Supermarine S5 replica project gets under way

Supermarine S5 replica project gets under way 

Staying with the 1930s aviation theme in this post we move from one end of the aeronautical speed spectrum to the other as we return to one of my most favourite aircraft of the period - the Supermarine Schneider Trophy racing aeroplanes.

I wrote about the Schneider Trophy in previous posts on the anniversaries of the final 1931 race and the Spitfire's 1936 maiden flight, as well as a detailed article for In Retrospect magazine.  I had intended to save this post specially for when I was to be at the mercy of the quacks again but that is still up in the air and as the original articles below date back to the beginning of the year I felt that, with the advent of this latest welcome news, it was about time I got down to blogging about this excellent project.

source - Pilot magazine

Supermarine: Call For Investors & Enthusiasts to Help Rebuild an Aviation Legend

As these articles explain, something else that hopefully will soon be up in the air (and which I am looking far more forward to!) is a full-size replica of the 1927 Schneider Trophy-winning British entry, the Supermarine S.5, thanks to the efforts of a team of aeronautical engineers and Schneider Trophy enthusiasts.  Leading the project is professional pilot Will Hosie, whose interest in the famous speed contest and the S.5 in particular is obviously a personal one seeing as his late father Bill once owned an earlier replica of that aircraft in the 1980s (and in which Bill Hosie sadly lost his life following a catastrophic crash off the coast of Falmouth, Cornwall, in May 1987).  This first replica - also full-size - first flew in 1975 and was badly damaged in a take-off crash seven years later in 1982, at which point it passed into the ownership of the Hosie family.

Participants and investors wanted for Supermarine S5 seaplane rebuild project 

Now the son Will Hosie and his team look well on the way to creating a new S.5 replica, with enough funding having come in for work to have begun on building the floats and drawings in place for the rest.  While there is still a long way to go, both in terms of construction and financing, the proposed timescale - first flight in 2023 - seems eminently achievable whilst the call for investors and sponsors is a sensible one and with any luck will inspire a good many well-placed individuals and organisations to get on board.  One hopes that certain museums, historical trusts et cetera will take an interest which could in turn filter down into schools and local workshops as has been seen with other similar projects.  The aim of displaying the finished aircraft at a total of 20 events (10 airshows and 10 static displays) around the world in time for the 100th anniversary of the 1927 Schneider Trophy is again an entirely laudable and realistic goal.  It is moreover extremely important that the story of the Schneider Trophy and the S.5's place within it is kept alive and propagated for future generations, both for the thrilling contest it was and its place in the history of the development of the Spitfire.  To be able to see once again an example of these incredible pieces of engineering in the air will be an amazing treat, especially since so few of the original Supermarine S-series seaplanes survived (and none in flying condition).

Supermarine S.4 G-EBLP
source - Air Racing History

The S.4 of 1925 was the first of Mitchell's revolutionary, streamlined monoplane designs to see the light of day.  Being such a radical departure from previous efforts only one example was produced, taking its place alongside a pair of less advanced Gloster III biplanes for the 1925 race in Baltimore, U.S.A. (having first raised the British and world seaplane speed records to 226 miles per hour during a test run at Southampton in September 1925).  Unfortunately during a subsequent test run at Baltimore's Bay Shore Park the pilot, Henri Biard, lost control at 200 feet after encountering heavy wing vibration and sideslipped into the water, wrecking the all-wood S.4 but managing to walk away with only two broken ribs.



Two years later and Mitchell and his team had taken what they'd learnt from the S.4 and created the S.5, three examples of which - serial numbers N219, N220 and N221 - were produced for the 1927 contest, which was to take place in Venice, Italy.  Only two - N219 and N220 - would take part in the race, with N220 flown by Flt. Lt. Sidney Webster winning at an average speed of 281.65mph and N219 piloted by Flt. Lt. O. E. Worsley coming second at an average of 273.07mph.  The two S.5's had wrested the Schneider Trophy from Italy and the next contest would take place at Calshot, Southampton, in 1929.



A year later in 1928, as part of the preparations for the 1929 race, Flt. Lt. Samuel 'Kink' Kinkead was selected to make an attempt on the world air speed record that had been set by the Italians during the '27 race.  On the 12th March 1928, flying the reserve N221, Kinkead was suddenly seen to nosedive at high speed straight into the Solent.  The aircraft was totally destroyed and 'Kink' was killed instantly.  Although the wreckage and the body were both recovered the cause of the crash has never been satisfactorily explained.

