Sunderland Mk IIIa

Sunderland Mk IIIa

Hampden TB Mk I

Sunderland Mk V

Sunderland Mk IIIa

Hampden TB Mk I

Sunderland Mk V

Britain

II Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
2.0	1.7	1.7

Class:

Bomber

Long Range bomber

Hydroplane

Research:7 900

Purchase:10 000

Show in game

This page is about the British bomber Sunderland Mk IIIa. For the other version, see Sunderland Mk V.

Description

The Sunderland Mk IIIa is a rank II British bomber with a battle rating of 2.0 (AB) and 1.7 (RB/SB). It was introduced in Update 1.57 "Battle March".

General info

Flight Performance

The Sunderland Mk IIIa is rather finicky in the air. Handling is not all that bad, turn time is about 20-25 seconds spaded with flaps. However, the wings can only take 3-4Gs before they snap off. Due to the low rip speed, this means you can potentially rip your wings when flying a spaded aircraft at top speed.

If there is no water available to land in, it will be necessary to belly land on the airfields. If so, take care to not let the pontoons touch the ground. However, after descending all the way for the landing, it will be necessary to continue the fight at a low altitude due to the Sunderland's atrocious climb rate forbidding any chance of reaching back to optimal bombing altitude in a timely manner. It's very hard to regain your energy once lost. Research engine upgrades as soon as you can, as these will make a massive improvement in your performance, both level flying and climbing.

Characteristics
Stock
Max Speed (km/h at 4,267 m)		Max altitude (meters)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (meters/second)		Take-off run (meters)
AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
374	366	6096	36.0	36.9	4.2	4.2	740
Upgraded
Max Speed (km/h at 4,267 m)		Max altitude (meters)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (meters/second)		Take-off run (meters)
AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
418	394	6096	34.1	35.0	9.7	6.5	740

Details

Features
Combat flaps	Take-off flaps	Landing flaps	Air brakes	Arrestor gear
✓	✓	✓	X	X

Limits
Wing-break speed (km/h)	Gear limit (km/h)	Combat flaps (km/h)	Max Static G
			+	-
		520	~3	~2

Optimal velocities
Ailerons (km/h)	Rudder (km/h)	Elevators (km/h)	Radiator (km/h)
< 350	< 350	< 250	> 312

Compressor (RB/SB)
Setting 1
Optimal altitude	100% Engine power	WEP Engine power
1,450 m	815 hp	1,018 hp
Setting 2
Optimal altitude	100% Engine power	WEP Engine power
4,500 m	750 hp	937 hp

Survivability and armour

There is no armour protection on this aircraft. It is a very rugged aircraft so as a result small calibre machine-guns common at this BR aren't going to hurt you that badly.

Armaments

Offensive armament

The Sunderland Mk IIIa is armed with:

• 4 x 7.7 mm Browning .303 machine guns, nose-mounted (500 rpg = 2,000 total)

Suspended armament

The Sunderland Mk IIIa can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

• 8 x 250 lb G.P. 250 lb Mk.IV bombs (2,000 lb total)
• 4 x 500 lb G.P. 500 lb Mk.IV bombs (2,000 lb total)

Defensive armament

The Sunderland Mk IIIa is defended by:

• 2 x 7.7 mm Browning .303 machine guns, nose turret (1,000 rpg = 2,000 total)
• 2 x 7.7 mm Browning .303 machine guns, dorsal turret (500 rpg = 1,000 total)
• 4 x 7.7 mm Browning .303 machine guns, tail turret (1,000 rpg = 4,000 total)

Usage in battles

Side climbing is essential for the Sunderland Mk IIIa as, whilst it is a very rugged aircraft, the combination of slow climb rate and large bright (white) air frame makes you a very obvious target, meaning that you won't be flying for very long and find upgrading a real chore.

However don't be scared if an enemy plane is coming at you, chances are that if they don't have anything more than small calibre machine-guns, they aren't going to hurt you that badly. Focus on getting to your target, bombing and then returning to reload. Flying the Sunderland is like a shuttle-bus, focus on your target and try not to get distracted along the way, as it's very hard to regain your energy once lost. Research engine upgrades as soon as you can, as these will make a massive improvement in your performance, both level flying and climbing.

Manual Engine Control

MEC elements
Mixer	Pitch	Radiator			Supercharger	Turbocharger
		Oil	Water	Type
Not controllable	Controllable Not auto controlled	Controllable Not auto controlled	Controllable Not auto controlled	Separate	Controllable 2 gears	Not controllable

Modules

Tier	Flight performance		Survivability	Weaponry
I	Fuselage repair	Radiator		Offensive 7 mm	HMBC mk.2
II		Compressor	Airframe	New 7 mm MGs
III	Wings repair	Engine		Turret 7 mm
IV		Engine injection	Cover	New 7 mm MGs

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Very rugged air frame.
• Very good durability, will absorb a lot of bullets before going down.
• The Sunderland is a flying boat and thus it can land on water.
• Good handling with full fuel load.
• Excellent manoeuvrability and handling with minimum fuel load out.
• Excellent handling at low speeds.
• Good acceleration.
• Excels in destroying ground targets.
• Has four frontal machine guns.
• Powerful defensive armament that will deter enemy planes especially biplanes.

