The Supermarine Stranraer is a
flying boat
A flying boat is a type of fixed-winged seaplane with a hull, allowing it to land on water. It differs from a floatplane in that a flying boat's fuselage is purpose-designed for floatation and contains a hull, while floatplanes rely on fusela ...
designed and built by the British
Supermarine Aviation Works company at
Woolston, Southampton
Woolston is a suburb of Southampton, Hampshire, located on the eastern bank of the River Itchen. It is bounded by the River Itchen, Sholing, Peartree Green, Itchen and Weston.
The area has a strong maritime and aviation history. The former ...
. It was developed during the 1930s on behalf of its principal operator, the
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
(RAF). It was the RAF's last and fastest biplane flying boat.
Derived from the
Supermarine Scapa
The Supermarine Scapa was a British general reconnaissance flying boat built by Supermarine that was used by the Royal Air Force between 1935 and 1939. It was developed from the Southampton and formed the basis of the later Stranraer flying boat ...
, the aircraft's design was heavily shaped by
Specification R.24/31, issued in 1931. After an initial rejection by the
Air Ministry
The Air Ministry was a department of the Government of the United Kingdom with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force, that existed from 1918 to 1964. It was under the political authority of the Secretary of State ...
, Supermarine persisted with development as a private venture under the designation Southampton V. During 1933, a contract was placed for a single prototype; it was around this time that the type was named the Stranraer. First flown on 24 July 1934, the Stranraer entered frontline service with the RAF during 1937; most examples of the type were in service by the
outbreak of World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
.
The Stranraers typically undertook anti-submarine and convoy escort patrols during the early years of the conflict. During March 1941, the model was withdrawn from frontline service, but continued to be operated in a training capacity until October 1942. In addition to the British-built aeroplanes, the
Canadian Vickers
Canadian Vickers Limited was an aircraft and shipbuilding company that operated in Canada during the early part of the 20th century until 1944. A subsidiary of Vickers Limited, it built its own aircraft designs as well as others under licence. C ...
company in
Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...
, Quebec, also manufactured 40 Stranraers
under licence for the
Royal Canadian Air Force
The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; french: Aviation royale canadienne, ARC) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environm ...
(RCAF). These Canadian Stranraers served in anti-submarine and coastal defence capacities on both Canada's Atlantic and Pacific coasts, and were in regular service until 1946. Following their withdrawal from military service, many ex-RCAF Stranraers were sold off to fledgling regional airlines, with whom they served in various commercial passenger and freighter operations into the 1950s.
Design and development
Background
![Supermarine Aviation Ltd, Woolston](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e0/Supermarine_Aviation_Ltd%2C_Woolston.jpg)
The Supermarine Stranraer, which was directly derived from the
Supermarine Scapa
The Supermarine Scapa was a British general reconnaissance flying boat built by Supermarine that was used by the Royal Air Force between 1935 and 1939. It was developed from the Southampton and formed the basis of the later Stranraer flying boat ...
, was the final aircraft in a series of
flying boat
A flying boat is a type of fixed-winged seaplane with a hull, allowing it to land on water. It differs from a floatplane in that a flying boat's fuselage is purpose-designed for floatation and contains a hull, while floatplanes rely on fusela ...
s designed by
R. J. Mitchell, for the
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
(RAF). It was produced by
Supermarine
Supermarine was a British aircraft manufacturer that is most famous for producing the Supermarine Spitfire, Spitfire fighter plane during World War II as well as a range of seaplanes and flying boats, and a series of Jet engine, jet-powered figh ...
at
Woolston, Southampton
Woolston is a suburb of Southampton, Hampshire, located on the eastern bank of the River Itchen. It is bounded by the River Itchen, Sholing, Peartree Green, Itchen and Weston.
The area has a strong maritime and aviation history. The former ...
, in southern England between 1925 and 1936. Development of the series commenced during the early 1930s, with Supermarine's design team, headed by Mitchell.
The project was pursued in a response to the
Air Ministry
The Air Ministry was a department of the Government of the United Kingdom with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force, that existed from 1918 to 1964. It was under the political authority of the Secretary of State ...
