84-581: The Short C-23 Sherpa is a small military transport aircraft built by Short Brothers . It was designed to operate from unpaved runways and make short takeoff and landings (STOL) . It features a large squared fuselage with a full-width rear cargo door/ramp. The C-23A and C-23B are variants of the Short 330 and the C-23B+ is a variant of the Short 360 . 60 aircraft were used, it was finally retired from US service in 2014, but remains in international service. Although it
168-550: A glider , and the other from Francis McClean , a member of the Aero Club who later bought several more aircraft from Short Brothers, and also acted as an unpaid test-pilot. At the end of 1908 Horace started work on the two designs, and in early 1909 construction was started of McClean's aircraft, the Short No.1 biplane . In March 1909 it was exhibited, without its fabric covering, at the first British Aero Show held at Olympia . Meanwhile,
252-639: A 350 ft (110 m) testing tank for testing hull and float designs. Shorts designed the floats used for the Supermarine S.4 and Gloster III seaplanes entered by the United Kingdom for the 1925 Schneider Trophy race. Alan Cobham 's de Havilland DH.50 (G-EBFO) was also fitted with Shorts floats at Rochester. On 30 June 1926, Cobham then started a flight to Australia from the Medway. Two de Havilland Giant Moths were fitted with Shorts floats at Rochester, and
336-578: A Belfast company in its entirety. In the meantime, in 1947, Short Brothers (Rochester and Bedford) Ltd. had merged with Short and Harland Limited to become Short Brothers and Harland Limited , with Oswald Short remaining as Life President. In the 1950s, Shorts was involved in much pioneering research, including designing and building the VTOL Short SC1 , the Short SB5 and the Short SB.4 Sherpa . Shorts built
420-415: A South African diplomat. In 1993 a Catholic sub-contractor at Shorts was shot dead and five others injured in a loyalist attack on a mini-bus full of Catholic workmen in an attack to discourage Catholics from taking jobs at Shorts. In 1937, Shorts established an airfield in central Belfast, beside the factory. This became Sydenham Airport and, from 1938 to 1939, was Belfast's main civilian airport. During
504-675: A contract for three balloons for the British Indian Army . The quality of their work impressed Colonel James Templer , superintendent of the Royal Balloon Factory , who introduced the brothers to Charles Rolls . Rolls commissioned them to build him a large balloon to compete in the 1906 Gordon Bennett Cup balloon race . More orders soon followed from other members of the Aero Club of Great Britain (later Royal Aero Club). In 1908, on hearing reports from Aero Club members who had seen
588-479: A longer wingspan and fuselage than the Skyvan, while retaining the Skyvan's square shaped fuselage cross section, allowing it to carry up to 30 passengers while retaining good short field characteristics. The 330 entered commercial service in 1976. In addition to the passenger aircraft, Shorts also planned two freight versions. The Short 330-UTT (for Utility Tactical Transport) was a military transport version fitted with
672-825: A military designation. On 13 June 2007, the Alenia C-27J was selected to replace the C-23 in U.S. Army service. A total of 43 C-23s were in service with the U.S. Army as of November 2008 (all US C-27 aircraft at that time were transferred to the US Coast Guard in 2012 due to budget shortfalls). The C-23 Sherpa was retired from the Army National Guard in January 2014. As part of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014 , 8 C-23s may be transferred to
756-517: A military in parentheses. De Havilland Canada DHC-4 Caribou The de Havilland Canada DHC-4 Caribou (designated by the United States military as the CV-2 and later C-7 Caribou ) is a Canadian specialized cargo aircraft with short takeoff and landing ( STOL ) capability. The Caribou was first flown in 1958 and although mainly retired from military operations, is still in use in small numbers as
840-562: A more rounded top of the fuselage that incorporated several gunner's positions. Dreaded by U-boats , it was claimed by the British propaganda people that the Germans called it "The Flying Porcupine" ( Fliegendes Stachelschwein in German), although no evidence supports their contention. In 1933, Shorts opened a new factory at Rochester Airport , which was becoming increasingly important for the landplanes
