Short Sunderland
Short Brothers · Maritime Patrol · UK · Interwar (1919–1938)
The Short Sunderland is a British four-engine flying-boat developed by Short Brothers and produced from 1937 to 1946. Entering Royal Air Force service in 1938, it gave RAF Coastal Command a WWII platform for maritime patrol, anti-submarine warfare, and air-sea rescue. Through 1939–1945 the Sunderland served as Coastal Command's principal flying-boat across the North Atlantic, Mediterranean, Indian Ocean and Pacific theatres. Its dense defensive armament earned it the German aircrew nickname 'Stachelschwein' ('Porcupine' or 'Flying Porcupine'), referring to the bristling gun positions. Production reached 749 airframes; the final retirement came in 1967 with the Royal New Zealand Air Force. The type stands as one of the most iconic British WWII flying-boats and a meaningful contributor to the Allied victory in the Battle of the Atlantic.
The airframe is a high-wing four-engine flying-boat 86 ft (26.0 m) long with a 113 ft (34.4 m) wingspan. Empty weight runs to 36,900 lb, with a Mk.V maximum take-off weight of 65,000 lb. Initial Mk.I aircraft used four Bristol Pegasus XVIII radials of 1,065 hp each; the Mk.III mixed Pegasus XVIII and Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp powerplants; the Mk.V standardised on four Pratt & Whitney R-1830-90B Twin Wasp engines of 1,200 hp each. Top speed is 210 mph, service ceiling 17,900 ft, and combat radius 1,800 nmi for typical maritime-patrol profiles. The deep boat hull permitted operations from any suitable harbour. Mk.V defensive armament ran to 12 or more .303 and .50 cal Browning machine guns across turret, waist and nose positions — the source of the 'Flying Porcupine' name. Bomb and depth-charge load reached 2,000 lb, carried by a crew of 10 to 13 including navigator, flight engineer and mission specialists.
For Kids — a shorter, friendlier version
The Short Sunderland is a giant British flying boat. Instead of landing on a runway, it sets down on water like a duck. The Sunderland watched over the oceans during World War II, hunting submarines and rescuing sailors from sinking ships.
The Sunderland is huge: 85 feet long with a 113-foot wingspan, longer than a Boeing 737. Four big Pratt and Whitney engines pulled it through the air at 210 mph. Inside it carried 13 crew members, who lived on board during long flights of 13 hours or more.
German submarine crews nicknamed the Sunderland the Flying Porcupine because it had so many machine guns sticking out of it. Some Sunderlands carried 18 guns, more than any other patrol plane of the war.
Sunderlands sank or helped sink 31 German submarines. They also rescued thousands of survivors from torpedoed ships. About 749 Sunderlands were built, and they kept flying with the Royal Air Force until 1959, long after the war ended.
Fun Facts
- Sunderlands had a small kitchen inside where the crew cooked hot meals on long flights.
- German U-boat crews called it the 'Flying Porcupine' because of all its guns.
- Sunderland crews lived on the plane during 13-hour patrols over the Atlantic Ocean.
- About 749 Sunderlands were built between 1937 and 1946.
- The Sunderland could land on the sea to rescue sailors from torpedoed ships.
- Sunderlands flew supplies into West Berlin during the 1948 Berlin Airlift.
- New Zealand's Royal Air Force flew Sunderlands until 1967, the last operator.
Kids’ Questions
How does a flying boat work?
A flying boat has a hull shaped like a boat instead of regular landing gear. The bottom of the plane is its boat hull. When it lands on water, the hull slices through waves like a speedboat. To take off, it skims along the water faster and faster until the wings lift it into the air.
How long could it stay in the air?
The Sunderland could fly for 13 hours or more without landing. Crew members took turns flying, sleeping, and watching for submarines. There was a small kitchen, called a galley, where they cooked hot meals during the long patrols.
Are there any flying today?
No Sunderland is currently flying. A few are on display in museums, including the famous one at Hendon RAF Museum in England. People sometimes talk about restoring one to flying condition, but it's very expensive and hasn't happened yet.
Variants
- Sunderland Mk.I (initial 1938)
- Original 1938 production variant powered by Bristol Pegasus engines. 75 built. Formed the backbone of early-WWII Coastal Command flying-boat capability.
- Sunderland Mk.II / III (improved 1942+)
- Mid-war improvement variants fitted with ASV anti-surface-vessel radar. 456 built. Carried the bulk of mid-WWII Coastal Command Sunderland operations.
- Sunderland Mk.V (Twin Wasp engines, 1944+)
- Late-war variant re-engined with Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp radials for improved reliability and power. 155 built. Served through late-WWII and post-war operations.
