Supermarine Southampton

The Supermarine Southampton was a flying boat of the interwar period designed and produced by the British aircraft manufacturer Supermarine. It was one of the most successful flying boats of the era. The Southampton was derived from the experimental Supermarine Swan, and thus was developed at a relatively high pace. The design of the Southampton represented a new standard for maritime aircraft, and was a major accomplishment for Supermarine's design team, headed by R. J. Mitchell. Supermarine had to expand its production capacity to keep up with demand for the type. During August 1925, the Southampton entered service with the Royal Air Force. The aircraft had gained a favourable reputation as the result of a series of long-distance flights. Further customers emerged for the type, including the Imperial Japanese Navy, Argentine Naval Aviation, and the Royal Danish Navy. The aircraft were adopted by civilian operators, such as Imperial Airways and Japan Air Transport. Amongst other feats, the Southampton facilitated an early 10-passenger cross-channel airline service between England and France.