close to the there is a bronze plaque attached to the seawall. This commemorates the world record long-distance seaplane flight, at a location where the estuary and hills behind the take-off waters are seen. The plaque shows in raised relief the two aircraft still joined but reaching the altitude at which they would have separated. The plaque also contains wording including: - ″Commemoration of the 1938 flight of Captain Bennett from the Tay Estuary to South West Africa... The world record long-distance flight by a seaplane was achieved by the aircraft "Mercury", the upper component of the Short Mayo... The two experimental planes ...were built by Short Brothers for Imperial Airways and designed to carry mail long distances without refueling... This tribute to the epic flight by Captain D.C.T. Bennett and First Officer Ian Harvey was unveiled by Captain Bennett's wife Mrs Ly Bennett and Lord Provost Mervyn Rollo on 4 October 1997.″ The concept also had an unusual legacy, since in 1976 NASA needed to transport the Space Shuttle between the Kennedy Space Center and Edwards Air Force Base between each mission, and to get the craft airborne for gliding tests. A NASA engineer remembered the Mayo Composite, and NASA modified a second-hand Boeing 747 as the carrier aircraft accordingly. Operators Imperial Airways Royal Air Force No. 320 Squadron RAF Specifications (S.20 Mercury) Specifications (S.21 Maia) See also Notes Notes Citations References Composite Aircraft Flight 1935 The Great Experiment Flight 1937 External links 1935 article describing the proposed Short-Mayo Composite "Flying Boat Launches Sea Mail Plane in Air" Popular Mechanics'', April 1935, article with drawing explaining concept of purposed Short Mayo Composition. Aero Stories Contemporary article in Time magazine, 14 February 1938 Irish Inland Waterway News, Winter 2001 Imperial Airways history Image of the Maia/Mercury at www.historyofaircargo.com Download link for "The Guild of Aircraft Pilots and Navigators of London 1929 - 2004" Articles containing video clips 1930s British airliners Composite aircraft Eight-engined tractor aircraft Parasite aircraft Flying boats Mayo Composite Aircraft first flown in 1937 Floatplanes Four-engined piston aircraft