Supermarine S.6B

Supermarine · United Kingdom · first flew 1931 · light aircraft

The Schneider Trophy-winning racing seaplane that won the contest outright for Britain and set a world air speed record in 1931.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Low-mounted, straight
E — Engines	1 × piston, nose-mounted
F — Fuselage	Tiny single-seat fuselage built purely for speed
T — Tail	Conventional

WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.

Spot it by:

Sleek racing floatplane mounted on two long parallel floats (note)
Slim low straight wing and a single nose propeller
Tiny single-seat fuselage built purely for speed

A slim, low-wing single-seater riding on two long slender floats, with a single nose propeller. The float undercarriage and racing proportions distinguish it from contemporary landplane fighters.

Specifications

The Supermarine S.6B has a length of 8.8 m (29 ft).
It has a wingspan of 9.1 m (30 ft).
Its maximum speed is 656 km/h (408 mph).
Typical crew: 1 pilot.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

Designed by R.J. Mitchell around the Rolls-Royce 'R' engine, the S.6B won the Schneider Trophy for Britain on 13 September 1931, securing it permanently after a third successive win. On 29 September 1931 it became the first aircraft to exceed 400 mph, raising the world air speed record to 407.5 mph.

Variants

Two S.6Bs (S1595 and S1596) were built, developed from the earlier S.6 of 1929. No production followed; it was a pure racing prototype.

Where you'll see it

Never a service aircraft, but its engine and aerodynamic lessons fed directly into the Merlin engine and the Spitfire. The record-setting S1595 is preserved in the UK at the Science Museum in London.

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