Supermarine Walrus
Description
Role	Reconnaissance amphibian
Crew	3-4
First Flight	June 21, 1933
Entered Service	1935
Manufacturer	Supermarine
Dimensions
Length	33 ft 7 in	10.2 m
Wingspan	45 ft 10 in	14.0 m
Height	15 ft 3 in	4.6 m
Wing area	610 ft²	56.7 m²
Weights
Empty	4,900 lb	2,220 kg
Loaded	7,200 lb	3,265 kg
Maximum takeoff	lb	kg
Powerplant
Engine	Bristol Pegasus VI
Power	680 hp	510 kW
Performance
Maximum speed	135 mph @ 4,750 ft	215 km/h @ 1,450 m
Combat range	600 miles	965 km
Ferry range	miles	km
Service ceiling	18,500 ft	5,650 m
Rate of climb	1,050 ft/min	320 m/min
Wing loading	11.8 lb/ft²	57.6 kg/m²
Power/Mass	0.094 hp/lb	0.16 kW/kg
Armament
Guns	2 × Vickers 'K' (1 in bows, 1 aft)
Bombs/depth charges	760 lb	345 kg

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 catapults, 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.

External link

• Fleet Air Arm Archive