Bodge Deep Posted April 25, 2009 Posted April 25, 2009 Aww bless...my school stands on the site of the assembly plant at Windermere... and no there aren't any left at the bottom of the lake... they're all in my garage! Quote
Richard Farrant Posted April 25, 2009 Posted April 25, 2009 memories................ Mark, was that photo taken at West Malling air show, the Great Warbirds, back in the 80's? Quote
chevpol Posted April 25, 2009 Author Posted April 25, 2009 Mark, was that photo taken at West Malling air show, the Great Warbirds, back in the 80's? yep, I think it was the year after that she went to the states, but I cant remember what year I took it, it was nice to see it though, the memory has stayed with me!!! Mark :cool: Quote
Jessie The Jeep Posted April 26, 2009 Posted April 26, 2009 (edited) Here's a RNAF Sunderland photographed from the bridge of my dad's ship in the early 1950's. The ship was also photographed by the Sunderland crew. http://www.sacarr.co.uk/warbirds/pics/sunderland3.jpg Wish I could have seen them operating out of Windermere! Edited September 5, 2020 by Jessie The Jeep Quote
Minesweeper Posted April 26, 2009 Posted April 26, 2009 I went to an Air Display at RAF St Mawgan - about 1953 or 1954. The Sunderlands were still in service then and there was a flypast by four of them in line ahead formation - having flown from Pembroke Dock where they were based. They seemed so slow and just hung in the air. After the last one had gone past, they could be seen turning in a circle in the far distance to come back and fly past again in the opposite direction. The commentator at the time said as the last one had past us on the first run - "There will now be a short interval whilst the Sunderlands turn round to come back!" It did seem like an age for them to complete that turn. I do also remember seeing one take off from Plymouth - they were based at RAF Mountbatten at the time - and also on another occasion, one taking off from Carrack Roads in Falmouth. Wonderful sights. Quote
AndyFowler Posted April 26, 2009 Posted April 26, 2009 One of my very favourite aircraft which sadly I never saw fly ! Is the one you mentioned that went to America still airworthy ? I've only seen Hendon and Duxfords examples ! :-D Quote
Richard Farrant Posted April 26, 2009 Posted April 26, 2009 . After the last one had gone past, they could be seen turning in a circle in the far distance to come back and fly past again in the opposite direction. It did seem like an age for them to complete that turn. They probably had dinner cooking on the galley and were avoiding a tight turn :rofl: Many years ago, there was a Sunderland on display at the old flying boat base in Pembroke Dock. We were able to walk through it, and it was the old galley that fascinated me at the time, but considering the hours they could have been up, it was a neccessity. This aircraft was later moved to Hendon I think. Quote
Jessie The Jeep Posted April 26, 2009 Posted April 26, 2009 ....Is the one you mentioned that went to America still airworthy ? ..... I don't believe it has flown for many years, so I'd say no to being airworthy; aeroplanes don't like to sit and do nothing. I wouldn't have thought it would take Kermit long to put it back in the air if he wanted to. Steve Quote
mcspool Posted April 27, 2009 Posted April 27, 2009 I don't believe it has flown for many years, so I'd say no to being airworthy; aeroplanes don't like to sit and do nothing. I wouldn't have thought it would take Kermit long to put it back in the air if he wanted to. Wasn´t it damaged in one of the recent hurricanes? - Hanno Quote
Jessie The Jeep Posted April 27, 2009 Posted April 27, 2009 The last mention of it flying on the Fantasy of Flight website was in 1996. There's no mention of any damage. Quote
Guest catweazle (Banned Member) Posted April 27, 2009 Posted April 27, 2009 Wasn´t it damaged in one of the recent hurricanes?- Hanno It was damaged in a storm in england before its first flight after restoration.Bad weather was forcast so it was tethered to a Landrover they had only just moved it outside.Whot is surprising the materials used had to conform to the original speck which meant more modern and superior materials couldnt be used as they had not been passed. A friend of mine worked on it and took some of the first flight pics as he is a professional snapper:-D Quote
ashley Posted April 27, 2009 Posted April 27, 2009 There is (was one)? in the Southampton hall of aviation,, which was being converted to a Sandringham :argh: by luck when i went it was a Thursday and two ex pilots were guides in the museum and they took great delight taking you up to the cockpit and showing off the controls and what they were for. Happy days Ashley Quote
ArtistsRifles Posted April 28, 2009 Posted April 28, 2009 I wish I could have seen that!! :cry: :cry: Quote
jerry.ice Posted April 29, 2009 Posted April 29, 2009 I saw this aircraft when doing pleasure flights one summer in Windermere. It was there for about a week, and working on a hotel overlooking Bowness Bay we could hear it when running up for take off. The sight of it landing was also something else. I seem to remember a catalina visiting as well I think about `89 or `90. There was a recent exhibition in Kendal on the war time Sunderland factory near Windermere which lead to a web site being lauched to show all the gathered material. A very good site with particular relevance as i pass the site a couple of times a day. http://www.flyingboatsonline.org/ Apparently the sheds where dismantled in `48ish, They now form Bodge`s garage where he keeps his Sunderland! Quote
Guest catweazle (Banned Member) Posted April 29, 2009 Posted April 29, 2009 Thanks for the link top man :-D Quote
AndyFowler Posted April 30, 2009 Posted April 30, 2009 Mays flypast magazine has a couple of articles on Sunderlands if anyone is interested !:-D http://shop.keypublishing.com/acatalog/fp_May_2009.html Quote
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