Supermarine Sea Lion III
| Sea Lion III | |
|---|---|
| |
| Henry Biard aboard the Sea Lion III | |
| Role | Racing flying-boat
|
| National origin | UK |
| Manufacturer | Supermarine Aviation Works |
| Designer | R.J. Mitchell
|
| First flight | 1923 |
| Retired | 1923 |
| Number built | 1 |
The Supermarine Sea Lion III was a British
Sea Lion III was entered for the 1923 Schneider Trophy contest at Cowes. Supermarine's test pilot Henry Biard flew the aircraft and managed third place, reaching a speed of 151.16 mph (243.27 km/h). The performance of the Sea Lion III led to Supermarine designing seaplanes instead of flying boats as racers.
Development
The British aircraft company
1923 Schneider Trophy race
The Sea Lion II was flown by Henry Biard, who won the race at an average speed of 145.7 mph (234.5 km/h),[2] The victory was the first post-World War I success by a British aircraft in an international competition[5]
For the 1923 Schneider Race, which was held at
Our drawing office people got all the speed they possibly could out of the machine. We did the best we could and have no regrets. Sea Lion III was 11 mph faster than Sea Lion II, and the credit for this fine performance was due to several people, one of whom is Mr. R.J. Mitchell, who designed both machines.
The British defeat caused Supermarine to abandon using outclassed flying boats as racers, in favour of seaplanes.[7] The Sea Lion III was transferred to the Royal Air Force in 1923.[2]
Operators
Specifications (Sea Lion II)
Data from Supermarine Aircraft since 1914[8]
General characteristics
- Crew: 1
- Length: 24 ft 9 in (7.54 m)
- Wingspan: 32 ft 0 in (9.75 m)
- Wing area: 384 sq ft (35.7 m2)
- Empty weight: 2,115 lb (959 kg)
- Gross weight: 2,850 lb (1,293 kg)
- Powerplant: 1 × Napier Lion IIW-12 water-cooled piston engine, 450 hp (340 kW)
- Propellers: 4-bladed fixed-pitch wooden pusher propeller
Performance
- Maximum speed: 160 mph (260 km/h, 140 kn)
- Endurance: 3 hours
See also
Related lists
References
- ^ Andrews & Morgan 1987, pp. 5, 60.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Jackson 1988, p. 314.
- ^ Baker 1994, p. 144.
- ^ Andrews & Morgan 1987, p. 60.
- ^ Pegram 2016, p. 36.
- ^ a b Mitchell 2006, p. 51.
- ^ a b Mitchell 2006, p. 53.
- ^ Andrews & Morgan 1987, p. 68.
Sources
- Andrews, C. F.; Morgan, E. B. (1987). Supermarine Aircraft since 1914. London: Putnam. ISBN 978-0-85177-800-6.
- ISBN 978-08160-1-854-3.
- Jackson, A. J. (1988). British Civil Aircraft 1919–1972: Volume III. London: Putnam. ISBN 978-0-85177-818-1.
- Mitchell, Gordon (2006). R.J. Mitchell: Schooldays to Spitfire. Stroud: Tempus. ISBN 978-07524-3-727-9.
- Pegram, Ralph (2016). Beyond the Spitfire: The Unseen Designs of R.J. Mitchell. Pegram: The History Press. ISBN 978-0-7509-6515-6.