's issuing of
Specification R.24/31, issued in 1931, which called for a general purpose coastal reconnaissance flying boat for the RAF. This specification listed various requirements, including a
payload
Payload is the object or the entity which is being carried by an aircraft or launch vehicle. Sometimes payload also refers to the carrying capacity of an aircraft or launch vehicle, usually measured in terms of weight. Depending on the nature of ...
capacity greater than that of the Scapa and the ability to maintain level flight on only a single engine, neither of which were within the capabilities of the Scapa without enlargement. Thus, Supermarine submitted its initial response to the specification as a larger model of the Scapa; the company competed against a rival bid from
Saunders-Roe
Saunders-Roe Limited, also known as Saro, was a British aero- and marine-engineering company based at Columbine Works, East Cowes, Isle of Wight.
History
The name was adopted in 1929 after Alliott Verdon Roe (see Avro) and John Lord took a co ...
.
The Air Ministry favoured Saunders-Roe's proposal and rejected Supermarine's design. Despite the rejection, Supermarine opted to continue development work on the design as a private venture, which was first known as the
Supermarine Southampton V.
Prototypes and production
In 1933, a contract was placed for a single prototype powered by two Bristol Pegasus IIIM engines and the type was named the Stranraer. On 27 July 1934, the first prototype, ''K3973'', conducted its
maiden flight
The maiden flight, also known as first flight, of an aircraft is the first occasion on which it leaves the ground under its own power. The same term is also used for the first launch of rockets.
The maiden flight of a new aircraft type is alwa ...
, piloted by
Joseph Summers
Captain Joseph "Mutt" Summers, (10 March 1904 – 16 March 1954) was chief test pilot at Vickers-Armstrongs and Supermarine.
During his career, Summers flew many first flights on prototype aircraft, (a record of 54 by a test pilot), from the Su ...
. Over the following months, a relatively intense initial flight test programme was conducted. On 24 October 1934, the Stranraer prototype was delivered to the
Marine Aircraft Experimental Establishment
The Marine Aircraft Experimental Establishment (MAEE) was a British military research and test organisation. It was originally formed as the Marine Aircraft Experimental Station in October 1918 at RAF Isle of Grain, a former Royal Naval Air Serv ...
(MAEE) at
RAF Felixstowe
Royal Air Force Felixstowe, or more simply RAF Felixstowe, is a former Royal Air Force station located northeast of Harwich, Essex, England and southeast of Ipswich, Suffolk.
History
Felixstowe was commissioned 5 August 1913 under the comm ...
for official trials.
On 29 August 1935, quickly after the completion of proving flights, an initial order for 17 aircraft (
serial numbers
A serial number is a unique identifier assigned incrementally or sequentially to an item, to ''uniquely'' identify it.
Serial numbers need not be strictly numerical. They may contain letters and other typographical symbols, or may consist enti ...
''K7287'' to ''K7303'') was placed by the Air Ministry to fulfil
Specification 17/35; six more aircraft (''K9676'' to ''K9681'') were ordered in May 1936. The first production standard aircraft made its first flight in December 1936, and entered service operation with the RAF on 16 April 1937. The final Stranraer was delivered on 3 April 1939. In addition, a total of 40 Stranraers were manufactured
under licence in
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
by
Canadian Vickers Limited, as both Supermarine and Canadian Vickers were subsidiaries of
Vickers-Armstrongs
Vickers-Armstrongs Limited was a British engineering conglomerate formed by the merger of the assets of Vickers Limited and Sir W G Armstrong Whitworth & Company in 1927. The majority of the company was nationalised in the 1960s and 1970s, w ...
.
Description
![Supermarine Stranraer - John Player](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1c/Supermarine_Stranraer_-_John_Player.jpg)
The Stranraer was a six-seater, twin-engined
biplane
A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two main wings stacked one above the other. The first powered, controlled aeroplane to fly, the Wright Flyer, used a biplane wing arrangement, as did many aircraft in the early years of aviation. While ...
flying boat.
