Supermarine Sea Otter

The Supermarine Sea Otter was an amphibious aircraft designed and built by Supermarine, the last biplane flying boat the company designed and the last biplane to enter service with both the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. It was developed as a refinement of the Supermarine Walrus for longer range work, dive bombing and operation from a wider range of vessels, and was first known as the Stingray. Its development was slowed by Supermarine's commitments to the Walrus and Spitfire programmes. The first prototype flew on 23 September 1938 and a production order followed in 1942. In the last years of the Second World War it flew maritime patrol and air-sea rescue for the RAF and Royal Navy, and after the war it was bought by the Royal Danish Air Force, the Dutch naval aviation service and the Royal Australian Navy. Supermarine converted surplus aircraft for civil operators.