Distraught but undaunted the remaining members of the RAF High Speed Flight pushed ahead in readiness for the 1929 contest.  Mitchell and Supermarine produced the S.6, an advancement over the S.5 with its all-metal construction and new Rolls-Royce R engine, and two of these - N247 and N248 - were built for the race.



S.6 N247, piloted by Flt. Lt. Richard Waghorn, went on to win the 1929 event at an average speed of 328.63mph, with S.5 N219 finishing a creditable third in the hands of Flt. Lt. d'Arcy Greig (whose autobiography My Flying Years I can heartily recommend) and Britain was only one contest away from claiming the Schneider Trophy in perpetuity.

For the 1931 event, due to time constraints as a result of financial difficulties and a lack of political will, the two S.6s from the 1929 contest were redesigned with new floats, extra radiators and revised control surfaces and designated S.6A, while Mitchell worked on shoehorning in a more powerful version of the Rolls-Royce R engine into the existing airframe design which resulted in the building of two further examples, to be called the S.6B.

Supermarine S.6B S1596
source - Wikimedia Commons

Despite there being no competition for the 1931 race (all other nations having withdrawn for various reasons) the High Speed Flight were determined to put on a show for the capacity crowd lining the banks of the Solent and ensure that the world speed record - and thus the Schneider Trophy - would be held by Britain.  As such they threw everything they had into the contest - the two new S.6Bs S1595 and S1596, the S.6As N247 and N248, plus the surviving S.5s N219 and N220.  The S.5s by this time were used only for practice runs, with the plan being that S.6B S1595 would be the aircraft to fly the race and make the record attempt while the two older S.6As would be kept in reserve.  While training for the race was still underway S.6A N247 crashed on takeoff, killing the pilot Lt. G. L. Brinton, RN, leaving only N248 as the sole surviving S.6A.  Despite this setback the race went off as planned, Flt. Lt. John Boothman taking S.6B S1595 to a record-breaking 340.08mph on the 13th September as part of the final 1931 contest.  The other S.6B S1596 capsized and sank with Flt. Lt. George Stainforth at the controls during practice for the world speed record but both pilot and aircraft survived and two weeks later Stainforth, in S.6B S1595, raised the WSR yet again to 407.5mph.



Thus of the eight S-series seaplanes designed and built by R. J. Mitchell and Supermarine over the course of 6 years, by the end of 1931 three had been lost to accidents leaving only two S.5s, a single S.6A and both the S.6Bs extant.  Designed from the outset as high-performance racing aeroplanes intended for a specific, continually evolving contest their long-term survival was always going to be in question.  The highly-stressed Napier Lion and Rolls-Royce R engines required a complete strip-down and overhaul after every single run (literally a matter of hours) and the strains put on the airframe by the incredible speeds and high-g turns of the courses meant that keeping any of them in an airworthy condition beyond the absolute limit of their use would have been an extreme engineering and economic challenge.

S.6B S1595 on display at the Science Museum, London
source - Wikimedia Commons

As such only two Supermarine aircraft from that fantastic era of seaplane racing survive to this day, the fate of the others (including both the S.5s) being lost to the mists of time.  The winning S.6B S1595 was retired immediately after the 1931 race and donated to the London Science Museum, where it remains today in unrestored condition.  S.6A N248 was displayed at Southampton Royal Pier well into the 1960s (where it was actually misidentified as S.6B S1596) before being moved to the Solent Sky museum (previously the Southampton Hall of Aviation) in Southampton, where it has since been restored and now sits proudly among the exhibits - often being wheeled out for special events such as the Goodwood Revival.

S.6A N248 on display at Solent Sky, Southampton
source - Wikimedia Commons  

While normally one would be sad to see these two survivors hanging in museums rather than soaring through the sky as their maker intended, for the reasons mentioned above - not to mention their incredible rarity value - this is one instance where I am happy to just see them on static display.  It is for this reason as much as any that Mr Hosie's project is so important and, while it may not be able to create quite the same thrill of speed and excitement of the original 12-cylinder-engined thoroughbreds, it will be wonderful to see a representation of these marvellous aircraft take to the skies after almost 100 years and hopefully introduce a whole new generation to this exciting chapter in British aviation history.  I will be following the progress of this project extremely closely and very much look forward to seeing it come to fruition, when we will once again see an S.5 in the air and on the water.

