Supermarine Walrus

The Supermarine Walrus was a reconnaissance amphibian designed by R. J. Mitchell and operated by the Fleet Air Arm. It also served with the Royal Air Force and the RAAF and RNZAF. Developed
from the earlier Supermarine Seagull amphibian exported to Japan, Spain, etc. it was delivered for service from cruisers from 1935.

It was designed to be launched from ship-borne catapultss, and was the first amphibious aircraft in the world to be launched by catapult with a full military load. The wings could be folded on ship, giving a storage width of
17 ft 11 in (5.5 m).

740 Walrus were built and they saw service in home waters, the Mediterranean and the Far East. Walrus are credited with sinking or damaging at least 5 enemy submarines. Some of them were still in service in 1947.

As the Walrus was stressed to a level suitable for catapult-launching, rather surprisingly for such an ungainly-looking machine, it could be looped and bunted, whereupon any water in the bilges would make it's present felt. This usually discouraged the pilot from any future aerobatics on this type.

The Walrus was affectionately known as the 'Shagbat' or sometimes 'Steam-pigeon', the latter name coming from the steam produced by water falling on the hot Pegasus engine.

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