Sunderland Mk V

[cardboard_killer]

[80 years ago] "• Successive modifications to the Short Sunderland, including more armour, guns, radar, stronger wing, have overburdened the Bristol Pegasus engines, requiring them to be run at full power even when cruising. This reduces range and requires engine replacement more often. Short is experimenting with more powerful Bristol Hercules engines but they require a nearly full redesign and the Sunderland Mark-IV will only come out post-war as the Short Seaford.

 

- Australian crews in the UK suggest installing the same Pratt and Whitney Twin Wasps which are being used by Coastal Command Catalinas. Two Mark-IIIs are taken off the assembly line, given the new engines, and assigned to the Australians for testing. The Mark-III/V will provide increased performance and allow the Sunderland to stay airborne if two engines are out. The Pegasus engine versions require three to maintain altitude. 35 Mark-III will be converted and another 155 Mark-V will be built from scratch.

 

Sunderland Mark III-Mark V prototype conversion No 10 Squadron RAAF"