924-682: A renegotiated price due to the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic. Year of first flight in parentheses. Some of the early aircraft are designated using the Short sequence or constructors number which should not be confused with the similar type designations started at S.1 in 1924. Since becoming part of Bombardier Aerospace in 1989, focus is aerospace components rather than individual aircraft models, missiles or drones. Shorts' missile division, which evolved into Shorts Missile Systems (1993–2000, then sold), produced surface-to-air missiles . Year of first use by
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#17330862518241008-452: A rugged bush airplane . The design was further developed as the de Havilland Canada DHC-5 Buffalo , adding turboprop engines and other changes that further improved its short-field performance to the point where it competes with light aircraft even with a full load. The De Havilland Canada (DHC) company's third short takeoff and landing (STOL) design was a big increase in size compared to its earlier DHC Beaver and DHC Otter , and
1092-429: A second-hand coal gas filled balloon , and, with his brother Oswald , started a company to develop and manufacture balloons. In 1900, the two brothers visited the 1900 Paris Exposition ('World's Fair'), where they saw the balloons of Édouard Surcouf (of Société Astra ), who had developed a method of constructing truly spherical balloons. In 1902, the brothers started offering balloons for sale. They manufactured
1176-487: A statue of the brothers was unveiled in memory of their contribution to early aviation, by local artist Barbara Street to stand on the site of the Aero Club clubhouse at Muswell manor. By the outbreak of World War I Shorts were already building a variety of aircraft. Production really started to expand during the war, for example for the Short Admiralty Type 184 (or simply "Short S.184"). On 15 August 1915, during
1260-532: A strengthened cabin floor and paratroop doors, which was sold in small numbers, primarily to Thailand, which purchased four. The Short Sherpa was a freighter fitted with a full-width rear cargo door/ramp. This version first flew on 23 December 1982, with the first order for 18 aircraft being placed by the United States Air Force in March 1983. These aircraft were assigned to Military Airlift Command (MAC) for
1344-506: A substantial amount of civilian use and also was operated by the U.S. Forestry Service and NASA for example. The NASA C-23 is still in service and used for research. The aircraft continues in service with the Philippines and Djibouti, as well as various civilian and governmental agencies, such as the aforementioned NASA research Sherpa. The Short C-23 Sherpa was part of family of small to mid-sized twin turbo prop transport aircraft developed in
1428-574: A transatlantic airliner , but largely served the post-war Empire ( Commonwealth ) market, in competition with 4-engined land planes such as modified Avro Lancasters , Avro Lancastrian and Avro York . Tasman Empire Airways Limited (TEAL) operated the Coral Route from New Zealand to Fiji , the Cook Islands and Tahiti in the South Pacific, with Short Solent flying boats up to 1960. During
1512-419: Is 6.5 ft (1.98 m) wide, 6.5 ft (1.98 m) high and 29 ft (8.84 m) long. It offers a cargo volume of 1,230 cu ft (34.83 m), with a cargo capacity of 8,000 lb (3,629 kg). The Sherpa is also capable of operating from unpaved runways and making short takeoff and landings (STOL) . In U.S. military service, the Short 330 was designated C-23A Sherpa . The C-23B Sherpa
1596-697: Is reduced while maximum normal take-off weight remained at 28,500 pounds (12,900 kg) Maximum payload is 10,000 pounds (4,500 kg). Both Transport Canada and the US Federal Aviation Administration have issued supplemental type certificates for the Turbo Caribou. As of September 17, 2014, only 3 air frames had been converted. PEN Turbo has stockpiled dozens of air frames at their facility in NJ for possible future conversion. PEN Turbo Aviation named their company after Perry E. Niforos, who died in
1680-793: Is similar to the C-23A, but with cabin windows. The C-23B+ Short 360 derivative was created by replacing the rear fuselage of Short 360s obtained on the second-hand market with the twin tail and rear loading ramp of the Short Sherpa. The C-23 was produced at the Short Brothers' facility in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The C-23A Sherpa entered service with the United States Air Force in Europe in 1985 based at Zweibrücken Air Base . It continued in use in