Its empty weight was , with a maximum take-off weight of . The all-metal frame was designed to avoid soakage.
The
hull was made of an inner layer of
Duralumin
Duralumin (also called duraluminum, duraluminium, duralum, dural(l)ium, or dural) is a trade name for one of the earliest types of age-hardenable aluminium alloys. The term is a combination of '' Dürener'' and ''aluminium''.
Its use as a tra ...
and outer layers of pure
aluminium
Aluminium (aluminum in American and Canadian English) is a chemical element with the symbol Al and atomic number 13. Aluminium has a density lower than those of other common metals, at approximately one third that of steel. I ...
, which provided resistance to corrosion.
The enlarged diameter of the hull made it wide enough across to increase the internal space of the dual-control cockpit.
As the design of the Stranraer progressed, it deviated to a greater extent from the Scapa, opting for an alternative thin-wing arrangement around a two-bay structure. The Stranraer's weight, and the surface area and
span
Span may refer to:
Science, technology and engineering
* Span (unit), the width of a human hand
* Span (engineering), a section between two intermediate supports
* Wingspan, the distance between the wingtips of a bird or aircraft
* Sorbitan ester ...
of its wings, were 12 percent greater; the
elevator
An elevator or lift is a wire rope, cable-assisted, hydraulic cylinder-assisted, or roller-track assisted machine that vertically transports people or freight between floors, levels, or deck (building), decks of a building, watercraft, ...
was also 7 percent larger, while the
rudder
A rudder is a primary control surface used to steer a ship, boat, submarine, hovercraft, aircraft, or other vehicle that moves through a fluid medium (generally aircraft, air or watercraft, water). On an aircraft the rudder is used primarily to ...
s featured
trim tab
Trim tabs are small surfaces connected to the trailing edge of a larger control surface on a boat or aircraft, used to control the trim of the controls, i.e. to counteract hydro- or aerodynamic forces and stabilise the boat or aircraft in a pa ...
s capable of holding the aircraft straight under single-engine flight. While some consideration towards adopting the
Rolls-Royce Kestrel
The Kestrel or type F is a 21 litre (1,300 in³) 700 horsepower (520 kW) class V-12 aircraft engine from Rolls-Royce, their first cast-block engine and the pattern for most of their future piston-engine designs. Used during the interwar pe ...
was made, the moderately supercharged
Bristol Pegasus IIIM radial engine
The radial engine is a reciprocating type internal combustion engine configuration in which the cylinders "radiate" outward from a central crankcase like the spokes of a wheel. It resembles a stylized star when viewed from the front, and is ca ...
was selected instead, as it was an
air-cooled type, having no need of heavy radiators and pipes. While the
airframe
The mechanical structure of an aircraft is known as the airframe. This structure is typically considered to include the fuselage, undercarriage, empennage and wings, and excludes the propulsion system.
Airframe design is a field of aerospa ...
of the Stranraer was broadly similar to the Scapa, it was cleaner in terms of its
aerodynamics
Aerodynamics, from grc, ἀήρ ''aero'' (air) + grc, δυναμική (dynamics), is the study of the motion of air, particularly when affected by a solid object, such as an airplane wing. It involves topics covered in the field of fluid dyn ...
. Much of the airframe was composed of
alclad
Alclad is a corrosion-resistant aluminium sheet formed from high-purity aluminium surface layers metallurgically bonded (rolled onto) to high-strength aluminium alloy core material. It has a melting point of about 500 degrees celsius, or 932 degree ...
, while detailed fittings were fabricated from
stainless steel
Stainless steel is an alloy of iron that is resistant to rusting and corrosion. It contains at least 11% chromium and may contain elements such as carbon, other nonmetals and metals to obtain other desired properties. Stainless steel's corros ...
; metallic objects were
anodised
Anodizing is an electrolytic passivation process used to increase the thickness of the natural oxide layer on the surface of metal parts.
