Supermarine Sea Lion II


The Supermarine Sea Lion II was a British racing flying boat designed and built by the Supermarine Aviation Works for the 1922 Schneider Trophy at Naples, Italy which it went on to win. The earlier racing flying boat for the 1919 Schneider Trophy the Sea Lion I was a different design.

Development

In need for a contender for the 1922 Schneider Trophy race, Supermarine developed a racing flying boat as a modification of their Sea King II fighter. The Sea King was a single-seat biplane amphibian powered by a 300 hp Hispano Suiza engine in pusher configuration that had first flown in 1921. Modified as a flying boat with a 450 hp Napier Lion engine, G-EBAH was entered into the 1922 race. Flown by Henri Biard, it won the race at an average speed of 145.7 mph.
For the 1923 Schneider Race to be held at Cowes, England, the aircraft was re-engined with a 550 hp Napier Lion and redesignated Sea Lion III. The aircraft only managed third place behind the American Curtiss CR-3 seaplanes. The aircraft was transferred to the Royal Air Force in 1923.

Operators