Seaplane flypast marks 1931 Schneider Trophy victory

Seaplane flypast marks 1931 Schneider Trophy victory

I touched upon the Schneider Trophy air races of the 1920s and early Thirties back in March when the Spitfire, the ultimate descendant of the Supermarine S-series seaplanes that took part in them, celebrated it's 75th anniversary.

Yesterday, however, marked the 80th anniversary of the last Schneider Trophy race which was held at Southampton Water in Hampshire and was won for the third time in succession by Great Britain.  This feat allowed the British team to keep the trophy for all time and signalled the end of the competition.  The Supermarine S.6B that won did so at a record-breaking speed of 379mph, later raising it again to 407mph and as has been said setting the template for the famous Spitfire fighter.  The original Schneider Trophy and the S.6B now both reside in the London Science Museum.

As many as half a million people crowded on to the beaches around the Solent to watch the 1931 race and what that must have been like one can only imagine.  That the idea behind the Schneider Trophy - of advancing the field of aeronautical engineering - was so widely embraced not only by the aircraft manufacturers but also by the general population of no less than 4 nations (Great Britain, France, Italy and the United States all took part) shows how much aviation enthralled people during that period.  I've featured it before but footage of the 1929 event bears reshowing; the roar of the Rolls-Royce and Napier engines, the sheer speed of the aircraft and the hundreds of thousands of spectators cheering them on is something that sadly may never be recaptured.



Today, as the accompanying article explains, two modern seaplanes (and the death of the seaplane has been greatly exaggerated, by the way!) have flown the same course as in 1931 by way of commemoration.  It seems a small act in comparison to the majesty of the original races and the important part they played in eventually ensuring the continued existence of this country, but at least they are being remembered in some fashion.  We may never be able to recreate the evocative images and thrills associated with the Schneider Trophy races but this certainly gives us a chance to look back and marvel at those magnificent men (pilots and designers) and their flying machines who went before.

Spitfire celebrates 75th anniversary

Spitfire celebrates 75th anniversary

Today marks a special date in the history of aviation and, ultimately, the history of this country.  On the 5th of March 1936 at Eastleigh Aerodrome, Hampshire  (now Southampton Airport) a single-engined, low-wing monoplane fighter prototype flew for the first time.  That aeroplane, designated Type 300, became the Supermarine Spitfire - designer R. J. Mitchell's magnum opus and the aircraft that went on to define and ultimately help win the Second World War in the air.



The Spitfire can trace its roots back to the successful Supermarine S.5 and S.6/S.6B seaplanes that won the Schneider Trophy in 1927, 1929 and 1931.  Here were the first examples of Mitchell's streamlined, one-piece designs complete with (from the S.6 onwards) Rolls-Royce engines, which would eventually lead to the Spitfire.  Together with the RAF's first low-wing monoplane fighter the Hawker Hurricane, which pre-dated it by a matter of 5 months, the Spitfire became the backbone of Fighter Command in World War Two and has forever cemented itself in our nation's consciousness.

Spitfire flight marks 75th anniversary in Southampton

As part of the celebrations the "Grace" Spitfire performed a flypast over Southampton, where Supermarine was based, and a statue has been commissioned as a permanent memorial.



But the most fitting tribute to this enduring aircraft are the 44 or so (out of total 22,500 manufactured) that still fly and perform at airshows around the world.  Perhaps more than any other aeroplane it has earned an abiding glamour that will, with luck, ensure it remains at the forefront of our cultural heritage for another 75 years.  In the meantime, Happy Birthday Spitfire!

Trophy reveals Spitfire designer was also an ace pilot

Trophy reveals Spitfire designer was also an ace pilot

A lesser-known talent of noted aeroplane designer R. J. Mitchell is reported here, but perhaps it should not come as too much of a surprise that the man who came up with what many say is the greatest fighter aircraft (not to mention myriad other successful designs) should have been pretty handy behind the stick himself.

Nevertheless the rarity of such an item connected to Mitchell coming to light after all these years is certainly worthy of comment and I'm pleased to see it find its way into a museum where it can be properly appreciated and help to further people's awareness of this amazing man and his extraordinary achievements. As the article mentions his life was sadly cut short due to cancer and beyond his work at Supermarine very little is known about him as he obviously valued his privacy. However he seems to have been a man who was intent on adding to his knowledge and experience, even in the face of a fatal illness, almost right up to the end of his life and it wouldn't surprise me if this isn't the last piece of R. J. Mitchell memorabilia that comes to light.