Supermarine Commercial Amphibian

Manufacturer: Supermarine
Designed by: Reginald Mitchell
First flight: September 1920

The Supermarine Commercial Amphibian was a British passenger-carrying flying boat designed by Reginald Mitchell and built by the Supermarine Aviation Works.

Description

In April 1920, the British Air Ministry announced that it would hold two competitions for commercial aircraft, one for Landplanes and one for Seaplanes. The Supermarine Commercial Amphibian, was designed to compete for the Seaplane prize, and was a single-engined biplane flying boat with a wooden hull and unequal span wings. The engine was mounted between the wings in pusher configuration. The tail had a single vertical fin, and single tailplane mounted halfway up the fin.

The pilot was accommodated in an open cockpit just forward of the wings, and the passengers sat in an enclosed cabin further forward.

The competition was held in September 1920, with the Commercial Seaplane finishing second to the Vickers Viking, winning a prize of £8,000. It was badly damaged in a crash in October 1920, and was not rebuilt. It formed the basis for the Supermarine Seal amphibian of 1921.

Specifications

Data from Supermarine Aircraft since 1914

General characteristics

Crew: 1 pilot
Capacity: 2 passengers
Length: 32 ft 6 in (9.91 m)
Wingspan: 50 ft 0 in (15.24 m)
Height: 14 ft 6 in (4.42 m)
Wing area: 600 sq ft (55.8 m²)
Empty weight: 3,996 lb (1,816 kg)
Loaded weight: 5,700 lb (2,591 kg)
Powerplant: 1x— Rolls-Royce Eagle VIII in pusher configuration, 350 hp (261 kW)

Performance

Maximum speed: 94 mph (82 kn, 152 km/h)
Range: 312 mi (271 nmi, 502 km)

Andrews, C.F. and Morgan E.B. Supermarine Aircraft since 1914. London:Putnam, 1987. ISBN 0 85177 800 3.

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Source: WikiPedia