Category talk:Short Brothers aircraft

Aircraft Type nomenclature part 1; 1909-1914

From the Short S.27 (1910); In the period before the First World War Short Brothers did not assign type designations to their aircraft, which instead had individual airframe numbers, prefixed by the letter 'S'. Type numbers were given retrospectively, generally using the airframe number of the first aircraft of the type.

After the First World War Shorts began giving aircraft a Design Index number, S.1 being given to the Short Cockle.

This means that we have several unrelated type series, two of which directly conflict with each other.

Here is the first series; ca 1909-1914, broadly in date / construction number (c/n) order. So far I have only identified one specific early c/n (S.9), but the sequence from c/n S.26 to c/n S.80 is fairly complete. After that we arrive at WWI and move from isolated examples towards mass production.

• Short-Wright Flyer S.?; six machines for The Aero Club (incl examples for John-Moore Brabazon, and Charles Rolls)
• Short-Wright Glider S.9; delivered to Charles Rolls July 26, 1909 (https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Short_Brothers)
• Short No.1 biplane; 1909
• Short Biplane No. 2; 1909
• Short Biplane No. 3; 1910
• Dunne D.5; 1910, built by Short Bros
• Short S.27 (c/n S.26, 27, 28, 29, 32, 33, 34, 35, 38, 39, 43, and S.44),
• Short S.36 (c/n S.36)
• Short S.38 (c/n S.38, c/n S.54 to S.62)
• Short S.41 (c/n S.41, S.51, and S.52)
• Short S.45 (c/n S.45, 48, 49, and S.50)
• Short Triple Tractor (c/n S.47)
• Short Admiralty Type 42 (c/n S.53)
• Short Admiralty Type 74 (c/n S.69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, and S.75)
• Short Admiralty Type 81 (c/n S.63 S.64, plus eight further examples, c/ns probably S.65 to S.68 and S.76 to S.79, total nine off)
• Short S.80 (c/n S.80)
• Short S.81 (c/n S.81)
• Short Admiralty Type 166 (c/n S.90, plus 25 further examples)
• Short Type 184 (aka Short 225, mass production, 936 built)
• Short Type 827 (c/n S.301, plus 107 further examples)

Note; Admiralty Type 81 prototype (Royal Navy serial number 81) is identified in the article text as c/n S.63, but the Wikipedia Infobox includes an IWM photo clearly showing 'S.64' on the tailplane. Photos do not lie!

C/n S.26 thru' S-81 all accounted for except S.30, S.31, S.37, S.40, S.42, S.46, S.63

WendlingCrusader (talk) 02:26, 28 July 2024 (UTC)

WWI, post-war, and second series (1924-48)

In the latter stages of WWI, Short submitted prototypes for several Admiralty (Royal Navy) N-series specifications, hence the Short N.1b Shirl, Short N.2b, and Short N.3 Cromarty. Note - all dates are purely indicative.

• 1917 Short N.1B Shirl; four (prototypes) built, designation relates to Admiralty Specification N.1(b)
• 1917 Short N.2B; two prototypes only
• 1918 Short N.3 Cromarty; one prototype only

Immediately following WWI Short produced several types that only bore simple names i.e. absent of any alpha-numeric designation.

• 1919 Short Sporting Type; sometimes referred to as 'Short Shrimp', three built to RAF Specification XXXII
• 1920 Short Silver Streak; one prototype only

Finally we come to the most well-known series (ca 1924-48), listed here with full Type alpha-numeric, but typically known by name only i.e. Short Sunderland

• Short S.1 Cockle; 1924
• Short S.2; 1925 metal hull upgrade for Felixstowe F.5
• Short S.3 Springbok/Chamois; 1923-27, six built
• Short S.4 Satellite; 1924, prototype only
• Short S.5 Singapore I; 1926, prototype only - see also S.12 Singapore II and S.19 Singapore III
• Short S.6 Sturgeon; 1927, two prototypes (note - unrelated to S.38 Sturgeon of 1946)
• Short S.7 Mussel; 1926,
• Short S.8 Calcutta; 1928, 15-seat airliner flying boat, seven built for Imperial Airways
• Breguet S.8/2 Calcutta; 1930, military variant, four built by Breguet for French Navy (see also Bréguet 521 Bizerte)
• Short S.8/8 Rangoon; 1930, military variant, six built for RAF
• Short S.10 Gurnard; 1929, two prototypes
• Short S.11 Valetta; 1930, 16-passenger airliner, one built
• Short S.12 Singapore II; 1930, prototype only
• Short S.14 Sarafand; 1932
• Short S.16 Scion; 1933, small airliner, 22 built
• Short S.17 Kent; 1931
• Short L.17 Scylla; 1934, land-based version of the S.17 Kent flying boat
• Short S.18 Knuckleduster; 1933, also identified as Short R.24/31, note Knuckleduster was only a nickname
• Short S.19 Singapore III; 1934, four-engine production version, 37 built
• Short S.20/S.21 Mayo Composite; 1937, S.21 Maia carrying S.20 Mercury for air-launch
• Short S.22 Scion Senior; 1935, small airliner, six built
• Short S.23 Empire; 1936, 42 built, mostly for Imperial Airways, aka 'C-class', developed into S.30 and S.33
• Short S.25 Sunderland; 1938, over 700 built for RAF etc
• Short S.25 Hythe / Sandringham; 1942, passenger conversions from S.25 Sunderlands
• Short S.26; 1939, three built for Imperial Airways, aka 'G-class' (no type name allocated)
• Short S.29 Stirling; 1939, WWII heavy bomber, 2,371 built
• Short S.30 Empire; 1939, see S.23
• Short S.31; 1938, 1/2 scale Stirling for testing purposes
• Short S.32; 1938, proposed airliner, prototype abandoned due to WWII
• Short S.33 Empire; 1939, see S.23
• Short S.35 Shetland I; 1944, long-range flying boat, one prototype only
• Short S.38 Sturgeon; 1946, 29 built as target-tugs
• Short S.40 Shetland II; 1947, airliner version, one prototype only
• Short S.45 Seaford; 1944, 10 built for RAF
• Short S.45 Solent; 1946 passenger version, 16 built, plus 7 conversions from S.45 Seafords

WendlingCrusader (talk) 02:53, 28 July 2024 (UTC)