The Supermarine Stranraer, 'Stranny', was a British, maritime, reconnaissance flying boat which was used by the Royal Air Force and the Royal Canadian Air Force during World War II. It operated mostly in the Atlantic and the North Sea. Although it usually was not liked by the crew, the Stranraer was a stable and safe aircraft to fly. When the war broke out in 1939, this flying boat began to carry out combat sorties to intercept enemy shipping between Scotland and Norway. For this types of missions, it was equipped with bombs under one wing and with an extra fuel tank under the other.
Developed from the Supermarine Scapa, the prototype of the Stranraer first flew on July 24, 1934, entering service with the RAF in 1937. A total of 57 Stranraer flying boats were built by Supermarine and Vickers. In British RAF service, the last operational flights flown by this seaplane took place in the Spring of 1941, but it would be withdrawn from service in October 1942. In Canada, it was retired in 1946 as it was used in coastal defense operations. However, this flying boat would continue to be used in civilian aviation by government and private firms for search and rescue operations and mail delivery service. It was also used by regional airlines in Canada as passenger aircraft. No less than fourteen of the Canadian Stranraers joined the Canadian civil register, the most famous operator being the Queen Charlotte Airways on the west coast of British Columbia, providing service to isolated towns in this rugged island chain.
Technical Description
The Supermarine Stranraer was a twin-engine, all-metal biplane flying boat of conventional layout. The fuselage (hull) was of stressed-skin metal construction throughout, with bulkheads at irregular intervals, with access doors at a height to enable some planning-bottom damage control. The forward fuselage was heavily flared into integral chines (intersections) for spray suppression. The cockpit had positions for two pilots, a flight engineer and a navigator station, while there were gun positions in the nose, mid fuselage and tail. The flying boat was powered by two Bristol Pegasus X piston engines, which were slung underneath the upper wing, at the end of the center section, faired by long chord Townend cowlings. The lower wing root was built integral to the fuselage. The upper and lower wing were joined together by struts and wires. Lower wing was fitted with one float on each side.
Specifications
Type: maritime flying boat
Length: 16.69 m (54 feet, 9 inches)
Wing Span: 25.91 m (85 feet)
Wing Area: 135.4 m2 (1,457 square feet)
Height: 6.63 m (21 feet, 9 inches)
Power Plant: two Bristol Pegasus X, 9-cylinder, air-cooled radial engines, each delivering 920 HP.
Maximum Speed: 266 km/h (165 mph)
Range: 1,600 km (1,000 miles)
Rate of Climb: 6.9 m/s
Service Ceiling: 5,600 m (18,500 feet)
Crew: seven
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| Above, the Supermarine Stranraer in British service in 1938. |
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| A pre-war Royal Canadian Air Force Stranraer taking off. |
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| The Stranny off the water for maintenance. |