1764-649: The Air Ministry established a new aircraft factory at Belfast , and created a new company Short & Harland Ltd , owned 50% each by Harland and Wolff and Shorts. The first products of the new factory were 50 Bristol Bombays followed by 150 Handley-Page Hereford bombers . Shorts work on seaplanes eventually culminated in the Short Sandringham and Short Seaford , both based on the Empire/Sunderland boats. These flying boats had enough range to operate as
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#17330862518241848-668: The Battle of Britain , the Rochester factory was heavily bombed by the Luftwaffe , and several Stirlings and other aircraft were destroyed, and during Easter week of 1941, Belfast and the aircraft factory were subjected to the worst single air-raid the UK had seen outside London . To prevent raids from limiting production, satellite factories near Belfast were operated at Aldergrove and Maghaberry, producing 232 Stirlings between them. A temporary Short's factory
1932-476: The Battle of Gallipoli , a Short S.184 was the first aircraft to attack a ship with a live torpedo. Flying from HMS Ben-my-Chree , piloted by Flight Commander Charles Edmonds , it hit a Turkish supply ship in the Dardanelles . In terms of number built, the S.184 was Shorts' most successful pre- Second World War aircraft: over 900 were produced, many under licence by other manufacturers. A landplane version of
2016-652: The Battle of the Atlantic , the Mediterranean , in Asia and the south Pacific because of its availability, endurance and weapon load. It also carried out air-sea rescue operations. In the absence of sufficient Sunderlands, Australia impressed Qantas-Imperial Short Empire flying boats into military service, and used these successfully especially on reconnaissance missions in the Timor Sea area. A much enlarged transatlantic development of
2100-520: The Johnson-McConnell agreement of 1966 , the Army relinquished the fixed wing Caribou to the United States Air Force in exchange for an end to restrictions on Army rotary wing operations. On 1 January 1967, the 17th, 57th, 61st Aviation Companies ( 12th Combat Aviation Group ) and the 92nd, 134th, and 135th Aviation Companies of the U.S. Army were inactivated and their aircraft transferred respectively to
2184-508: The Short Empire , the first of which was launched on 2 July 1936. The Empire was commissioned off the drawing board by Imperial Airways (later BOAC ), to operate the UK's Empire Airmail scheme. A year later Shorts won a British government defence contract for the Sunderland military patrol flying boat. Sharing a similar design, but incorporating some aerodynamic and hydrodynamic advances, and
2268-703: The Short Sperrin , a backup jet engine bomber design in case the V bomber projects failed, and the Short Seamew , a cheap-to-produce anti-submarine reconnaissance and attack aircraft intended for the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve squadrons, but the Sperrin was not needed and the RNVR squadrons disbanded. In the 1950s, Shorts also received sub-contracts to build 150 English Electric Canberras , and on 30 October 1952,
2352-799: The Timorese Democratic Union (UDT), commandeered a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Caribou, A4-140 , on the ground at Baucau Airport in the then Portuguese Timor , which was in the middle of a civil war. The Caribou had landed at Baucau on a humanitarian mission for the International Committee of the Red Cross . The civilians demanded that the RAAF crew members fly them to Darwin Airport (also RAAF Base Darwin ) in Australia, which they did. After
2436-628: The Vietnam War era for covert operations). Other civil Caribou aircraft entered commercial service after being retired from their military users. Today only a handful are in civilian use. PEN Turbo Aviation of Cape May, NJ, has undertaken the re-engineering of the DHC-4A Caribou to a turbine powered variant, designated DHC-4A Turbo Caribou. The conversion uses PT6A-67T engines and Hartzell 5 bladed HC-B5MA-3M Constant Speed /Reversing propellers. Overall performance has improved and "new" basic weight
2520-620: The Wright brothers ' demonstrations of their aircraft at Le Mans in France, Oswald Short reportedly said to Eustace, "This is the finish of ballooning: we must begin building aeroplanes at once, and we can't do that without Horace!" Oswald succeeded in persuading Horace to leave his job with Parsons, and in November 1908 they registered their partnership under the name Short Brothers. Two orders for aircraft were soon received, one from Charles Rolls, who ordered
