The Portuguese naval museum is a wonderful place to admire the exploits of Portuguese sea farers. This authentic wooden Schreck FBA flying boat is one of the star exhibits of the naval aviation section. It was first reported here in 1989.

The Portuguese naval museum is a wonderful place to admire the exploits of Portuguese seafarers. This Widgeon is one of the aircraft on display.

The Portuguese naval museum is a wonderful place to admire the exploits of Portuguese sea farers. This very rare Fairey IIID was the aircraft that finished the first aerial crossing of the South Atlantic in the hands of Artur de Sacadura Freire Cabral and fellow aviator Gago Coutinho. This particular aircraft has a Rolls Royce VIII engine. It completed the crossing between Fernando de Noronha and Rio de Janeiro. Later, it served on the mainland, and in Macau.

Delivered in 1993 as 9204. Re-Reg in 1995 as 19204. Still active with Portuguese Navy. Seen here about to land at Faro. Photographer: Fernando Mesquita * Original Kodachrome 25 Slide.

This Lynx was seen during a port visit to Nassau, Bahamas on board of NRP Alvares Cabral.

BC-6 later became 2505 in the Portuguese air force. Construction number according to Scramble but Joe Baugher says that c/n 4072, ex 42-37479, became BC-7 and 2506 in Portuguese service. Photo from: Museu de Marinha (Portugal)

The second of six M.18 flying boats to serve in Portugal's navy from 1928 until about 1934. Flown from the factory in Varese to Lisbon in August-September 1928 - not straightforward without wheels. Photo from: Museu de Marinha (Portugal)

The Portuguese air force and navy received six newish Oxfords each in September 1943. The naval ones received serials O-1 through O-6, ex LX417 through LX422, and we assume that O-2 is LX418, but this is subject to confirmation. Photo from: Museu de Marinha (Portugal)

The Shark was in some respects more modern than the Fairey Swordfish, but apparently the wing construction was not up to diving. The Portugese navy initially refused to take delivery of its six airframes, ordered for £50,000 in 1935, and they were already withdrawn in 1938 following a fatal accident. The nose numbers then in use were type-based and not unit codes, so this should be s/n 76, which wore nose number 4 already in England. Photo from: Museu de Marinha (Portugal)

The Portuguese navy received five K43W seaplanes in January 1933. They were initially based at Centro de Aviação Naval (CAN) Bom Sucesso at Lisbon - Belém, but some later went to CAN São Jacinto on the Aveiro lagoon near Aveiro. These wore a black duck with a yellow collar badge, while those at Lisbon wore a black penguin carrying a blue bomb. The type served in the Portuguese navy until 1941. Photo from: Museu de Marinha (Portugal)

The second Fairey IIID used for the first flight across the South Atlantic is delivered off the little port of Fernando de Noronha. Wearing c/n F.401, it was Portuguese navy s/n 16, christened either Patria or Portugal. The given date is just nine days after the crash of s/n 15 at the Saint Peter and Saint Paul Rocks. Gago Coutinho and Sacadura Cabral backtracked to the Rocks on 11 May to continue from there, but then lost this aircraft too. The third, 17, set out from Fernando de Noronha towards Recife. Thus apparently the stage between the Rocks and Fernando de Noronha was only covered by this aircraft in the opposite direction. Photo from: Museu de Marinha (Portugal)

Sacadura Cabral and Gago Coutinho arriving in Rio de Janeiro in their third Fairey IIID, completing the first flight across the South Atlantic. They alighted near the Ilha das Enxadas, then home to Brazilian naval aviation. Photo from: Museu de Marinha (Portugal)

Portugal's first Fairey IIID departing for the first aerial crossing of the South Atlantic with Artur de Sacadura Cabral and Carlos Viegas Gago Coutinho, the navigator. Serial 15 and aircraft name Lusitânia are not painted on, but c/n 400 is. This plane was lost while landing at the Saint Peter and Saint Paul Rocks, 500 nautical miles off Brazil. Its replacement was also lost, but s/n 17 Santa Cruz completed the flight to Rio de Janeiro. Photo from: Museu de Marinha (Portugal)

This is a replica and has been with the museum since 1981. The real one is preserved in the Museu de Marinha in Lisbon.

Delivered to the Portuguese Navy as 129 in 1942. Transferred to the Air Force in 1952. Registered as CS-AHF around 1968. Preserved at the Museu do Ar-Alverca from 1978.