The process is called ''anodizing'' because the part to be treated forms the anode electrode of an electr ...
as an anti-
corrosion
Corrosion is a natural process that converts a refined metal into a more chemically stable oxide. It is the gradual deterioration of materials (usually a metal) by chemical or electrochemical reaction with their environment. Corrosion engine ...
measure. For additional structural strength, a pair of interplane
strut
A strut is a structural component commonly found in engineering, aeronautics, architecture and anatomy. Struts generally work by resisting longitudinal compression, but they may also serve in tension.
Human anatomy
Part of the functionality o ...
s were introduced. The hull was considerably larger, its cross-section being increased by 18 percent, yet still achieving virtually identical
hydrodynamic performance. The forward gun was redesigned to be retractable, the middle gunner's position was lowered, and a tail gunner position was added just aft of the control surfaces, completed with a hooded windshield. In general, the equipment of which the aircraft was to be fitted with were the result of lessons learnt from operations of the earlier Southamptons.
The production model of the Stranraer was different in a few aspects from the first prototype, chiefly of which being the installation of the more powerful Pegasus X engine. The engines were placed in
nacelle
A nacelle ( ) is a "streamlined body, sized according to what it contains", such as an engine, fuel, or equipment on an aircraft. When attached by a pylon entirely outside the airframe, it is sometimes called a pod, in which case it is attached ...
s under the upper wing, a position which has the advantage that the
propellers
A propeller (colloquially often called a screw if on a ship or an airscrew if on an aircraft) is a device with a rotating hub and radiating blades that are set at a pitch to form a helical spiral which, when rotated, exerts linear thrust upon ...
were well clear of any sea spray. Two petrol tanks, each of capacity, were placed in the centre section of the top plane; petrol was fed by gravity, but fuel pumps were also incorporated.
The two-bladed wooden propellers of the prototype were replaced by
Fairey-Reed
The Fairey Aviation Company Limited was a British aircraft manufacturer of the first half of the 20th century based in Hayes in Middlesex and Heaton Chapel and RAF Ringway in Cheshire. Notable for the design of a number of important military a ...
propellers when the aircraft went into production, which were made of metal and had three blades. The redesigned wings were fabric-covered. The wings were redesigned to incorporate twin bays; the greater number of struts and wires used for the bays, which would have caused an increase in drag, meant the wings had to have a thinner profile. The wings were swept back to correct the balance.
The Stranraer was armed with three
Lewis guns, positioned in the nose, dorsal and tail. The aircraft could carry up to of bombs.
Operational history
Military use prior to September 1939
The Stranraer and its contemporary, the
Saro London
The Saunders Roe A.27 London was a British military biplane flying boat built by the Saunders Roe company. Only 31 were built, entering service with the Royal Air Force (RAF) in 1936. Although due for replacement by the outbreak of World War I ...
, were the last multi-engine, biplane flying-boats to see service with the RAF. The RAF operated 17 Stranraers from 1937, although they were already considered obsolete when they entered service. Before the war, the type served primarily with
No. 228 Squadron,
No. 209 Squadron and
No. 240 Squadron. Generally, the aircraft was not well-received, with numerous pilots considering its performance being typically marginal. Others noted that it had superior seaworthiness to several aircraft in common use, such as the
Consolidated PBY Catalina
The Consolidated PBY Catalina is a flying boat and amphibious aircraft that was produced in the 1930s and 1940s. In Canadian service it was known as the Canso. It was one of the most widely used seaplanes of World War II. Catalinas served w ...
. As early as 1938, some Stranraer squadrons had begun to re-equip themselves with other aircraft, such as the
Short Sunderland
The Short S.25 Sunderland is a British flying boat patrol bomber, developed and constructed by Short Brothers for the Royal Air Force (RAF). The aircraft took its service name from the town (latterly, city) and port of Sunderland in North East ...
and
Short Singapore
The Short Singapore was a British multi-engined biplane flying boat built after the First World War. The design was developed into two four-engined versions: the prototype Singapore II and production Singapore III. The latter became the Roya ...
flying boats.
Early on in its career, the Stranraer performed several challenging long-distance flights; one such flight, covering , was performed during a single exercise during September 1938.