2604-535: The de Havilland Canada C-7 Caribou being used to support the Kwajalein Missile Range . These were not given a C-23 designation, and were retired in 1992. In 1988, the Army ordered ten new-build Short 330s designated C-23B to replace the DHC C-7 Caribou used by the U.S. Army National Guard Aviation and Repair Activity Depots. In 1990, a further six were ordered. When the Army wanted 20 more C-23s in 1990
Short C-23 Sherpa - Misplaced Pages Continue
2688-473: The 1992 crash of an earlier turboprop Caribou converted by a different firm, NewCal Aviation. In response to a United States Army requirement for a tactical airlifter to supply the battlefront with troops and supplies and evacuate casualties on the return journey, de Havilland Canada designed the DHC-4. With assistance from Canada's Department of Defence Production, DHC built a prototype demonstrator that flew for
2772-595: The Admiralty the use of the flying field and Frank McClean had agreed to act as an instructor, so beginning a close association between Short Brothers and the Naval Air Service, whose first pilots were trained using Short S.27 pusher biplanes. In 1911, Shorts built one of the world's first successful twin-engine aircraft, the Triple Twin . Construction started on a long series of naval aircraft floatplanes, starting with
2856-465: The C-130 Hercules in the 1980s. All C-7s have now been phased out of U.S. military service, with the last example serving again under U.S. Army control through 1985 in support of the U.S. Army's Golden Knights parachute demonstration team. Other notable military operators included Australia, Canada, India, Malaysia and Spain. In September 1975, a group of 44 civilians, including armed supporters of
2940-535: The C-23 served the Army's intra-theater needs of cargo and personnel transport. It provided an economic alternative for transporting some 20 people or three pallets of cargo when speed was not critical. As part of the U.S. Army's Constant Hawk intelligence gathering program, five Short 360s were modified for use in Iraq and flew in theater between 2006 and 2011. A further two modified aircraft collided in mid-air before delivery to Iraq. The Constant Hawk aircraft were not given
3024-570: The C-23 was also not short enough for their requirement. The Estonians were operating two Antonov An-2 , a single engine biplane transport known for its low stall speed. In 2019, the Estonian Air Force received PZL C-145 instead which was a better match for their requirement, they were donated from the USAF which was retiring its fleet. While the US Army does not operate many fixed wing aircraft besides
3108-585: The Caribou arrived there, the Australian government detained the civilians for a short period, and then granted refugee visas to all of them. The Guardian later described A4-140 as "the only RAAF plane ever hijacked", and the incident as "one of the more remarkable stories in Australia’s military and immigration history". The RAAF retired A4-140 , by then its last Caribou, on 27 November 2009. The aircraft, which
3192-680: The EDSA role until November 1990 with the post-cold war force reductions. All the Sherpas returned to the United States; three aircraft were transferred to the USAF Test Pilot School at Edwards AFB, eight aircraft went to the U.S. Army and the remaining seven to the U.S. Forest Service. The Test Pilot School's aircraft were retired in 1997. The eight former USAF aircraft were used for test duties at different units; two were re-designated as JC-23A. The Army purchased four civil Short 330 aircraft to replace
3276-685: The Empire, the S.26 G-Class was developed, but only three completed before the war resulted in further production being cancelled. Short's work on the Sunderland also won it the contract for the Short Stirling four-engine bomber-transport for the RAF. This was essentially a land-based Sunderland, however its use of a now outdated thick-section, low aspect ratio wing to facilitate it going into service quickly limited climb and ceiling, and design decisions, such as
3360-549: The European Distribution System Aircraft (EDSA) role, flying cargo and personnel between United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE) air bases. Eventually, 60 would be procured by for the U.S. armed forces and serve well into the 21st century. The C-23 Sherpa was the winner of a competition to enhance cargo delivery in that theater. One of its competitors as that time was the CASA C.212 Aviocar . The Sherpa's cabin
