Supermarine Seagull (1948)

infobox Aircraft
name = Seagull
type = Air sea rescue amphibian
manufacturer = Supermarine


caption =
designer =
first flight = 14 July 1948
introduced =
retired =
status =
primary user = Royal Navy
more users =
produced =
number built = 2 (+1 not completed)
unit cost =
developed from =
variants with their own articles =
status = scrapped 1952

The Supermarine Seagull was a British military flying boat and the last be built by the Supermarine company. Intended for use as an Air-Sea Rescue aircraft, design started during the Second World War but it did not fly until after a few years after the war had ended and the project was cancelled without it being adopted for service.

History

In 1940, consideration was made at Supermarine to design a replacement for the Supermarine Walrus and Sea Otter. There was a slight interruption in design due to the necessity of moving the Design Office after the bombing of the facility at Woolston. The aircraft was to be an amphibian monoplane combining the experience gained on the Walrus and Spitfire. A go-ahead from the British Air Ministry to build three prototypes was given in April 1943. There were many delays including having the required power plant change from a Rolls-Royce Merlin to the more powerful Rolls-Royce Griffon. The first prototype, known within Supermarine as the "Type 381" did not first fly until 14 July 1948. The second aircraft performed carrier trials on HMS "Ark Royal" in 1949. Only two prototypes were built, the third being in construction. All were sold for scrap in 1952.

Construction

The Seagull had an all-metal construction with a two spar Parasol wing mounted on pylon connecting it to the fuselage. The single engine drove contra-rotating propellers. The whole wing had variable angle of incidence, pivoted at the front spar with an actuator attached to the rear spar. Supermarine had tested this arrangement in the Type 322. The hull was a normal frame and longeron design with chines. The tailplane, carried on top of the fin, had a very large dihedral, with smaller fins mounted on its tips perpendicular to its surface.

Operators

;UK
*Royal Navy

pecifications (Seagull ASR Mk.1)

Aircraft specifications

plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=prop

ref=Fact|date=April 2008

crew=3
capacity=
payload main=
payload alt=
length main= 44 ft 1½ in
length alt=13.46 m
span main=52 ft 6 in
span alt=16.0 m
span sweep=
height main=15 ft 10½ in
height alt=4.84 m
area main= 432 sq ft
area alt= 40.13 m²
airfoil=
empty weight main= 10,510 lb
empty weight alt= 4,770 kg
loaded weight main= 14,500 lb
loaded weight alt= 6,587 kg
useful load main=
useful load alt=
max takeoff weight main=
max takeoff weight alt=
more general=*Span with wings folded: 23 ft 6 in (7.17 m)

engine (prop)=Rolls-Royce Griffon 29
type of prop=inline piston engine
number of props=1
power main= 1,815 hp
power alt= 1,353 kW
power original=

propeller or rotor=propeller
propellers=Three-bladed propellors
number of propellers per engine=2 (contra rotating)
max speed main= 260 mph at 11,800 ft
max speed alt= 418 km/h at 3,599 m
cruise speed main=
cruise speed alt=
stall speed main=
stall speed alt=
never exceed speed main=
never exceed speed alt=
range main= 875 miles
range alt=1,408 km
ceiling main= 23,700 ft
ceiling alt= 7,229 m
climb rate main= 1,430 ft/min
climb rate alt= 436 m/min
climb rate more=at 7,000 ft (2,133 m)
loading main=
loading alt=
thrust/weight=
power/mass main=
power/mass alt=
more performance=

armament=

avionics=

Aircontent
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References

* "Supermarine Aircraft since 1914" by Andrews & Morgan, Putnam, 1981 (ISBN 0-370-10018-2)