Sea Plane Tender To Move Into The Sunderland Hall - Battle of Britain News
15 December 2010
Launch ST206, built developed by TE Lawrence - Lawrence of Arabia - will be moving today into the Sunderland Hall where it will be placed on permanent display next to the Museum's Sunderland Flying Boat.
This will necessitate closing the Sunderland Hall and the Sunderland Flying Boat both today and tomorrow (16th December).
The small launch, ST206, was used by the RAF to ferry passengers and crew to and from the giant flying boats of the 1930s and was used as a fire tender and rescue launch during the Second World War.
The launch was developed by TE Lawrence – Lawrence of Arabia – in his little-know career after his famous desert exploits in World War One. He entered the Royal Air Force’s Marine Section in 1925 under the pseudonym TE Shaw and worked with the British Power Boat Company to develop faster and more effective rescue boats after witnessing a fatal seaplane crash in 1931. The project made a vital contribution to speed boat design and ensured that the new generation of boats specially designed to rescue pilots during the Second World War were faster and more effective.
The 1930s was the golden age of the flying boat and enormous craft flew around the world offering luxury conditions for international travellers. The RAF used them as transport and long-range escort bomber aircraft in Coastal Command.
ST206 was built to service the Short Sunderland and will be on display to the public next to the Museum's Short Sunderland Flying Boat from Friday of this week.
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