- Short Sandringham (post-WWII commercial)
- Post-war civilian conversion. Operators included BOAC, Qantas and other airlines. Limited civil service.
Notable Operators
- Royal Air Force (former)
- Primary operator, with more than 600 Sunderlands in RAF Coastal Command service from 1938 to 1959. Wartime tasking covered Battle of Atlantic ASW, Mediterranean patrols and Indian Ocean operations. RAF retirement: 1959.
- Royal Australian Air Force (former)
- RAAF flew 32 Sunderlands on Pacific theatre operations from 1942 to 1945.
- Royal Canadian Air Force (former)
- RCAF Sunderland operations during WWII as part of Allied maritime patrol.
- Royal New Zealand Air Force (former)
- RNZAF flew the Sunderland from 1944 to 1967, conducting the type's final operational retirement and one of the last operational flying-boat services anywhere.
- Free French / Polish Air Forces (former)
- Allied air arms received Sunderlands for wartime maritime operations.
- Foreign / civilian post-WWII
- Post-war service included Norway (3 operated 1947–1959) and civilian carriers BOAC, Qantas and Aquila Airways, which flew converted Sunderlands on passenger and cargo routes through 1958.
- Preservation / museums
- Six surviving Sunderlands are preserved worldwide, including RAF Museum Hendon, Imperial War Museum Duxford, RAF Museum Cosford and aviation museums in New Zealand.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why was Sunderland called 'Flying Porcupine'?
The Luftwaffe aircrew nickname 'Stachelschwein' referenced the Sunderland's defensive armament. The Mk.V carried 12 or more .303 and .50 cal Browning machine guns across turret, waist and nose positions, giving 360° defensive coverage. Combat reports describe damage inflicted on attacking Junkers Ju 88, Bf 110 and Fw 200 fighters, including confirmed kills. In one 1942 Bay of Biscay engagement, a Sunderland Mk.III shot down 3 of 8 attacking Ju 88s in a single fight — the action that cemented the 'Flying Porcupine' reputation.
What was Sunderland's WWII role?
RAF Coastal Command tasking spanned multiple theatres. (1) Anti-submarine warfare — Sunderlands engaged German U-boats during the Battle of Atlantic, with night-time hunting effectiveness boosted by ASV radar and the Leigh light. (2) Anti-shipping operations against Axis vessels in the Mediterranean and Pacific. (3) Air-sea rescue — water landings to recover downed Allied aircrew from open ocean. (4) Other duties including passenger and VIP transport, fleet reconnaissance and escort missions.
Why did Sunderland operate so long?
The Sunderland's service stretched to 1967 with the RNZAF, outlasting most WWII-era aircraft. Several factors drove that longevity: range and mission endurance suited to maritime patrol and transport; the flying-boat concept allowed operation from harbours and lakes without runway infrastructure, valuable across the Pacific and Indian Ocean; limited post-war replacements for the flying-boat role until land-based types like the P-2 Neptune and Avro Shackleton matured; and sustained RAF, RNZAF and Commonwealth commitment. The P-3 Orion and P-8 Poseidon eventually displaced flying-boat operations entirely.
How does Sunderland compare to PBY Catalina?
Both are WWII-era flying-boats in the same mission set. The Consolidated PBY Catalina is a U.S. twin-engine design with 3,305 built, flown across WWII and into post-war civil and Allied service. The Short Sunderland is a British four-engine design with 749 built, flown by the RAF, Commonwealth and Free European air arms. The Catalina won on production scale and global reach; the Sunderland brought heavier defensive armament and a larger airframe. Both contributed across Allied WWII maritime theatres, and both gave way to land-based maritime-patrol aircraft after the war.
Where can I see a Sunderland today?
Six surviving Sunderlands are preserved worldwide. RAF Museum Hendon holds a Sunderland exhibit, with further airframes at RAF Museum Cosford and the Imperial War Museum Duxford. The Royal New Zealand Air Force Museum at Christchurch preserves Pacific-theatre RNZAF heritage. British, Australian and New Zealand aviation museums hold related artifacts and components. Surviving airframes are limited because of post-war flying-boat scrappage.
Sources
See Also
- Consolidated PBY Catalina — U.S. era-contemporary flying-boat
- Short Shetland — Successor Short flying-boat
- Avro Shackleton — Successor RAF maritime patrol
- Lockheed P-3 Orion — Modern land-based maritime-patrol successor
- Saunders-Roe Princess — Era-contemporary British flying-boat (commercial)