The Short S-25 Sunderland was a British four-engined reconnaissance flying-boat of the Second World War adapted from the civilian Short S-23 Empire flying-boat for military use. The Short S-25 Sunderland was a high-wing cantilever monoplane of mainly metal construction powered by four Bristol Pegasus XVIII or four Pratt and Whitney Twin-Wasp 9-cylinder radial air-cooled engines providing a top speed of 336 kmh and a normal range of 2848 km. The Short S-25 Sunderland carried a crew of six and was armed with eight 0.303 inch machine-guns in three Fraser-Nash turrets situated one in the nose, one amidships and one in the extreme tail which was armed with four guns. In addition bombs, depth charges and other ordnance could be carried under the wings and in the hull. The Short S-25 Sunderland first flew in 1937 and was the first flying-boat to be equipped with power-operated gun turrets. A few Short S-25 Sunderland had their military equipment removed and were supplied to BOAC as civil transports. Research Sunderland
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