WOW427 Supermarine Walrus

Description

The Supermarine Walrus (originally designated the Supermarine Seagull V) was a British single-engine amphibious biplane reconnaissance aircraft designed by R.J ,Mitchell and manufactured by Supermarine at Southampton.

The Walrus first flew in 1933, the design effort having commenced as a private venture four years earlier. It shared its general configuration with that of the earlier Supermarine Seagull. Having been designed to serve as a fleet spotter for catapult launching from cruisers and battleships. The aircraft was largely employed in other roles, notably as a maritime patrol aircraft and as a rescue aircraft for ditched aircrew. The Walrus featured numerous innovations for the period, being the first British squadron-service aircraft to incorporate in one airframe a fully retractable  main undercarriage, completely enclosed crew accommodation and an all-metal fuselage. Early-build aircraft featured the original metal hull design for its greater longevity in tropical conditions, while later-build examples instead used a wooden counterpart to conserve the use of light metal alloys.

The first Seagull Vs entered service with the RAAF in 1935. The type was subsequently adopted in quantity by the Royal Navy, RAF, RNZN and RNZAF.
Walruses operated throughout the Second World War against enemy submarines.

By the start of WW2, the Walrus was in widespread use. Although its principal intended use was gunnery spotting in naval actions, this only occurred twice: Walruses from Renown and Manchester were launched in the Battle of Cape Spartivento and a Walrus from Gloucester was used at the Battle of Cape Matapan in teh same role. The main task of ship-based aircraft was patrolling for Axis submarines and surface-raiders and by March 1941, Walruses were being deployed with Air to Surface Vessel (ASV) radars to assist in this. During the Norwegian Campaign and the East African Campaign, they also saw limited use in bombing and strafing shore targets.

In August 1940, a Walrus operating from Hobart bombed and machine-gunned an Italian headquarters at Zeila in British Somaliland. By 1943, catapult-launched aircraft on cruisers and battleships were being replaced by the improved radar capability being fitted to Allied ships.  A hangar and catapult occupied a considerable amount of space on a warship. Walruses continued to fly from Royal Navy carriers for air-sea rescue and general communications. The low landing speed of the Walrus meant they could make a carrier landing despite having no flaps or tailhook.

Our 1/32 scale Supermarine Walrus is one used at the Batlle of Spartivento to spot the Italian fleet, after the battle, the sides of the Walrus were adorned with “Spotter of Spartivento” to commemorate the role played by its crew.
We have 5 x models available priced at $950 plus shipping. The K&C/JJD figures are shown for display purposes only and are not included. The water jetty mat by TG is however included for free with this purchase!