Britain's First "Flying Battleship" Has Air Ministry Trials At Felixstowe -- "Sunderland" on the water at Felixstowe, showing the revolving gun turret which guards her tail. "Sunderland", first of Britain's new fleet of "flying battleships", underwent its Air Ministry trials at the Royal Air Force station at Felixstowe (Suffolk) before being handed over to the Air Force. Built by Short Brothers of Rochester (Kent), the air battleship is a development of the successful "Empire" type commercial flying boat now in service of Imperial Airways Empire routes. Speed and range are still secret, but it is understood the-planes are capable of flying 3,000 miles with a full load of bombs and guns. There is a gun turret in the tail. May 27, 1938.