nick Cart motor services UK
@@jimmydesouza4375 hello Jimmy. My grandad, insisted that I should call him old boy! Everyone else called him peppy. He was originally a French man, but he believed, and it's true that as soon as anyone steps on British soil he is a free man. Of course he did extremely well for him self as a patisserie Chef in Muswell hill a well healed suburb in London .he owned the property that he traded from and was extremely proud of his little empire. He would slip in and out of French and English with ease adopting lots of accents no problem. He was a lovely bloke who's head told him he was British and heart said French. Old boy or Peppy miss those days. Anyway cheers for starting memories. All the best Nick Cart motor services UK
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@@jimmydesouza4375 'old boy' is a term of endearment for 'my father' here in the UK
@@mytube9367 that's a kind thing to say. He did get a flight in a Catalina at the age of about 93 which made the local papers and he was very very chuffed!
Thanks to you and the RAF museum for the terrific tour.
Bravo ! Very well explained , thank you .
Visited the museum on Saturday. Fantastic exhibits and the porcupine was breathtaking. Loved the museum and thanks for the video.
Hi. Ex Short Brothers engineering apprentice here. Gouge flaps were designed by Arthur Gouge, Short Brothers Chief Designer. Hence the name. I don't know of any other aircraft using Gouge flaps; the design may have been copyrighted. Great video!
Probably the first WW2 Era flight deck I got to sit in at eight years old. That was 1979 and I've loved the Sunderland ever since. In the decades since, New Zealand's Museum of Engineering and Technology has restricted internal public access so I'm lucky to have my childhood photos.
I think Kermit Weeks has a flying Sunderland , if my memory serves me correctly
I remember sitting in the rear turret of the MOTAT example in '78 as a kid too.
It's actually MOTAT - Museum of Transport and Technology
@@guaporeturns9472 Kermit Weeks Sunderland is actually a Sandringham, but because Shorts didn't do the conversion, it's still called a Sunderland. It's the sister aircraft (NZ4108) to our Sunderland NZ4115 here in Auckland
@@hkins1 I see.. I’ll have to look into it more.. thanks
If you like large flying boats and happen to find yourself in Auckland, New Zealand, you can see TWO of them side by side at the MOTAT aviation park. A Sunderland and a Short Solent MK4. They are both beautifully restored and sitting side by side. Well worth a look.
As an ATC cadet I was visting RAF Pembroke Dock in 1952 and was fortunte to fly in a Sunderland for about 4 hours when we flew around Southampton. I then went on the join the RAF for 5 years and spent following 40 years in the Aviation industry, flew on many old aircraft such as the Anson, Tiger Moth and Lincoln bomber. But I never once experianced the excitment of that Sunderland trip and it will always remain one of my favourite Aircraft, apparently named a flying Porcupine by the German airforce.
Its awesome that you're getting some exclusive looks at normally restricted parts of planes. This is preserving those bits in a way that museum can't. Keep up the great work, sir.
What an excellent, detailed tour of a legendary aircraft. Well done, and 'thank you' to the R.A.F. Museum for allowing for video access to all areas on board. As kids, we would build Airfix kits of WW2 aircraft. My brother once chose an Airfix kit of a Sunderland as a Christmas present. Our biggest model plane. Great days. Thanks again.
Thank you for this video. I’ve seen this Sunderland many times but have never been able to see the upper deck. My grandfather, before being posted to the Far East, served as air crew on Sunderland’s with RAF Coastal Command. One of his roles was to prime and wind out the depth charges during attacks. On one occasion when they attacked a U Boat, a faulty depth charge fuse caused a premature explosion, seriously damaging the airframe. The explosion also caused the crew to lose consciousness and sent the aircraft into a dive. My grandfather came to first and crawled forward to the cockpit. The pilots were slumped forward and he pulled the captain back to check on him. The captain was still holding his control stick and this action pulled the stick back and took the aircraft out of it’s dive. The crew managed to limp the badly damaged aircraft back to their base in Scotland, dipped their flying suits into buckets of pitch, and used them to plug the biggest holes in the fuselage. The temporary repair allowed the Sunderland to land on the Scottish Lough, and the crew to escape. As they paddled their dinghy away they watched their Sunderland slowly sink into the Lough.
