Any one like Flying Boats?

[Stearmen]

I would love to find a Walrus in a barn!

 

[Smithy]

Fantastic aircraft the Walrus, saved a lot of lives of aircrew who ditched in the Channel. An unsung hero of the war.

 

[Oldsarge]

As I said before, if I ever hit the jackpot . . .

 

[BlueTrain]

I like seaplanes, too, for a couple of reasons. First, there was one present on the local airfield where I grew up in the 1950s. I have no idea what it was but it was a seaplane, not a float plane, and was small, with only one pusher-type propeller. The county hospital occupies the airfield now and all the planes have flown south, I guess. But the hangers are still there.

They show up in a few old movies, especially in the 30s and 40s. There are a couple in particular but I can't remember the names at the moment. One might have been Charlie Chan on Treasure Island but the other one, a serial, has more action on the airplane. It even got shot down!

 

[Stearmen]

 

[1930artdeco]

Kermit Weeks has a GREAT collection and is a very nice guy.

Mike

 

[Stearmen]

Ok, not a flying boat, put still cool. I have always been fascinated by the Nakajima A6M2-N, Rufe. When I look at the photo of a squadron sitting in a postcard Pacific lagoon, I have to remind my self that probably every one of those pilots was dead within two years. The Rufe was an amazing close in dogfighter, but, once the Allies learned to keep their speed up, the Rufe became "meat on the table!"

 

[BlueTrain]

Somewhere at home, probably in the cedar chest where things of great value are stored, is a little snapshot of about two by three inches (really small) taken probably in the early 1920s and probably at Virginia Beach. It is a beach scene and there are lots of people on the beach as well as a number of gentlemen strolling around with straw boater hats and in their shirt sleeves. It's not a particularly sharp photo by any means but upon gazing at it for a minute, one finally notices either a seaplane or float plane in the ocean not too far from the short. One can just make out that it is an open cockpit biplane. I have no idea who took the photo or what the story behind it is and there's no one left to tell me now.

 

[Smithy]

Like Stearmen posted, this isn't a flying boat in the strictest sense of the definition but I think having floats qualifies it for this thread, the Curtiss Falcon, and a Chilean example at that...

 

[Tiki Tom]

Those are some wonderful pictures. I will contribute this one of the old Hawaii Clipper that went missing at the end of July 1938. Some conspiracy theories are tied to her disappearance. The best is that she was carrying gold to the Philippines and was high-jacked by Japanese military officers who boarded her dressed as civilians. Anyway, it is still a mystery.

And one more. I have this pan am clipper print framed on my wall:

 

[Smithy]

Here's a very nice one. A DNL (Det Norske Luftfartselskap, one of the airlines which became part of SAS) Short Sandringham, the civilian version of the Sunderland...

 

[Oldsarge]

Lovely, just lovely. Thanx for posting that.

 

[Oldsarge]

Where, oh where did you get that poster? I WANT one!

 

[Oldsarge]

Never mind. I found it. Ordered one, too.

 

[Smithy]

Speaking posters, here's one of a DNL Sandringham. Actually DNL and SAS had fantastic poster advertisements in the 40s and 50s.

That's a traditional "nordlandsbåt" beside the aircraft, these have the same hull design as a Viking longship, but I digress

 

[Stearmen]

Here you go, a Dornier Wal on ice! Roald Amundsen used it to try and reach the North Pole. They were forced to land in the snow. They later made a runway and proceeded to take off.

 

[Stearmen]

Here is a stunning photo of a Dornier Wal in flight.

 

[Smithy]

Have a look at this Stearmen...

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

Supermarine Southampton

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

Hiro H2H1 Type 89 Flying Boat (1929)