3444-696: The S.184 was also sold to the Royal Flying Corps as the Short Bomber . During the First World War, Shorts were among the manufacturers of two flying boats, the F.3 and F.5 , designed by John Porte at the Seaplane Experimental Station , Felixstowe. When the war ended, some 50 of these were being built at Rochester. Due to the company's success, and the increasing number of seaplanes being produced, larger premises with ready access to
Short C-23 Sherpa - Misplaced Pages Continue
3528-590: The Second World War, the airfield was requisitioned by the Royal Navy. Shorts continued to use the airfield until production of complete aircraft ceased, despite Nutts Corner , a former RAF base, becoming Belfast's main airport (Nutts Corner was itself superseded in 1963 by Aldergrove ). In 1983, following interest from airlines and customers, the airfield was opened for commercial flights as Belfast Harbour Airport (later Belfast City Airport (BCA), now George Best Belfast City Airport ). Following major capital investment, Bombardier sold BCA for £35 million in 2003. In 1977,
3612-447: The Sherpa (due to Key West Agreement ), they lost a C-23B in 2001 in Georgia, USA, and 21 died. This was the worst peacetime aviation disaster of the U.S. National Guard . On 3 March 2001, a C-23B Sherpa belonging to the 171st Aviation Regiment of the Florida Army National Guard was carrying 18 construction workers of the Virginia Air National Guard from Hurlburt Field , Florida to Naval Air Station Oceana , Virginia. The pilot left
3696-423: The Short S.26. In 1913, Gordon Bell became Shorts' first professional test pilot: he was succeeded by Ronald Kemp in 1914. Kemp could not handle the volume of flight testing and development alone and, by 1916, other pilots were employed on a freelance basis. One of these was John Lankester Parker . In 1918 Parker succeeded Kemp as Shorts' Chief Test Pilot , a post he was to occupy for the next 27 years. In 2013
3780-419: The Skyvan proved more popular in the freighter market due to the large rear cargo door that allowed it to handle bulky loads with ease. Skyvans can still be found around the world today. The heavy lift freighter Short SC.5 Belfast flew for the first time in 1964. Only 10 were built for the Royal Air Force . In the 1970s, Shorts entered the feederliner market with the Shorts 330 , a stretched modification of
3864-421: The Skyvan, called the C-23 Sherpa in USAF service, and another stretch resulted in the more streamlined Shorts 360 , in which a more conventional central fin superseded the older H-profiled twin fins. In 1988, the proposed development was announced of a regional jet seating 44 passengers and to be called the FJX. The aircraft would have been a competitor to the Bombardier CRJ100 that was also in development at
3948-416: The State of Alaska to operate from short rural runways for search-and-rescue and medium-lift missions. In December 2014, it was announced that US would supply eight aircraft to Estonia , Djibouti , and Philippines . Estonia ended up not taking the Sherpa, a decision they reached in 2015 because they could not afford the maintenance, despite the low cost of the aircraft. The landing and take off ability of
4032-423: The United Kingdom. Shorts survived without reducing the company's workforce by diversifying into areas such as building lightweight bus and tram bodies. During the 1920s and 1930s, flying boats were favoured for long-range civil aviation, because their operation did not rely on the existence of suitable airfields, which were not widespread at the time. Shorts took to the flying boat market, and in 1924 constructed
4116-436: The World's Aircraft 1988–1989 General characteristics Performance Related development Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era Short Brothers Short Brothers plc , usually referred to as Shorts or Short , is an aerospace company based in Belfast , Northern Ireland . Shorts was founded in 1908 in London , and was the first company in the world to make production aeroplanes. It
4200-418: The aircraft and they served their purpose well as a tactical transport during the Vietnam War, where larger cargo aircraft such as the Fairchild C-123 Provider and the Lockheed C-130 Hercules could not land on the shorter landing strips. The aircraft could carry 32 troops or two Jeeps or similar light vehicles. The rear loading ramp could also be used for parachute dropping (also, see Air America ). Under
