The flying boat is a unique form of aircraft, with the ability to operate from sea or river and, in amphibian form, from land too. Over 100 types of British flying boat and amphibian were built during a 40-year period from the days of the pioneer airmen to the advent of the jet engine. Early attempts at flying from water were sometimes fraught, but during World War I the practical military flying boat was steadily developed, serving with the Royal Naval Air Service as an important component in the campaigns waged against the naval forces of Imperial Germany - particularly her U-Boats. The...