Researched 2026-10-11 from the sources listed below. Airframes move between hangars, workshops and loans: check with Solent Sky before travelling to see this one.
The airframe in brief
| Serial / registration | VH-BRC |
|---|---|
| Type | Short S.25 Sandringham 4 (ex Sunderland III JM715) |
| Built | Short Brothers, Rochester, July 1943, as Sunderland III JM715 |
| Converted | Short Bros & Harland, Belfast, 1947, to Sandringham 4 |
| Units / operator | Tasman Empire Airways (ZK-AMH); Barrier Reef Airways and Ansett (VH-BRC); Antilles Air Boats (N158C, VP-LVE) |
| Last airline service | 10 September 1974, Sydney to Lord Howe Island and back |
| Flying hours | 17,820 by November 1974 |
| Arrived | Hall of Aviation, Southampton, August 1983 |
| Status | On display |
| Where | Solent Sky, Southampton |
The story of VH-BRC
Short Brothers built this airframe at Rochester in July 1943 as Sunderland III JM715. It was delivered to Wig Bay, near Stranraer, on 8 July 1943 and spent the war in reserve, never flying on operations. Scottish Aviation converted it to Mk V standard at Greenock in 1945.
In 1947 Short Bros & Harland at Belfast rebuilt it as a 30-seat Sandringham 4 'Tasman Class'. Registered ZK-AMH and named RMA Auckland, it flew from Poole to Auckland in October 1947. Its first TEAL revenue service, Auckland to Sydney, ran on 7 November 1947. It made its last TEAL service in December 1949.
Barrier Reef Airways bought it for £5,000 in 1950, refitted it with 41 seats and registered it VH-BRC. Ansett Flying Boat Services took it over in December 1952 and named it Beachcomber. It flew from Rose Bay, Sydney, for 22 years, including regular services to Lord Howe Island. A gale blew it ashore at Lord Howe in June 1974. On 10 September 1974 it flew the last Short flying-boat passenger service, Sydney to Lord Howe and back.
Captain Charles Blair's Antilles Air Boats then bought it and ferried it to St Croix in late 1974. As VP-LVE it flew sightseeing trips from Ireland and southern England in 1976 and 1977. After Blair's death in 1978 it was stored in Puerto Rico. It crossed to Ireland in October 1980 and was beached at Calshot in February 1981. The Science Museum bought it, and it was installed in Southampton's Hall of Aviation, now Solent Sky, in August 1983.
Seeing VH-BRC today
Displayed in Ansett's 'delta' livery as VH-BRC Beachcomber, a scheme applied when it was installed in 1983.
| Museum | Adult entry | Airframes | Headline exhibit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solent SkySouthampton, Hampshire | £14 | 23 | Supermarine S.6A N248, the 1929 Schneider Trophy racer from the bloodline that begat the Spitfire — parked beneath its descendant for… |
Also known as: JM715 · ZK-AMH · RMA Auckland · N158C · VP-LVE · Southern Cross · Ansett flying boat · Sunderland flying boat Southampton