However my favourite story was of his participation in a top secret, unlogged mission to fly to N Ireland from Scotland and buy turkeys from the local farmers for an unofficial squadron Christmas dinner 👍
My dad flew on the Sunderlands out of Scotland as navigator, before the squadron switched to PB-Y's (Catalinas), and then he too was moved to the far east (India, Indian Ocean patrols). It would be very likely that he knew your grand-dad, I imagine, and probably the story that you told about the depth charge explosion was known to everyone in that area of service.
@@arnastubuttwehak994 my grandad was called Samuel Barfoot from Belfast. I think he spent a couple of years with Coastal Command in the North East of Scotland. His pal was being posted to Burma, but didn’t want to go as he had just got married, so my grandad offered to go instead, and he spent the rest of the war in the Far East
Fantastic story thank you
Exploding depth charges and buckets of pitch. Seriously. I think someone was having you on🤣
Great video and walkthrough as always. About the rifle rack. I read somewhere that it was actually for the four fixed .303 machineguns in the nose when the aircraft was handling on water so they would not get salty seawater all over and rust up. So this was apparently where they were stored and only put into firing places when in flight.
Also about the speed of reloading the bomb racks. I read several accounts that after a first run on a submarine, by the time the Sunderland had ascended and turned to be in position for a second pass, many crews were able to reload the racks and roll them out again. Of course, that depends on how fast a Sunderland could turn around a safe distance from the U-boat firing back. But it was apparently possible to do it in a matter of minutes.
I'm watching this later, but posting now for the algorithm. I'm also curious to see how well this video does in terms of views. Do people want sea plane stuff? I know I want to watch it.
Personally I find all ww2 aircraft content super interesting especially the lesser known or rather more corectly less famous planes(meaning anything thats not a fighter) both here and on your channel.
Sunderlands and their civilian passenger/mail versions are an important part of British Empire/Commonwealth history. My grandfather was in the RNZAF during WW2 and was stationed at a flying boat base in Fiji which was a fuel stop for flights from USA to NZ and Australia.
Post war flying boats were a new “fast” connection from NZ to Australia and the rest of the world for several years until the facilities to operate land based aircraft were upgraded to a sufficient standard. So perhaps not a big thing to the rest of the world but a vital step in connecting those of us out on the far edge.
Well Greg,anything you post I will watch. Always look forward to your stuff.
Seaplanes are so cool, I think they’re really interesting and I would love to learn more about the engineering from you.
What an amazing tour, thanks to you and the RAF Museum for the chance to see the upper floor!
The father of a friend of mine, back when I was a teenager, used to be a navigator in one of these. He used to be in the pacific theatre. The good man has been dead for many years now, but it's great to finally see his work station. We, being young, cared/asked way to little about what he went through inside these aircrafts when he was our age. Thanks to you and the RAF museum for sharing!
This was a wonderful tour, thanks so much. My grandfather was employed as maintenance engineer in these aircraft, based with RAF Coastal Command in Scotland through the majority of the war.
Absolutely love the Sunderland. For many of her crews, they were their home
My dad called it home from 1940 until 45 while in a Canadian coastal command bird as a radio operator/navigator
well said be nice if 2 were kept air worthy and flew at air shows
Very interesting tour I don't think you missed a function on the plane. My wife gave me a ride in a B-24 for my birthday three years ago. it was a dream come true. the construction of the aircraft are very similar. As with the B-24 I am amazed how small the turrets were. I'm a big man 6', there is no way even when I was a 180 pound runner I could not have manned one. My short legs won't fit forget my shoulder. I saw you have an issue at the pilot's seat. Great job one of the most fascinating tours yet and you do a good job always. Thanks John G
Brilliant timing! I got stuck at Heathrow for two nights last week so I used the enforced day to visit the RAF museum. I think the Sunderland is the star of the show. At the time I was disappointed not to be able to access the upper deck but your excellent video fixed that problem. Thank you.
I took my grandson to the museum and he went inside on his own as my back problems would not allow me. He loved it, and so especially thank you for this great video as you allowed me to see it now as well! I especially like your structured presentation approach and clear contextual explanation of what you are about to do next.
