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In 1937, Imperial Airways and Pan American World Airways started a New York to Bermuda air service with Imperial Airways using their Empire flying boat Cavalier. With a range of about 1500 km, Cavalier was unable to fly to Bermuda and was shipped here by sea and assembled in Bermuda.

Built by Short Brothers of Rochester in England, the S.23 Cavalier had a wingspan of 35 meters, a length of 27 meters, an empty weight of 10.9 tons and a loaded weight of 18.4 tons. Cavalier was powered by four Bristol Pegasus engines, each providing 920 horse power. Cruising speed was 165 mph and maximum speed was 200 mph. Cavalier had two decks: an upper deck for the flight crew and mail, and a lower deck with luxury passenger accommodations.

After being dismantled by Short and Imperial Airways engineers at the Rochester factory, Cavalier was shipped to Bermuda in 21 crates aboard the RMS Lochkatrine. The largest crate – 90 x 19 x 12 feet – containing the fuselage, was the largest crate ever to be shipped from London and was used for many years as both a work shop and club room. After unloading at Bermuda’s Dockyard, the fuselage was towed to Darrell’s Island where Cavalier was re-assembled under the supervision of Imperial Airways engineer Len Turnhill.

On 18th February 1937 Cavalier took to the air once again and on 8th June made the first of two inaugural flights to New York. After flying twice per week between Bermuda and New York, disaster struck on 19th January 1939 when, less than half way between Port Washington and Bermuda, icing of the carburetors forced Cavalier to land on the water. After sending an S.O.S. signal and first reporting ‘okay’ after landing on the storm-tossed waves, ten minutes later came the one-word message ‘sinking’ and then silence.

Of the thirteen people aboard the Cavalier, three died in the icy waters of the North Atlantic and ten were rescued by the tanker Esso Baytown and taken to New York. The loss of the Cavalier meant the end of Imperial Airways pre-war involvement on the Bermuda to New York route.

More information on Bermuda’s flying boats can be found in Colin A. Pomeroy’s ‘The Flying Boats of Bermuda’.

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