Action during the Second World War
No Stranraers saw action away from UK territorial waters during World War II. Immediately following the
outbreak of the war in September 1939, Stranraers patrolled the
North Sea
The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Norway, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. An epeiric sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian S ...
, intercepting enemy shipping between Scotland and Norway. Aircraft assigned to such duties were typically armed with bombs underneath one wing and a single overload fuel tank underneath the other one. Use of the Stranraer for such patrols came to an end on 17 March 1941. Stranraers saw service with No. 240 Squadron, and limited numbers were deployed at the
No. 4 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit. The final Stranraer flight in RAF service was conducted by ''K7303'' at Felixstowe on 30 October 1942.
![Supermarine Stranraer 2 ExCC](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/80/Supermarine_Stranraer_2_ExCC.jpg)
Having acquired a less than favourable reception by flight and ground crews alike, the Stranraer gained a large number of derisive nicknames during its service life. It was sometimes referred to as a "whistling shithouse" because the
toilet
A toilet is a piece of sanitary hardware that collects human urine and feces, and sometimes toilet paper, usually for disposal. Flush toilets use water, while dry or non-flush toilets do not. They can be designed for a sitting position popu ...
opened out directly to the air and when the seat was lifted, the airflow caused the toilet to make a whistling sound. The Stranraer also acquired "Flying
Meccano
Meccano is a brand of scale model, model construction system created in 1898 by Frank Hornby in Liverpool, England. The system consists of reusable metal strips, plates, Structural steel#Common structural shapes, angle girders, wheels, axles and ...
Set", "The
Marpole Bridge
The Marpole CP Rail Bridge is a partially dismantled crossing over the north arm of the Fraser River, and River Dr., in Metro Vancouver.
History
The Marpole road bridge was a nearby sequence of separate structures dating from 1889.
Early CP oper ...
", "Seymour Seine Net", "Strainer", "Flying Centre Section of the
Lion's Gate Bridge
The Lions Gate Bridge, opened in 1938 and officially known as the First Narrows Bridge, is a suspension bridge that crosses the first narrows of Burrard Inlet and connects the City of Vancouver, British Columbia, to the North Shore municipal ...
", as well as a more genteel variant of its usual nickname, "Whistling Birdcage".
The
Royal Canadian Air Force
The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; french: Aviation royale canadienne, ARC) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environm ...
(RCAF) Stranraers were exact equivalents of their RAF counterparts. In Canadian service, they were usually employed in coastal patrol against submarine threats in a similar role to the British Stranraers. Aviation author Dirk Septer stated that no enemy action was ever recorded by the RCAF's Stranraers. However, the crew of a
5 Squadron Stranraer, flown by Flight Lieutenant
Leonard Birchall
Air Commodore Leonard Joseph Birchall, (6 July 1915 – 10 September 2004), "The Saviour of Ceylon", was a Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) officer who warned of a Japanese attack on the island of Ceylon during the Second World War.
Early life
Bi ...
, were responsible for the capture of an Italian merchant ship, the ''Capo Nola'', in the
Gulf of Saint Lawrence
, image = Baie de la Tour.jpg
, alt =
, caption = Gulf of St. Lawrence from Anticosti National Park, Quebec
, image_bathymetry = Golfe Saint-Laurent Depths fr.svg
, alt_bathymetry = Bathymetry ...
, hours after Canada issued its declaration of war on Italy on 10 June 1940. The Canadian Vickers-built Stranraers served with the RCAF throughout the war, the last example being withdrawn on 20 January 1946.
Civilian use
From May 1935, the Stranraer was developed for civilian use into the Type 237. All the RCAF's Stranraers were struck off charge between June 1939 and January 1946. Of the 40 aircraft acquired by the RCAF, half survived being destroyed or damaged during the war. In November 1944, 20 aircraft that had been withdrawn from active service in February earlier that year were purchased for civilian use, before being registered in Canada or the US.
After the end of World War II, 13 examples were sold through Crown Assets (Canadian government) and passed into civilian use; several served with
Queen Charlotte Airlines (QCA) in
British Columbia
British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...
, operating until 1958. A re-engine project by the airline substituted
Wright GR-1820-G202GA engines in place of the original Pegasus units.
