72009 SUPERMARINE SEA LION III

Supermarine Sea Lion II is a British racing flying boat from the interwar period. The drive was provided by a single 450 HP Napier Lion engine. The prototype flight took place in 1922. Only one copy of this plane was built. As a standard, the machine did not carry any weapons. Sea Lion II was designed by Supermarine Aviation Works specifically to participate in the Schneider Trophy competition, which was held in 1922 in Naples, Italy. When developing a new aircraft, the company decided to build on its previous design - the Sea King II. The main modifications concerned the installation of a new power unit with more power, enlargement of the structure and its strengthening. In 1923, a modernized version of the Sea Lion II was developed, marked Sea Lion III, powered by a 550 HP engine, which was also incorporated into the British military aviation in the same year.