4284-614: The aircraft had been loaded outside its operating envelope at the start of the flight. The C-23 was retired from Army National Guard service in 2014, having served with distinction in such missions as disaster relief and transport, earning the distinction of being a "workhorse" aircraft. Several surplus aircraft were sold to United States operators, who used them to transport equipment and crews to remote work sites. NASA operates one C-23 for atmospheric research from Wallops Flight Facility . Former USAF and US Army aircraft have been sold to civil operators including: Data from Jane's All
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#17330862518244368-412: The balloons at Hove, Sussex , in premises above the acoustic laboratory run by a third brother, Horace (2 July 1872 – 6 April 1917). In 1903, when Horace left to work on steam turbine development with Charles Parsons , Eustace and Oswald moved their workshop to rented accommodation in London, then again to railway arches in Battersea , conveniently situated next to Battersea gas-works. In 1905, they won
4452-441: The brothers had obtained the British rights to build copies of the Wright design . In February 1909, Shorts started construction of a new workshop on unobstructed marshland at Leysdown, near Shellbeach on the Isle of Sheppey . This had been acquired by the Aero Club for use as a flying ground, together with Mussell Manor (now known as "Muswell Manor"), which became its clubhouse. Construction of an initial batch of six aircraft
4536-440: The company changed its name back to Short Brothers, and in 1984 it became a public limited company in preparation for privatisation. The government announced the sale of Shorts to Bombardier on 7 June 1989 for £30 million. As part of the sale, the government agreed (at the insistence of then-Chancellor John Major ) to write off £390 million of the company's "accumulated losses and inject another £390 million to recapitalise
4620-413: The company near Cardington to house its employees still bears the name Shortstown . In 1919, the name of the company was changed to Short Brothers (Rochester and Bedford) Ltd., but nationalisation the same year ended the Short brothers' involvement with the company, which became the Royal Airship Works . During the immediate post-war years the economic climate was difficult for the aircraft industry in
4704-407: The company was producing. The Eastchurch premises was closed in 1934, and in the same year Shorts purchased the engine manufacturer Pobjoy , which had moved to Rochester Airport to be near Shorts and had collaborated on its latest designs. On 5 July 1937, a Short Empire was used by Imperial Airways for the first westbound transatlantic service from Foynes , Ireland to Newfoundland . In 1936,
4788-419: The continued production there of Britannias. In the 1960s, Shorts found a niche for a new short-haul freighter aircraft and responded with the Short SC.7 Skyvan . The Skyvan is most remembered for its box-like, slab-sided appearance and rectangular twin tail units, but the aircraft was well loved for its performance and loading. It served almost the same performance niche as the de Havilland Twin Otter , and
4872-493: The design and development of very short-range, air defence missiles for the UK Ministry of Defence and armed forces worldwide using expertise dating back to the 1950s. In 2000, Thomson-CSF bought Bombardier's 50% share to become the sole owner of Shorts Missile Systems, renaming it Thales Air Defence in 2001. On 31 October 2019, Bombardier announced the sale of its aerostructures activities to Spirit AeroSystems . The sale closed in November 2020 following regulatory approval and
4956-465: The first of those made its maiden flight. Of these types, Shorts delivered 60 Canberra B.2s, 49 Canberra B.6s and 23 Canberra P.R.9s, the remaining 18 being cancelled by the Government in 1957. Further work was involved in the conversion of time-expired Canberra B.2s into unmanned radio-controlled missile target aircraft. Two prototypes and 10 production Canberra U.10s were produced, followed by six improved Canberra U.14s. These aircraft were controlled from
5040-441: The first time on 30 July 1958. Impressed with the DHC4's STOL capabilities and potential, the U.S. Army ordered five for evaluation as YAC-1s and went on to become the largest Caribou operator. The AC-1 designation was changed in 1962 to CV-2, and then C-7 when the U.S. Army's CV-2s were transferred to the U.S. Air Force in 1967. U.S. and Australian Caribou saw extensive service during the Vietnam War. The U.S. Army purchased 159 of