Many thanks for posting this fascinating and detailed tour! My father flew on these things as a navigator, and told me a little of how cramped they were on board, especially after some hours. He was with 205 Squadron (mostly) during 1945 and 1946, flying around Hong Kong, Penang, Singapore and Ceylon, etc. I have his log book and a couple of flight plans. Some flights are in excess of 10 or even 11 hours. I think most of the time they were dropping supplies, but there is one reference to dropping depth charges. I have some photos, but cannot identify the particular aircraft; there's also a "certificate" for the first time he crossed the Equator, in a Sunderland called "Love". I really must go to Hendon one day and see the plane for myself.
That was fantastic - thank you so much. I was at the RAF Museum a few months ago so saw this beautiful flying boat and some of the interior. This film, together with the explanation, have given me some real insight into what my father experienced in the late 1940s as an RAF Sunderland pilot in Ceylon (Sri Lanka). He loved the Sunderland, and I can see why! I’ve written a children’s adventure story (Biggles-style) where the Sunderland plays a starring role.
Grandfather was a navigator in the RAAF. He always said he loved flying in these birds! Thank you so much for showing me a bit of how his time was spent in these great birds!
Excellent presentation. My Dad was in 422 sqdn, RCAF, although a Brit. Undertook patrols between late '42 to the end of '43. Shot down by two surfaced subs 17th October 1943 in Mid-Atlantic. 7 men picked up by convoy destroyer (other four killed) and taken back to Nova Scotia and finally back to Castle Archdale. Just building a diorama of the attack to keep his memory and exploits alive. Great amount of detail. Well done!
Thanks for giving an insight on this mighty plane. I read all Ivan Southall's books (a RAAF Sunderland pilot based Pembroke) when I was younger and the hunts on these submarines were captivating to say the least, even if those missions lasted very long indeed. He also mentions a surprise encounter with a FW200 where they play hide and seek in icing clouds if I remember. Worth a read!
Thanks for the tip - I hadn’t heard of those books.
I believe the Ivan Southall book on the Sunderland was Fly West.
I have an affinity with Sunderlands. I am of an age when I rember as a child, Belfast Harbour and the Lough . My first aircraft memory is of being brought through the harbour and seeing white Sunderlands waiting outside the Shorts factory to be converted to civilian use. I didn't know what they were at the time but recognised them later in life Some were obviously well used and streaked with oil . I lived on the Lough side so a treat was watching them take off and landing. Thank you for letting us see what was in those beasts . I saw the one in Duxford but you cannot get in it.
Thank you! My grandfather was an Engineer flying on the Sunderlands out if Scotland during WW2. He flew these, Catolinas and B-17s . Loved them all but talked about the Sunderland the most.
I'm a fairly frequent visitor to the RAF Museum and often walk through the Sunderland. I've always wanted to see the upper deck, so this was a real treat, especially the detailed explanation of all the equipment- that was very interesting indeed. Though my favourite WWII aircraft is the Lancaster, I've had an affection for the Sunderland since I built the Airfix kit about 50 years ago. I'm always impressed by the real thing's size although standing under the nose of the Vulcan is slightly more mind-blowing.
Well done for a most interesting and informative video.
Ah, an old friend! Used to live in Hendon and the museum became my coffee shop for a while! When I was younger, my dad used to take us every year too. I don’t know how many times I’ve been through that bird (many,many times), but never I’ve got to the cockpit - good to finally see!
Many years ago I was lucky enough to get to know Wing Commander Derek Martin (who lived near Marlow) - a WW2 Sunderland pilot. An amazing and humble man.
my father was rear gunner on sunderlands mainly based at Pembroke dock one time they returned with depth charge stuck on the racksothey landed outside the bay and sent an SOS message and a launch was sent topics up the crew; At the next camp dance a fellow member point out the wireless operator who answered the call my father took one look at her and said he would marry her and that is how my parents met each other!
Flying boats are next to the DC-3 in my love for slow fat planes. I first heard about them from my mom who along with my grandmother almost got run over by one while in a small boat between the islands of Grenada and Trinidad circa 1944. The pilot did not see them until the last minute because he had to pull up hard. They got showered by the water falling off the floats. She enjoyed watching Tales of The Gold Monkey with me back in '82. A flying boat was a main character in this adventure tale. Back them I did not know of their wartime duties and exploits. This was a treat getting a walk through.
