Short S25 Sunderland

Long-Range Maritime / Reconnaissance Flying Boat

United Kingdom | 1938

"The British Short Sunderland became one the finest flying boat aircraft to serve in World War 2."

Image copyright www.MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 06/07/2018 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

The Short Sunderland was the premiere flying boat of British military aviators during World War 2 (1939-1945). Oft-regarded as one of the best flying boats of the conflict, the Sunderland played up to some inherent design strengths including a potent defensive armament scheme and excellent operational range. Both of these qualities played a large part in countering the lethal presence of marauding German U-boat attack submarines through infested waters in and around Allied interests. It was through these head-on engagements with the enemy that the Sunderland series would become famous for.

Designed from the airliner transport Short C-class "Empire" model, the Short Sunderland became the militarized version of the same flying boat. Fitted with four engines the aircraft became an integral part of Search and Rescue (SAR) missions, maritime patrol and anti-submarine warfare throughout the course of the war. Crew accommodations amounted to 10 personnel including pilots and machine gunners as well as systems and missions specialists as needed.

Standard armament consisted of 2 x bow-mounted 7.7mm fixed, forward-firing machine guns, 2 x machines in a bow turret, 2 x 7.7mm machine guns in a dorsal turret and 4 x 7.7mm machine guns in a rear tail turret. This defensive array allowed the Sunderland to repel enemy fighters when she herself was attacked and she proved quite the capable aircraft for such work. Her network of machine guns earned her the nickname of "Porcupine" from German pilots. However, it was in her ordnance-carrying capacity that the Sunderland would truly shine. She could be outfitted with naval mines, depth charges and conventional drop bombs - enemy submarines being her primary targets. The aircraft series was so feared by German U-boat crews, in fact, that they worked hard to avoid direct entanglements with Sunderlands whenever possible.

Short Sunderlands gained a mighty reputation for their capabilities - most often remembered for their anti-submarine role - but equally respected for their search and rescue capabilities. In the end, nearly 750 examples were produced in four distinct marks - Mk I, Mk II, Mk IIIA and, the most potent form, the Mk V with its Pratt & Whitney radial piston engines - and each varied in powerplants and radar installed through the course of the war. Operational groups based from England could reach out across Greece and Crete airspace as well as other areas in the operating radius. A multitude of British squadrons fielded this versatile flying boat and most were often seen accompanying advancing Allied convoys at sea - a testament to its effectiveness in large scale operations. Additional operators included Australia, Canada, France, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal and South Africa.

Content ©MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.

Power & Performance
Those special qualities that separate one aircraft design from another. Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the Short S.25 Sunderland Mk V Long-Range Maritime / Reconnaissance Flying Boat.

4 x Pratt & Whitney R-1830-90 Twin Wasp 14-cylinder air-cooled radial engines developing 1,200 horsepower each.
Propulsion

217 mph
349 kph | 188 kts
Max Speed

17,864 ft
5,445 m | 3 miles
Service Ceiling

2,961 miles
4,765 km | 2,573 nm
Operational Range

750 ft/min
229 m/min
Rate-of-Climb

Structure
The nose-to-tail, wingtip-to-wingtip physical qualities of the Short S.25 Sunderland Mk V Long-Range Maritime / Reconnaissance Flying Boat.

9 to 11
(MANNED)
Crew

85.3 ft
26.00 m
O/A Length

112.7 ft
(34.36 m)
O/A Width

34.5 ft
(10.52 m)
O/A Height

36,901 lb
(16,738 kg)
Empty Weight

60,001 lb
(27,216 kg)
MTOW

Armament
Available supported armament and special-mission equipment featured in the design of the Short S25 Sunderland Long-Range Maritime / Reconnaissance Flying Boat .

STANDARD:
2 x 7.7mm forward-fixed firing machine guns
2 x 7.7mm machine guns in dorsal turret
2 x 7.7mm machine guns in bow turret
4 x 7.7mm machine guns in tail turret

Some models as many as 16 x 7.7mm machine guns, Some fielded with additional 2 x 12.7mm Browning heavy machine guns as well.

OPTIONAL:
Maximum bombload of 4,960 lb. Ordnance included bombs, depth charges and naval mines.

Variants
Notable series variants as part of the Short S25 Sunderland family line.

Mk I - Initial Production Variant; 75 examples produced.

Mk II - Fitted with Pegasus radial engines and ASV.mk II radar system; 55 examples produced; redesigned planing bottom.

Mk IIIA - Fitted with ASV.Mk III radar; 407 examples produced.

Mk V - Final Production Variant; fitted with Pratt & Whitney radial piston engines and ASV.Mk VIc radar system; 143 examples produced.

Operators
Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the Short S25 Sunderland. Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national aircraft listing.

Total Production: 749 Units
Contractor(s): Short Brothers - UK

[ Argentina (commercial); Australia; Canada; France; New Zealand; Norway; Portugal; South Africa; United Kingdom; Uruguay (commercial) ]

1 / 8

Image copyright www.MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.

2 / 8

Image copyright www.MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.

3 / 8

Image copyright www.MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.

4 / 8

Image from the Public Domain.

5 / 8

Image from the Public Domain.

6 / 8

Image from the Public Domain.

7 / 8

Image from the Public Domain.

8 / 8

Image from the Public Domain.

❮ ❯

Going Further...
The Short S25 Sunderland Long-Range Maritime / Reconnaissance Flying Boat appears in the following collections:

HOME

AVIATION INDEX

AIRCRAFT BY COUNTRY

AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURERS

BERLIN AIRLIFT AIRCRAFT

COLD WAR AIRCRAFT

MALAYAN EMERGENCY AIRCRAFT

WWII AIRCRAFT

Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Cookies

2024 Military Pay Scale Military Ranks of the World U.S. Department of Defense Dictionary Conversion Calculators Military Alphabet Code Military Map Symbols Breakdown U.S. 5-Star Generals List WWII Weapons by Country World War Next

The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. All written content, illustrations, and photography are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and not for reuse/reproduction in any form. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value only and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation. We do not sell any of the items showcased on this site. Please direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory AT gmail.com. No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

Part of a network of sites that includes GlobalFirepower, a data-driven property used in ranking the top military powers of the world, WDMMA.org (World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft), WDMMW.org (World Directory of Modern Military Warships), SR71blackbird.org, detailing the history of the world's most iconic spyplane, and MilitaryRibbons.info, cataloguing military medals and ribbons. Special Interest: RailRoad Junction, the locomotive encyclopedia.

©2024 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • Content ©2003-2024 (21yrs)