5124-541: The first was flown in June 1928; both were delivered to Western Canada Airlines Ltd. In 1924, Shorts produced the first of a series of three designs known as the Singapore . In 1927, the Singapore I was used by Sir Alan Cobham, when he, his wife, and crew made a survey of Africa which covered about 23,000 miles. Shorts then started design work on the Short Calcutta , based on the Singapore layout but larger and more powerful, which began service with Imperial Airways in August 1928. By April 1929 two more had been added to
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#17330862518245208-434: The fleet, and they operated passenger-preferred coastal routes from Genoa to Alexandria by way of Athens , Corfu , Naples , and Rome . Several Calcuttas were used on shorter routes, and were instrumental in permitting long-range airline services between outposts of the British Empire . Shorts followed the production of four Calcuttas with the larger Kent , following with a series of still larger aircraft designs such as
5292-412: The flight deck to use the aft bathroom. His weight in the tailcone shifted the center of gravity sufficiently that the airplane became unstable when a patch of severe turbulence was encountered. The violent g-force shifts then encountered rendered the crew unconscious and caused the breakup of the aircraft in flight near Unadilla, Georgia, killing the 21 persons on board. Later calculations determined that
5376-411: The ground by VHF radio, and were equipped to provide feedback on their own performance, as well as that of the missiles aimed at them. As early as 1953, Shorts became involved with pioneering the development of electronic analogue computers , to assist with the design of increasingly complex aircraft. In 1954, the Bristol Aeroplane Company became a 15.25% shareholder in Shorts, and the company used
5460-435: The group and cover current and future losses, capital investment and training." Bombardier beat a bid from General Electric Company and Fokker . Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm had withdrawn before final offers were submitted. The sale was finalised on 4 October 1989. In 1993, with the company under the chairmanship of Sir Roy McNulty , Bombardier Shorts and Thomson-CSF formed a joint venture, Shorts Missile Systems , for
5544-411: The injection of funds to set up a production line for the Bristol Britannia turbo-prop airliner, known in the press as The Whispering Giant . Although it was originally intended that 35 Britannias should be built by Shorts, a shortage of work at Bristol led to this number being reduced. Eventually, 15 Britannias were completed by Shorts; five sets of Britannia components were sent to Filton and used on
5628-502: The late 20th century, starting with Short Skyvan, Short 330, and the Short 360. The C-23 was based on the Short 330, and the C-23B+ was based on the Short 360. The original C-23 had very specific purpose, to resupply airfields in Western Europe during the Cold War and entered service in the 1980s. However, it went on afterwards to serve in many different roles. The Short 330 was developed by Short Brothers of Belfast from their earlier Short SC.7 Skyvan STOL utility transport. The 330 has
5712-539: The newly activated 537th, 535th, 536th, 459th, 457th, and 458th Troop Carrier Squadrons of the USAF (This was Operation "Red Leaf"). On 1 August 1967 the "troop carrier" designations were changed to "tactical airlift". Some Republic of Vietnam Air Force Caribou were captured by North Vietnamese forces in 1975 and remained in service with that country through to the late 1970s. Following the war in Vietnam, all USAF Caribou were transferred to Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard airlift units pending their replacement by
5796-487: The planning and construction work started. By early 1915, the first facility of what was to become known as the Seaplane Works was completed: No.1 Erecting Shop. As this and the No.2 and No.3 shops became available, the workforce moved from the Eastchurch factory. No.3 shop was completed in 1917. A long concrete slipway was constructed from the centre-line of No.3 Erecting Shop to enable aircraft of up to 20 tons weight to be launched even at low tide. In 1916, Short Brothers