I've seen a film on Talking Pictures TV (in the UK), as part of their regular IWM films series called "BOMB HANDLING, FUZING AND LOADING", and it is a period training film showing all the steps needed to arm and de-arm a Short Sunderland (which a quick search of the IWM site has revealed it's film number is "AMY 410")
Hope that helps Chris.
My late father was an RAF Pilot who flew the Sunderland in the 1950’s. Stationed in Singapore he was ordered home with his crew to pick up a newly renovated Sunderland from shorts of a Belfast. He then flew it back to Singapore. The trip was full of hazards and it took them approximately one month. It was the last Sunderland flown to Singapore and the story got into the papers. Sadly just a few months later the squadron was disbanded and the Sunderland is cut up for scrap and everybody came home.
I remember seeing this particular Sunderland when living near Pembroke Dock in the early 60's. As a child I recall the huge tail towering over a high brick wall and trying to imagine the size of the whole thing. Now I have to imagine no longer. Thank you for posting.
Beautifully researched and well made . Thank you.
I've loved the Sunderland since I was a kid. My dad had a book from WWIi about the RAF. It included a cutout view of the Sunderland and I was amazed how much stuff could be fit in a single aircraft.
One of my childhood dreams was living in one of these things. Just hopping around between oceans and lakes as a flying yacht...
I had those same dreams, but with a Boeing model 314 Clipper. A slightly more elegant flying boat in my opinion😁
A big bird deserving of its big Inside the Cockpit video. A wonderful video Chris, give the RAF Museum my thanks for allowing such unprecedented access for this.
Really nicely made and interesting film. Thank you very much. My 1970 Airfix Sunderland was a great favourite for a postwar child. A winter’s night on patrol over the North Atlantic must have been an ordeal .
Loved the "second bomb aimers position" line.Great video and have been to Hendon and seen the great aircraft itself and all the rest on display there.Fantastic place.
My uncle Gerald Saunders (RIP) was an RAF flight engineer on Sunderland’s posted as liaison to an RCAF squadron operating out of Castle Archdale during the war, (he was a native French speaker). After many long atlantic patrols his Sunderland crashed on landing hitting a submerged log….my uncle who was in the bow at his landing station (to hook onto the buoy) was badly injured….his log entry which I once saw simply said “shaky do”. While in hospital my dad (who was in the Navy) got special leave to visit his brother. While in the hospital recovering (he needed plastic surgery) the remainder of his crew went on another patrol and all were lost after hitting a mountain in low cloud. My uncle lived in Pinner and when the museum got this Sunderland in the 1970’s he was invited there and the local paper did a story on him which I still have a copy of along with his manual for the Bristol Pegasus engine. Brave guys.
An incredible story. Brave guys indeed, doing their duty at such great cost few of us can begin to realise.
Thank you for sharing your uncle's story.
When I was in the RAF museum the Sunderland and the Vulcan bombers were the most impressive beasts for me. Ever since I built a Sunderland model as a kid, this plane fascinated me as hell.
Just the sheer size is impressive. Normally warbirds seem small compared to giants in the sky like the Jumbo. Not the Sunderland though.
I remember as a seven year old kid in the late 60's, sat at the kitchen table watching my dad show me how to build and paint my first plastic model kit.That aircraft was the Airfix 1/72nd scale Sunderland.That model hung, with loads of others from my bedroom ceiling for ages.
It should have been in the bath.
Nice memories of painting that beast with Humbrol paints. They had a certain smell to them I've never found again since.
Me too! I loved these so much I built two of them. Long ago…
Thanks for your outstanding work - I love to be in museums looking at planes, bore my wife and sometimes even have the possibility to get into those technical masterpieces. Your "Inside the Cockpit" videos help me to get this feeling even at home and it is nice to see how happy you are while getting in the pilots seats and explain everything 🙂
The Sunderland actually went on display at Pembroke Dock,west Wales, after coming back from France. It was then taken to the museum at Hendon.
Kermit Weeks in Florida has the only remaining flying Sunderland.
Flying boats are beautiful aircraft and the Sunderland and Catalina are amongst the very best.
