The Aircrafts of the Naval Aviation: 1917-1952

Built in France, the Portuguese Navy's Aviation purchased five aircrafts. These were the most intensively used between 1918 and 1928.

These aircrafts were used by the Naval Aviation Center of S. Jacinto (Aveiro), under the service of French Naval Aviation during World War I and also in the Portuguese Naval Aviation.

Four american-made aircrafts were purchased, having served in the Portuguese Navy’s Air Service between 1921 and 1930.

Built in England, two seaplanes were purchased, one of which carried out the Lisbon-Funchal Air Crossing in 1921. These were the first Portuguese Navy’s Aviation aircrafts equipped with TSF.

English-made aircraft, it was built especially for the project of the First Air Crossing of the South Atlantic (1922), having been named Lusitânia.

Built in the Netherlands, the Portuguese Navy's Aviation purchased five aircrafts. It was on an aircraft like this one that on November 15, 1924, Sacadura Cabral, together with mechanical corporal Pinto Correia, disappeared into the sea, between Amsterdam and Brest.

Eight french-made aircrafts were purchased, having served in the Portuguese Navy’s Air Service between 1927 and 1935.

Six french-made aircrafts were purchased, having served in the Portuguese Naval Aviation School Almirante Gago Coutinho first in Bom Sucesso (Belém), between 1927 and 1933, then in the Naval Aviation Center of Aveiro, from 1934.

Of italian manufactured, six of these aircrafts were purchased, having served in Portuguese Naval Aviation between 1928 and 1934.

Four english-made aircrafts were purchased, intended for training. After several accidents, they were rebuilt in S. Jacinto Naval Aviation Center (Aveiro), and were then equipped with wheel sets.

Five aircrafts were purchased from Germany. These were the first all-metal aircraft of Naval Aviation and were in service between 1933 and 1941.

Built in the United States, a total of 31 aircrafts were purchased, which were used for the training of several generations of naval aviator pilots.

Eight English-made aircrafts were acquired, two of which were intended for 1st Class Sloops Afonso de Albuquerque and Bartolomeu Dias. The rest manned the Macau Naval Aviation Center.

Built in England, six aircraft were acquired in 1936. Two years later, they were all taken out of service due to poor wing locking resistance after a swoop flight.

Used in the geographic and hydrographic campaigns of Angola in 1937 and 1938. It later participated in identical campaigns, this time in Mozambique, between 1939 and 1943. Its intensive use allowed the decisive acceleration of those works, in addition to that carried out by the hydrographic fleet.  

Twelve aircrafts were purchased from England. One of these devices served in the Azores Hydrographic Mission, for a photographic survey of all the islands, in the years 1939 and 1940.

American-made aircrafts, twelve copies were acquired. They were a valuable contribution to hydrographic and geographic missions in former African territories, namely in Mozambique, Cabo Verde (Cape Verde) and Guinea. These aircraft are significant for the history of Naval Aviation as they were the last type to operate in Portuguese Naval Aviaton.

In 1941, several dozen aircraft of this type were acquired from the United Kingdom, twenty of which were destined for Naval Aviation, namely the Almirante Gago Coutinho Aviation School.

Seventeen Royal Air Force units were transferred to Naval Aviation under the Luso-English agreement for the use of bases in the Azores. They were the devices with the greatest firepower of Naval Aviation.

English-made aircrafts, it was used at the beginning of the 2nd World War as a coastal attack fighter-bomber. Sixteen of these aircraft were later transferred from Royal Air Force to Naval Aviation in return for using the bases in the Azores.

Intended for towing targets for anti-aircraft shooting exercises. Four aircraft were ceded in 1943 by the United Kingdom for reasons identical to the two previous ones. However, the absence of anti-aircraft exercises dictated a short operational activity.

Intended for navigation and piloting training. Under the agreement for the use of the Azores bases, twelve aircraft were transferred by the United Kingdom.

Intended for reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare, the only device of this type that served in Naval Aviation was ceded by the Royal Air Force after being forced to moor at Tróia, Setúbal. Once repaired, it performed several training and adaptation flights.

American-made aircrafts, they were used for bombing and navigation training. Six aircrafts were acquired which, after the extinction of Naval Aviation in 1952, were integrated into the Air Force where they continued to train several generations of pilots.

American-made aircrafts, three were acquired in 1948. They made several trips to the Azores, Guinea and Cabo Verde (Cape Verde), in training and transport of individuals. In 1952, they were also integrated into the Air Force after the extinction of Naval Aviation.

Used in the Pacific Theater of War from 1943, for chopped bombing and anti-submarine warfare. After the conflict, 12 aircraft were ceded by the United States to Naval Aviation, within the scope of military cooperation. They constituted the first anti-submarine squadron in Portugal.