Historic RAF flying boat models displayed at Pembroke Dock Heritage Centre

A REMARKABLE timeline of RAF flying boat history can now be followed at Pembroke Dock Heritage Centre, thanks to the donation of an exquisite collection of aircraft models.

Fourteen models - of flying boat types spanning from World War I to the late 1930s - have been gifted by expert model maker Fred Martin, of Bristol, who made a special visit to Pembrokeshire to bring the collection.

They include the Supermarine Southampton - in 1931 the first flying boat to be stationed at the newly opened RAF Pembroke Dock station -and the last of the biplane ‘boats, the Short Singapore, which was still in operational use when World War II began in 1939.

Fred, a model maker for over 60 years, estimates that many of the models took between 80 and 100 hours to complete.

He said: “The Heritage Centre team have done a quite outstanding job and the exhibits are so professionally presented and varied. I am so pleased that I have been able to contribute to the story.”

Trevor Clark, of the Collections Team, commented: “Many of the models are from ‘vacform’ kits - very intricate and challenging to make. Every type of biplane flying boat used by the RAF in the 1920s and 1930s is represented; all were seen on the Haven Waterway at various times.”

Volunteer Paul Emens, himself a highly skilled model maker and member of the Penfro Model Club, added: “It is a remarkable collection and the quality of each one is superb, right down to the myriad of rigging wires.”

The Centre exhibits several models of Sunderland and Catalina aircraft from World War II era but Fred noted that one flying boat is missing.

“This is the Saro Lerwick which looks like a two engined Sunderland. I am only aware of two kits that have been produced in 1/72 scale; both are no longer in production and very rare. It does, however, occasionally appear so I will keep a lookout,” Fred promised.