I saw a Catalina flying about 20 years ago but like a lot of people I didn't think there were any Sunderlands left, flying or not.
I remember when I was a kid and into airfix kits I got a Catalina, Halifax, Lancaster and Sunderland one xmas, magic.
In 1949 I flew in a civilian version of the Sunderland from Singapore to Darwin, a weeks trip! We landed at all the Indonesian islands en route for the night. It was an extremely comfortable and roomy 'plane. It had a lounge area with Lloyd loom chairs and up the spiral staircase were the sleeping cabins with double beds. Such luxury and elegance doesn't exist nowadays.
Dad flew in these as a rear gunner from RAF Seletar in Singapore (1952/54). As well as local flights during the Malaya emergency, they flew up to Korea during that war
Brilliant as always. I saw this beast being restored (from a great distance!) on my previous visit. Everyone who saw it will return to see this amazing aeroplane.
An iconic aircraft from my very own childhood, growing up just down the road from the museum. It always stood out to me just by its sheer size as well as the fact that you could go inside it and look out of the sides!
I love the Hendon Museum and likewise recommend it - the First World War in the Air exhibition just next door to that hangar is exceptionally good and worth the visit alone!
All the Short Sunderland's that were built at Shorts in Rochester Kent my grandfather was responsible for building and installing the cockpit sections. He was team lead/senior engineer/manager of a group of men that built and installed the the cockpit section, all the instrument panelling, the wiring etc etc. Funny thing is though he would never talk about his time working on the planes but then again I was just a very very young boy. The company changed to Marconi Avionics and I do remember when on school holiday visiting my grandparents, my father and me driving out there to pick up my grandfather from work. It was a massive place, the car park was huge :)
My father was a wireless operator in Sunderlands during the Korean War. Very interesting to see his 'office'. He was in 88sqdn I believe.
A very interesting and enjoyable video. My late father-in-law worked at Short Brothers at Rochester at the start of the war helping to make these planes until the factory closed and production was moved to Northern Ireland. He showed me around a museum plane lower deck only explaining what he made. (not sure if that one or at Yoevil) He was a sheet metal worker. He said the flying boat was nicknamed the Flying Porcupine because of its array of guns. I believe where you say the landing lights were installed they added extra powerful lights (similar on the catalina) to disguise the outline of the plane flying low across the sea from the sun direction to help catch a U-boat on the surface.
My late maternal Grandfather was a flight engineer on these and Catalinas. He didn't really tell us much about that time. But he did mention the repair station.
Thank you for showing us where these guys worked and lived.
Thanks very much, Gavin! My pleasure giving the tour :)
Great video thanks for making it. My dad was and engineer on Sunderland's during the 2nd World War, but unfortunately he passed away when I was very young so I never learnt much about them. I know he was out in Singapore, Alexandra, Cairo and some other places . It was a beautiful big sea plane and must have been a great sight to see and hear but also a terrifying sight for an enemy submarine.
Great tour, my first time in a flying boat, thank you. What always impressed me it that during WW2, these planes were crewed by men as young as 18 years old. My Dad was in the 8th Air Force, stationed first in north Africa then at Hardwick. He went into the war at 21 as a Staff Sergeant.
There's just something special about flying boats - and the Sunderland is one of the most beautiful of them all.
Once again: you have given us an excellent overview of a flying icon.
Thank you!
My late Father was based with RAF Coastal Command during WW2. 201 Squadron at Lough Erne in Northern Island. He always had a soft spot for the good old Sunderland. He said it was site to behold watching them take off and land on the Lough. He made an Airfix Model of the Sunderland when I was a Young lad.
This is an absolutely amazing piece of human engineering. Still mesmerizing after all these years. Thank you for sharing!
Ethnic n
Even more amazing now.
A truly iconic aircraft…great informative video cheers.
Never really appreciate how big that big white bird is .I am sure you could have spent all day studying what all the equipment does and having fun doing it. One of the best tours I've seen had me almost saying what's next !
I’ve always loved flying boats. My uncle had a plastic model of the Short Sunderland. Thanks so much for this tour of a remarkable aircraft.
These guys were special forces of the RAF, the technology and learning skills were huge, amazing and brilliant, manufacturing and technical intergration must have been collosal.
