During the First World War, early seaplanes such as the Short 184 and Bristol F2 quickly established themselves in reconnaissance and submarine hunting roles. When peace returned, the fledgling Royal Air Force used a succession of graceful and magnificent flying boats to patrol the length and breadth of the British Empire. But with the outbreak of the Second World War, seaplanes and flying boats once more played a vital role in protecting the nation’s sealanes, hunting the U-Boats and German surface raiders that menaced the convoys. Made with unprecedented access to Movietone and a number of manufacturers’ archives, Seaplanes and Flying Boats of the Royal Air Force provides a breathtaking film record of all the major aircraft types employed by the Royal Air Force. The video includes much rare and previously unseen film of – amongst others – interwar types including R J Mitchell’s Supermarine Southampton and Stranger, the Sneider Trophy-winning S5 and S6, the Blackburn Iris and Perth, the Short Singapore, Scapa and S-23 Empire. Featuring exclusive interviews with designers and pilots, it provides a detailed account of Royal Air Force Coastal Command’s Sunderlands and Catalinas in action during World War Two, and examines the role of the Walrus and Sea Otter in air-sea rescue operations. There is also full coverage of the post-war years, when Sunderlands played a vital role in the Berlin Airlift, and a look at experimental jet seaplanes such as the A1 and Princess. The last flying boat left Royal Air Force service in 1959, and few remain in preservation today. The video however includes beautiful colour footage of the last Sunderland still flying as well as stunning air-to-air film of a Catalina.