Cons:

• Structural damage (wing rips) occurs at 414 km/h (260 mph).
• Landing too hard (on water) can cause major internal damage (i.e. The control cables breaking).
• No wheels and thus cannot land safely on an airfield.
• No armour or protection at all.
• Cannon armed planes will destroy it very easily .
• Will be ripped to shreds easily by certain planes with large cannons like the Hurricane Mk IV, Ki-45 otsu and the Ki-44-II otsu.
• Red lines at 400 km/h (250 mph)
• Engines overheat very fast
• Not responsive when red lining.
• Only one pilot, no co-pilot unlike other bombers at the tier.
• Bombs are rather inadequate for its size.
• No Bomb bay, the bombs are slid from the fuselage onto the wings, thus there is a delay from pressing the space bar (or whatever key is bound). This must be taken into consideration when flying.

History

The Short S.25 Sunderland was a British flying boat patrol bomber, developed and constructed by Short Brothers for the Royal Air Force (RAF). The aircraft took its service name from the town (latterly, city) and port of Sunderland in North East England.

The Sunderland was one of the most powerful and widely used flying boats throughout the Second World War. In addition to the RAF, the type was operated by other Allied military air wings, including the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), South African Air Force (SAAF), Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF), French Navy, Norwegian Air Force, and the Portuguese Navy. During the conflict, the type was heavily involved in Allied efforts to counter the threat posed by German U-boats in the Battle of the Atlantic.

Sunderlands also played a major role in the Mediterranean theatre, performing maritime reconnaissance flights and logistical support missions. During the evacuation of Crete, shortly after the German invasion of the island, several aircraft were used to transport troops. Numerous unarmed Sunderlands were also flown by civil operator British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC), traversing routes as far afield as the Pacific Ocean.

Production quickly changed in December 1941 to the Sunderland Mark III, which featured a revised hull configuration which had been tested on a Mark I the previous June. This modification improved seaworthiness, which had suffered as the weight of the Sunderland increased with new marks and field changes. In earlier Sunderlands, the hull "step" that allows a flying boat to "unstick" from the surface of the sea was an abrupt one, but in the Mk III it was a curve upwards from the forward hull line.

The Mark III turned out to be the definitive Sunderland variant, with 461 built. Most were built by Shorts at Rochester and Belfast, a further 35 at a new (but temporary) Shorts plant at White Cross Bay, Windermere; while 170 were built by Blackburn Aircraft. The Sunderland Mark III proved to be one of the RAF Coastal Command's major weapons against the U-boats, along with the Consolidated Catalina.

As the U-boats began to use Metox passive receivers the ASV Mk II radar gave away the presence of aircraft and the number of sightings diminished drastically. The RAF response was to upgrade to the ASV Mk III, which operated in the 50 cm band, with antennas that could be faired into fewer more streamlined blisters. During the Mk III's life there were a large number of almost continuous improvements made, including the ASV Mk IIIA and four more machine guns in a fixed position in the wall of the forward fuselage just behind the turret (developed on RAAF aircraft first) with a simple bead and ring sight for the pilot. Sunderlands with upgraded ASV Mk III equipment were designated Mk IIIA.

Offensive weapons loads increased too. The introduction of the hydrostatically fused 250 lb (110 kg) depth charge meant that additional weapons could be carried on the floor of the bomb room in wooden restraints, along with ammunition boxes of 10 and 25 lb anti-personnel bombs that could be hand launched from various hatches to harass U-boat crews otherwise manning the twin 37 and dual quadruple 20 mm cannons with which U-boats were fitted.

As radar detection became more effective there were more night patrols to catch U-boats on the surface charging their batteries. Attacking in the dark was a problem that was solved by carrying one inch (25.4 mm), electrically initiated flares and dropping then out of the rear chute of the aircraft as it got close to the surface vessel. Sunderlands were never fitted with Leigh lights.

At the end of the Second World War, a number of new Sunderlands built at Belfast were simply taken out to sea and scuttled as there was nothing else to do with them. In Europe the type was removed from service relatively quickly but in the Far East, where well developed runways were less common and large land based maritime patrol aircraft like the new Avro Shackleton could not be used so easily, there was still a need for it, and it remained in service with the RAF Far East Air Force at Singapore until 1959, and with the Royal New Zealand Air Force's No. 5 Squadron RNZAF until 1967.

Variants:

Sunderland Mark I

Sunderland Mark II

Sunderland Mark III

Sunderland Mark IV

Sunderland Mark V

Media

Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.

See also

• Sunderland Mk V
• Catalina Mk IIIa (Great Britain)
• PBY-5 Catalina

External links

• • Fighting the U-boats: Short Sunderland
  • Short Sunderlands of 205/209 Squadron
  • Sunderland Flying Boat 228 Squadron Malta (Photos)
  • Newsreel footage of Sunderland G-AGJM being towed into a Southampton berth (1948) from British Pathé (Record No:46668) at YouTube
  • Flight article of 1939
  • Calshot's Sunderland Wreck
  • ITV Meridian's PP118 News Story