Supermarine Rolls-Royce S6B seaplane, 1931.

This plane was designed by Reginald G Mitchell (1895-1937), the designer of several world-beating seaplanes and the famous Supermarine Spitfire. It was a development of Mitchell's earlier S4 designed for the 1925 Schneider Trophy air race, and the S5 which won the 1927 event. The S6B was powered by a supercharged Rolls-Royce 1900 hp engine, and represents one of the major technical achievements in British aviation between the two world wars. Not only did the plane win the 1931 Schneider Trophy, but also, two weeks later, became the fastest vehicle on earth, setting an absolute speed record of 407.5 mph.