I've been waiting impatiently for this one, and you didn't disappoint.
My pleasure
A few years ago I was lucky enough to be allowed on the flight deck of the Short Sandringham that is in the Solent Sky museum in Southampton and was able to sit in the captain's seat. An experience I greatly treasure 😃
It is definately worth checking out the Museum of the Sunderland/Sandringham in Southampton. The Sandringham is the civilian version of the Sunderland and I understand that many Sunderland's were turned into Sandringham's at the end of the war. Don't visit on a public holiday and if its not too busy you will get access to the cockpit and sit in the pilots and co pilots seats. Its a great plane and you will have a fabulous time.
Back in 1949, in Hong Kong, the RAF had several Sunderlands that would land and take off in the water. They made a spectacular show when taking off, the spray looked like the wake of the hydroplane "Slo-Mo-Shun". They'd break from the surface and gracefully climb away, it was a really beautiful sight to see. One of them took a doctor up to the HMS Amethyst when she was ambushed on the Yangtze in, also saw the Amethyst as she sailed into HK harbor a couple of weeks later.
I saw the notification for this, and loving this plane, I immediately clicked on it
Really nice to finally get a tour of the aircraft my father helped build when he was an apprentice at Rochester. Thank you.
Great that you could see the upper deck! Huge Kudos to the RAF meseum and you for building that kind of relationship. You mentioned Health and Safety and Conservation - could you go into a little detail about each.
H&S - nasty paints and fire proofing ?
Thanks for doing this one. Ever since I was a kid I've been fascinated with this plane. Thought it looked great. I've never seen one in person so your tour was really appreciated.
Thanks for a great video on an amazing aircraft.
Thanks also to the RAF museum for allowing us to see the upper deck
"You're flying over the Atlantic, it's not the best of times, well, there's a war on..." Bismarck here proving he's spent too much time with the Brits, picking up the understated humour. Love it.
Great video, thank you very much.
Built in my home town Rochester, Kent. In Shorts 'Esplanade Works' Also ref 'The Gouge Flap' it was as you implied named after an employee but rather an important one being (Sir) Arthur Gouge who left school aged 13 and became an employee I think 1915 or 16 and was responsible for many designs from the Singapore through to the 'C class' Empire flying boats and the ubiquitous Sunderland, the Gouge flap was I think specifically designed for the civil 'C class' around 1936 or so, from which of course the Sunderland was developed. Gouge who was Chief Designer by now and Chairman Oswald Short both suffered forced resignations in early 1943 after refusing to switch production Lancaster bombers instead of the Stirling bomber. Gouge then went on to Saunders Roe and became heavily involved in the design of the S45 (Princess) flying boat. (Sorry, USA readers Flying Boat not Seaplane they are different things over here)
Excellent video. My dad worked at Shorts in Rochester during WW2. Radio and avionics (was it called that back then?)was his trade. Funny feeling looking at the radio gear in this aircraft and wondering if he handled those actual instruments.I wish I'd talked to him more about those days,not an easy time for young men in civilian but essential work.
Thank you for your passion and commitment.
I recall going on my RAF AEF flight from RAF Waddington in a Shorts Belfast whilst I was a raw RAF recruit. So it is great to see inside another aircraft from the Shorts' stable. Thank you so much and to the RAF Museum too, for making that possible.
Wow,I had no idea there were any Sunderlands left. Beautiful flying boat.
Kermit weeks has one I think.
In Singapore I used to play by the river where two Sunderlands were being scavanged for spares, they joked they killed more terrorists in the jungle with the parts falling off. I understand that the german pilots called them flying porkupines and I remember they had larger bomb doors for the barrel depth charges and could fire out of hatches below the wings I belive.may just be my age, my father was stationed at Salita and we joined him there, he ended up as ADC to the Queen.
Thanks, been inside her a couple of times and really hated that perspex no-go panel! so good to see at least the rest in your video. I read that at one stage in the U-boat battles the subs began to fight it out on the surface, fitting extra AA guns and that it was the Aussies who, having lost a Sunderland to the sub it still sank, decided to fit the four flank guns to clear the AA crews away. I had often wondered why the bigger longer ranged fifty cals were not used but as BoFoens says further down that the guns were meant to be stacked in the racks you showed and fitted once in flight that could explain .303 over .50?
