The Sea Otter, while visually similar to the preceding Walrus, was an entirely new machine. At the end of the extensive range of Supermarine biplane amphibians, its origins stretched back to the Channel of 1920. It was also the last biplane to join the RAF inventory and, perhaps appropriately given his long run of marine aircraft, the Sea Otter became the final R. J. Mitchell design to enter service.The genesis of the Sea Otter occurred even before the maiden test flight of the first production Walrus. Reginald J. Mitchell, Supermarine's chief designer and technical director, was already envisaging an improved Walrus powered by one of the promising new Bristol sleeve-valve engines, providing better performance in the same biplane amphibian configuration, with a tractor rather than a pusher engine arrangement.
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