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Short Sunderland MR5

Object details

Adopt the majestic aircraft that graces our London Museum’s entrance hall and make an exclusive salute to RAF history. By the start of World War Two in September 1939, three RAF squadrons had been equipped with the Sunderlands, a long-range reconnaissance and anti-submarine patrol flying boat. The Luftwaffe nicknamed the Sunderland ‘The Flying Porcupine’ because of the large number of machine guns it was equipped with. The final Coastal Command Sunderland operational mission was in June 1945 but long-range Sunderland operations also took place overseas from bases in Africa and the Far East. Sunderlands were later used in the Berlin Airlift in 1949. They remained operational for twenty years and were the last flying-boats of the Royal Air Force. The magnificent example in Hangar 1 flew with No. 201 Squadron during 1945 and later served with the French Navy.