A-Z Aircraft Manufacturers

Supermarine Aviation Works (Vickers) Ltd

Founded in 1913, initially as Pemberton-Billing Ltd, Supermarine Aviation Works Ltd (as it became known in 1916) was a British aircraft manufacturer famed for its range of sea planes and the iconic Supermarine Spitfire. The company name changed to Supermarine Aviation Works (Vickers) Ltd when Vickers-Armstrongs took them over in 1928.

Pemberton-Billing P.B.1

First Flight: 1914

Single seat Flying Boat (1 built)

Pemberton-Billing P.B.9 "Seven Day Bus"

First Flight: 1914

WWI single-seat scout (1 built)

First flown in August 1914, the PB9 was a World War I single-seat scout biplane built by Pemberton-Billing Limited (later becoming the Supermarine Aviation Works). Although the PB9 performed well only one prototype was ever built, but was later used by the Royal Naval Air Service as a trainer. Using a set of wings that had been obtained from Radley-England, its design, build and maiden flight was carried out within nine days, athough its designer Noel Pemberton Billing boasted it had only a week for publicity reasons, hence the nickname "Seven Day Bus".

Model @ Solent Sky Museum, Southampton

Pemberton-Billing P.B.25

First Flight: 1915

WWI single-seat scout

First Flight: 1916

Flying Boat

Supermarine Channel

First Flight: 1919

civil version of AD Flying Boat

Sea Lion I

First Flight: 1919

Schneider race flying boat

Sea Lion II and III

First Flight: 1922

Schneider race flying boat

Sea King

First Flight: 1920

single seat fighter flying boat

Seagull V

First flight: 1921

Reconnaissance flying boat

A2-4 RAF Museum Hendon 2012

Sea Eagle

First flight: 1923

passenger flying boat

Scarab

First flight: 1924

military variant of Sea Eagle

Sparrow

First flight: 1924

2 seat ultralight (1 built)

Southampton

First flight: 1925

Military reconnaissance flying boat

N9899 RAF Museum Hendon 2012

Nanok / Solent

First Flight: 1927

12 seat passenger flying boat (1 built)

S.4

First flight: 1925

Racing seaplane

Registered G-EBLP, this was a Single-engined single-seat monoplane racing seaplane designed and built to compete in the 1925 Schneider Trophy. It first flew on 24th August 1925, but was destroyed in a crash before the competition started.

S.5

First flight: 1927

Racing seaplane

Single-engined single-seat racing seaplane designed by R.J. Mitchell specifically for the 1927 Schneider Trophy competition. First flown on 7th June 1927, 3 aircraft were built and, unlike the S.4's all-wood structure, were all-metal. They came 1st and 2nd in the 1927 race held in Venice with the winning aircraft (Serial number N220) flown by Flight Lieutenant S.N Webster. One S.5 (Serial number N221) crashed during an attempt on the world air speed record on 12th March 1928, killing the pilot Flight Lieutenant Samuel Kinkead.

Model of N220 @ the Solent Sky Museum, Southampton

S.6

First flight: 1929

Racing seaplane

Designed by R.J. Mitchell to Specification 8/28, 2 aircraft (serial numbers N247 and N248) were built at Woolston. Delivered in August 1929, and operated by the RAF High Speed Flight, They were entered into the 1929 Schneider Trophy at Calshot, England. N247 came first piloted by Flying Officer H.R.D. Waghorn. Despite being disqualified for turning inside one of the marker poles, N248 set World closed-circuit records for 50 and 100 km.

N248 @ the Solent Sky Museum, Southampton

S.6B

First flight: 1929

Racing seaplane

The S.6B was last in the line of racing seaplanes designed by Supermarine, but development was initially hindered by the withdrawel of promised government financial support. Following a high-profile public campaign encouraged by Lord Rothermere and a substantial donation by Lady Houston, government backing was again secured but with only nine months remaining until the race, R.J. Mitchell decided to refine the existing S.6 rather than pursue a new design, hence the designation S.6B. Principal design differences included a more powerful Rolls-Royce R engine, redesigned floats to provide additional cooling, and minor aerodynamic refinements to reduce drag. 2 S.6Bs (serial numbers S1595 and S1596) were built for the competition and were flown by members of RAF High Speed Flight, winning the Schneider Trophy. S1596, flown by Flt Lt. George Stainforth, would subsequently break the world air speed record, achieving a top speed of 407.5 mph.