Supermarine Nanok

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Nanok
Supermarine Solent Le Document aeronautique September,1928.jpg
Solent
RolePatrol bomber flying boat
National originUnited Kingdom
Manufacturer Supermarine
First flight21 June 1927
Retired1934
Number built1
Developed from Supermarine Southampton

The Supermarine Nanok was a British three-engined biplane flying boat built by Supermarine. Built to meet a Royal Danish Navy requirement, the single prototype was rebuilt as a private air yacht and renamed the Supermarine Solent.

Contents

Development and design

The Nanok (Inuit language: "Polar bear") was a three-engined development of Supermarine's successful Southampton flying boat, designed to meet a Danish requirement for a torpedo-carrying flying boat. A prototype was ordered on 17 June 1926, and the aircraft first flew on 21 June 1927. Testing was disappointing, and despite modifications the aircraft could not meet the specified performance and was rejected by the Danes. [1]

In 1928 the aircraft was renamed the Supermarine Solent, and offered for sale as a torpedo bomber, but failed to sell. It was therefore converted to a civilian 9 seater air yacht for the brewing magnate Ernest Guinness. [2] [3] This was registered as G-AAAB in August 1928. Guinness may have found the interior headroom of the hull too small, as he almost immediately ordered its replacement, the all-metal Supermarine Air Yacht. The Solent was deregistered and scrapped in 1934.

The name 'Supermarine Solent' was also applied to a separate aircraft design, using the Supermarine Southampton hull with the Nanok's larger wings, as a 14-seat civil transport. This design failed to sell though. [2]

Operational history

The Solent was certified as airworthy on 5 September 1928, [4] and was used to fly frequently between England and the owner's home near Lough Corrib in County Galway, Ireland. [1] It remained in use until it was scrapped in 1934. [4]

Operators

Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark

Specifications (Nanok)

Data from Supermarine Aircraft since 1914 [5]

General characteristics

Performance

101.2 mph (88 kn; 163 km/h) at 10,000 ft (3,048 m)
  • 5,000 ft (1,524 m) in 10 minutes 20 seconds
  • 10,000 ft (3,048 m) in 31 minutes

Armament

See also

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