Supermarine Scapa

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Supermarine Scapa
Supermarine Scapa
Type: Flying boat
Design country:

United KingdomUnited Kingdom United Kingdom

Manufacturer:

Super marine

First flight:

July 8, 1932

Commissioning:

1935

Number of pieces:

15th

The Supermarine Scapa was a British reconnaissance flying boat . The flying boat, built by the Supermarine company , was used by the Royal Air Force between 1935 and 1939 . It was a further development of the Supermarine Southampton and formed the basis for the later development of the Supermarine Stranraer .

development

After the chief designer of Supermarine, RJ Mitchell , had already experimented with some three-engine flying boats like the Supermarine Nanuk , the Solent and the Southampton X , he decided to use the good hydrodynamic design of the twin-engine Southampton as a base for a new aircraft.

Under the name Southampton IV one was a prototype built. In tests in the water basin, the lower hull performed better. In November 1931, the Air Ministry issued a corresponding tender. Test pilot "Mutt" Summers completed the first flight with this aircraft on July 8, 1932. Then the name of the aircraft was changed to "Scapa".

After 15 Scapa flying boats had been built, production was switched to the more powerful Stranraer .

construction

The Scapa had a metal hull. The wings and tail unit each consisted of a fabric-covered metal grid construction. The engines were housed in nacelles below the upper wing. The aircraft had a double vertical tail, which was attached in the middle of the horizontal stabilizer. As with the Southampton, the Scapa also had three defenses, one in the front of the bow and two more on the back of the fuselage.

operator

  • United KingdomUnited Kingdom United Kingdom
    • No. 202 Squadron RAF
    • No. 204 Squadron RAF
    • No. 228 Squadron RAF
    • No. 240 Squadron RAF

Technical specifications

Three-sided view
Parameter Data
crew 5
length 16.20 m
span 22.85 m
height 6.4 m
Wing area 121 m²
Empty mass 4500 kg
Max. Takeoff mass 7290 kg
Top speed 229 km / h
Service ceiling 4720 m
Range 1610 km
Engines 2 × Rolls-Royce Kestrel IIIMS with 392 kW (533 PS)
Armament 3 x 7.7 mm Lewis Guns ; one in the bow, two on the back of the fuselage
453 kg bomb load under the wings

See also

Web links

Commons : Supermarine Scapa  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ CF Andrews, Morgan, EB: Supermarine Aircraft since 1914 ( English ), 2nd. Edition, Putnam, London 1987, ISBN 0-85177-800-3 .