Queen Charlotte Airlines became at one point the third-largest airline in Canada; it was popularly known as the ''Queer Collection of Aircraft''. With limited money, it flew a mixture of types that were often the cast-offs of other operators. In QCA use, the Stranraer gained a more suitable reputation and was "well liked" by its crews. A total of eight surplus Stranraers were also sold to Aero Transport Ltd. of
Tampa, Florida
Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and ...
.
Operators
Military
;
![Supermarine Stranraer 912](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b9/Supermarine_Stranraer_912.jpg)
*RCAF – Operational Squadrons of the Home War Establishment (HWE) (Based in Canada)
**
Eastern Air Command
***
No. 5 Squadron RCAF
No. 5 Squadron RCAF was a Royal Canadian Air Force squadron that was active during the Second World War. It was primarily used in an anti-submarine role with Eastern Air Command and was based at Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Gander, Newfoundland, Torba ...
Used Supermarine Stranraer (Nov 38 – Sep 41)
***
No. 117 Squadron RCAF Used Supermarine Stranraer (Sep 41 – Oct 41)
**
Western Air Command
, colors=
, colors_label=
, battles= 1962 Sino-Indian War, 1971 India-Pakistan War, Operation Meghdoot
, anniversaries=
, commander1= Air Marshal Sreekumar Prabhakaran, AVSM, VM
, commander1_label= Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief(AOC-in-C)
, n ...
***
No. 4 Squadron RCAF
No. 4 (Bomber Reconnaissance) Squadron was a Royal Canadian Air Force squadron that was active before and during the Second World War. It was formed on 17 January 1933 at RCAF Station Jericho Beach and flew civil operations until 1939, conducting ...
Used Supermarine Stranraer (Jul 39 – Sep 43)
***
No. 6 Squadron RCAF
No. 6 (Bomber Reconnaissance) Squadron was a Royal Canadian Air Force squadron that was active during the Second World War.
It was formed on 4 March 1936 at RCAF Station Trenton as a Torpedo Bomber squadron before moving to RCAF Station Jericho B ...
Used Supermarine Stranraer (Nov 41 – May 43)
***
No. 7 Squadron RCAF
No. 7 (Bomber Reconnaissance) Squadron was a Royal Canadian Air Force squadron that was active during the Second World War.
It was amalgamated from various Rockcliffe based flights on 29 January 1936 at CFB Rockcliffe, RCAF Station Rockcliffe ne ...
Used Supermarine Stranraer (Feb 43 – Mar 44)
***
No. 9 Squadron RCAF Used Supermarine Stranraer (Dec 41 – Apr 43)
***
No. 13 (OT) Squadron RCAF Used Supermarine Stranraer (Oct 41 – Nov 42)
***
No. 120 Squadron RCAF Used Supermarine Stranraer (Nov 41 – Oct 43)
*** (OT)-Operational Training;
;
![Aircraft of the Royal Air Force 1939-1945- Supermarine Stranraer](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/05/Aircraft_of_the_Royal_Air_Force_1939-1945-_Supermarine_Stranraer._CH2551.jpg)
*
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
**
No. 201 Squadron RAF
Number 201 Squadron is a squadron of the Royal Air Force. It currently operates the Boeing Poseidon MRA1 from RAF Lossiemouth, Moray.
It is the only squadron affiliated with Guernsey, in the Channel Islands. This affiliation started in 1935 ...
**
No. 209 Squadron RAF
Number 209 Squadron of the British Royal Air Force was originally formed from a nucleus of "Naval Eight" on 1 February 1917 at Saint-Pol-sur-Mer, France, as No. 9 Squadron Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS)Rawlings 1978, p. 324. and saw active servic ...
**
No. 210 Squadron RAF
("Hovering in the Heavens")Halley 1988, p. 274.
, colors=
, colors_label=
, march=
, mascot=
, equipment=
, equipment_label=
, battles=
, anniversaries=
, decorations=
, battle_honours= Western Front, 1916–18 Ypres 1917 Lys Atlantic 1939–45 A ...