Would like to know what was involved in getting her to Hendon in the first place!
I just got firmly told by my inner voice that I am a hopeless plane nerd. Loved every second of this.
Brilliant tour! I used to drink with an old guy in the 80s who was a wireless operator on Sunderlands... wish I could remember the stories! However he did love the aircraft and you've brought back some great memories. I love flying boats, especially the Sunderland, but surprisingly it's not as "roomy" as I expected... fascinating walkaround, thanks!
Nice to see this look around the Sunderland, my dad worked in Short & Harlands during the war and helped to build them
My late father was a fight engineer on sunderlands in ww2 and in his last years I took him to Hendon to visit that plane. I first saw that plane in Pembroke dock when I was a young lad
A wonderfully informative video of a personal favourite aircraft of mine! Fascinating, thank you Chris and to the RAF Museum for making this possible.
My father piloted a RCAF Sunderland based in Ireland on anti-submarine patrols. I have only ever seen photos of the plane. The tour of the interior was really informative.
I worked on engine build at Rolls Royce in the early 80s. They built engines vertically and had a pit in the floor with an engine lift ram. Sometimes you dropped a spanner and had to walk down the factory, down ladders and walk along a tunnel to get to where your spanner had dropped.
There was always a joke...you would be hopeless working on a flying boat.
I was an airforce cadet who flew once in a Sunderland. The thing I remember most was the walkway along the plane - "Stay on the boards or your foot will go through to atmosphere" - and the little kitchen , with a stove with a kettle on it.
""GALLEY'. you 'orrible little erk!"
My Father was always in great regard to Sunderland’s as he unexpectedly flew out of Crete on General Frieberg’s evacuation aircraft. He delivered a message to him after a long walk following escape after battle. He was invited to a seat but as he recalled most were standing and the aircraft was so overloaded they taxied half way to Alexandria!
I had the pleasure of taking a flight in a Short Sunderland off Calshot, near Southampton, sometime back in the early 1980's. Quite a remarkable aircraft and experience!
There's a Short Solent at the Oakland aviation museum which is derived from the Sunderland; you can tour inside and get right into the bow position which was used for grabbing mooring lines. The storage area, rather than having a rifle rack, has a Tiki Bar instead. Great being able to look around the interior with such freedom, small museums will often permit you much greater access than mainstream ones as they have far fewer visitors who tend to be enthusiasts and hopefully don't break too much...
Very nostalgic, this. I remember looking at this exhibit in the mid 1980s, with my dad. It wasn't open then. It was just this massive white thing (to my 11yr old eyes...) that sat in the most open area of the museum. I remember a balcony overlooked it, at just above wing level.
Excellent video. Just became a channel member. Thank you. I have been intrigued with these aircraft for a long time. I remember seeing the one at MOTAT in Auckland, here in NZ back in the early seventies but only from the outside. At least you could see the .50 cal guns mounted in their turrets on the Lancaster, obtained from Noumea.
My grandad worked on this aircraft when it was in storage at Alness in 1948. He was one of the fitters who prepared it for its ferry flight to Stranraer in May that year. It was wearing 330 Sqn code WH-T at that time.
"Cinderella Service" by Andrew Hendrie is a very interesting book about the British Coastal Command, including Sunderlands. The Sunderland was responsible for a lot of Uboat kills, however, it wasn't one sided and a lot of Sunderlands were lost - the book explains why.
I flew Miss Pickup, the Duxford IWM Catalina for ten years. Thank you for a wonderful tour of the Sunderland 👍
I've been there, it's amazing. Thanks. And I've forgotten to say that my favorite aircraft is the Messerschmitt Bf-109 which looks incredible small, but was dadly. The best fighter of WW2. Got a lot of pictures.
I have always wondered how different the Sunderland is from the Empire boat. Great video...very in depth and interesting.
There was a RAF Short Sunderland in the air during the Battle of the Denmark Strait and the cruel thing is that if the weather had not been so bad that the seas were so rough the Sunderland could have assisted in the search for survivors and the 3 survivors could have been rescued far in less time than it took