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The arrival of the Short Sunderland into RAF service in 1938 raised the bar considerably with regard to flying-boat design, compared with what airmen had previously experienced. Gone were the draughty, cluttered cockpits, cramped fuselages and mediocre performance associated with the average inter-war flying boat. The Sunderland brought a host of improvements, which remained only marginally altered for the aircraft’s 21 years of RAF service. The Sunderland was by far the best flying-boat the RAF had ever received, and, sadly, it was also the last. This new book edition of Aeroplane’s deep dive into the history of the Sunderland looks at how this aircraft served our country through the Second World War and beyond, both in civil and military roles, and helps to keep the memory of this wonderful aircraft alive.
The arrival of the Short Sunderland into RAF service in 1938 raised the bar considerably with regard to flying-boat design, compared with what airmen had previously experienced. Gone were the draughty, cluttered cockpits, cramped fuselages and mediocre performance associated with the average inter-war flying boat. The Sunderland brought a host of improvements, which remained only marginally altered for the aircraft’s 21 years of RAF service. The Sunderland was by far the best flying-boat the RAF had ever received, and, sadly, it was also the last. This new book edition of Aeroplane’s deep dive into the history of the Sunderland looks at how this aircraft served our country through the Second World War and beyond, both in civil and military roles, and helps to keep the memory of this wonderful aircraft alive.