**
No. 228 Squadron RAF
**
No. 240 Squadron RAF
No. 240 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force flying boat and seaplane squadron during World War I, World War II and up to 1959. It was then reformed as a strategic missile squadron, serving thus till 1963.
History
Formation and World War I
No ...
Civilian
;
* Aero Transport Ltd.
;
*
Pacific Western Airlines
Pacific Western Airlines Ltd (PWA) was an airline that operated scheduled flights throughout western Canada and charter services around the world from the 1950s through the 1980s.
It was headquartered at Vancouver International Airport in Ri ...
*
Queen Charlotte Airlines
*
Wardair
Wardair Canada was a privately run Canadian airline, founded by Max Ward in 1952 under the name Wardair Ltd, before formally changing its name to "Wardair Canada" in 1976. The airline was acquired by and folded into Canadian Airlines in 1989.
...
Specifications
Surviving aircraft
![Supermarine Stranraer](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ec/Supermarine_Stranraer.jpg)
A single Stranraer, 920/CF-BXO, survives in the collection of the
Royal Air Force Museum London
The Royal Air Force Museum London (also commonly known as the RAF Museum) is located on the former Hendon Aerodrome. It includes five buildings and hangars showing the history of aviation and the Royal Air Force. It is part of the Royal Air Forc ...
.
This aircraft was built in 1940, one of 40 produced by Canadian Vickers. In service with the RCAF, it flew with several squadrons, on anti-submarine patrols, as a training aircraft and carrying passengers. In 1944, it was disposed of. It was flown by the civilian airline
Canadian Pacific Airlines
Canadian Pacific Air Lines was a Canadian airline that operated from 1942 to 1987. It operated under the name CP Air from 1968 to 1986. Headquartered at Vancouver International Airport in Richmond, British Columbia, it served domestic Canadian a ...
until 1947, then by Queen Charlotte Airlines, who replaced its original engines with American
Wright R-1820 Cyclone
The Wright R-1820 Cyclone 9 is an American radial engine developed by Curtiss-Wright, widely used on aircraft in the 1930s through 1950s. It was produced under license in France as the Hispano-Suiza 9V or Hispano-Wright 9V, and in the Soviet Uni ...
engines. Queen Charlotte Airlines flew the aircraft on passenger flights until 1952, flying from
Vancouver
Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...
along the Pacific coast of British Columbia. It flew with several other private owners until it was damaged by a ship in 1966. In 1970, it was bought by the RAF Museum and transported to the UK.
Parts of a second Stranraer, 915/CF-BYJ, are owned by the
Shearwater Aviation Museum
The Shearwater Aviation Museum is an aviation museum located at CFB Shearwater in Shearwater, Nova Scotia. The museum acquires, conserves, organizes, researches and interprets to Canadian Forces personnel and the public at large for their study, e ...
,
Halifax, Canada. This aircraft also operated with Queen Charlotte Airlines until it crashed on Christmas Eve 1949 at
Belize Inlet
Belize Inlet is an inlet on the Central Coast of British Columbia, Canada, located to the north of and adjoining Seymour Inlet
Seymour Inlet is one of the lesser travelled of the principal inlets of the British Columbia Coast. Unlike larger inle ...
, British Columbia. Most of the aircraft was recovered in the 1980s, with the exception of the forward fuselage and cockpit.
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Short Knuckleduster
The Short R.24/31 (or Short S.18 and nicknamed the ''Knuckleduster'') was a British twin-engined, high-wing cantilever gull winged monoplane flying-boat designed and built by Short to Air Ministry specification R.24/31 for a "General Purpose Ope ...
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Further reading
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External links
Canada's Air Force: Supermarine Stranraer
{{Authority control
1930s British military reconnaissance aircraft
Aircraft first flown in 1934
Biplanes
Flying boats
Stranraer
Stranraer ( , in Scotland also ; gd, An t-Sròn Reamhar ), also known as The Toon, is a town in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. It is located in the historical parish of Inch in the historic county of Wigtownshire. It lies on the shores of L ...
Twin piston-engined tractor aircraft