5880-405: The production line had closed; second-hand Short 360 aircraft were purchased instead. Designated C-23B+, these were modified from the original single tail to the twin-tail and cargo ramp of the other C-23Bs. In 1994, another eight aircraft were converted to replace the de Havilland Canada UV-18 Twin Otters used in Alaska. (which was also out of production since 1988) During Iraq War (2003–2011),
5964-407: The sea were needed. At that time, seaplanes were taken by road to Queenborough, then loaded onto lighters to be taken to the RNAS seaplane station on Isle of Grain to be launched and tested. In 1913, an 8.4 acre (3.4 hectare) plot of land by the river Medway about 20 miles (32 km) away at Borstal , near Rochester, Kent , was purchased from Charles Willis (a local councillor ), and
6048-495: The stillborn wartime Seaford , which was to have been the penultimate Sunderland development. In 1943, the Government nationalised Short's under Defence Regulation 78. Oswald Short, who had resigned as Chairman in January of that year, remained as Honorary Life President. By 1947, all of Shorts other wartime factories had been closed, and operations concentrated in Belfast. In 1948, the company offices followed, and Shorts became
6132-800: The time, but the FJX was cancelled after Short Brothers' sale to Bombardier. In 1987 loyalists working at Shorts erected loyalist flags and bunting to intimidate the Catholic workers. The loyalist workers went on strike after management removed the loyalist flags from the shop floor. In April 1989, three Northern Irish men, Noel Little , Samuel Quinn and James King, were arrested in Paris and later convicted of "arms trafficking and associating with criminals involved in terrorist activities." They were accused of having stolen missile parts and documents related to Shorts' products. Also arrested were arms dealer Douglas Bernhardt and
6216-479: The use of cells for individual bombs limited its long term usefulness as a heavy bomber when it proved incapable of carrying the newer larger bombs that didn't fit in the cells. As it was intended as a stopgap pending the delivery of the Handley Page Halifax and Avro Manchester bombers, it followed the RAF tradition of also being a transport aircraft, with a cabin useful for troops and cargo, in which role it
6300-509: Was abandoned shortly after the end of the war, however conversions and developments of the Sunderland entered service as transports, starting during the war with the Hythe , which was a demilitarized Sunderland with the turrets faired over, then the post-war Sandringham , which refined the shape to eliminate the turret mountings, and finally by the definitive Solent , with an enlarged tail and more powerful engines and other refinements derived from
6384-550: Was awarded a contract to build two large dirigible airships for the Admiralty . As part of the contract, a loan was provided to enable the company to purchase a site near Cardington, Bedfordshire , on which to build airship construction facilities. As a result, the company concentrated on the construction of heavier-than-air aeroplanes in the Isle of Sheppey/Rochester area, and balloons and dirigibles at Cardington. A housing estate built by
6468-532: Was destined for military operators, but the type's ruggedness and excellent STOL capabilities requiring runway lengths of only 1200 feet (365 metres) also appealed to some commercial users. U.S. certification was awarded on 23 December 1960. Ansett-MAL , which operated a single example in the New Guinea highlands, and Amoco Ecuador were early customers, as was Air America (a CIA front in South East Asia during
6552-625: Was established at White Cross Bay, Windermere , that produced 35 Sunderland Mark IIIs. Austin Motors at Longbridge, Birmingham also produced over 600 Stirlings , and Blackburn Aircraft produced 240 Sunderlands at its shadow factory in Dumbarton, Scotland. During the Second World War , the Short Sunderland was an effective anti-submarine patrol bomber operated by RAF Coastal Command in
6636-538: Was particularly notable for its flying boat designs manufactured into the 1950s. In 1943, Shorts was nationalised and later denationalised, and in 1948 moved from its main base at Rochester, Kent to Belfast. In the 1960s, Shorts mainly produced turboprop airliners, major components for aerospace primary manufacturers, and missiles for the British Armed Forces . Shorts was primarily government -owned until being bought by Bombardier in 1989 and, in 2007,
6720-533: Was started immediately. Short Brothers thus became the first aircraft manufacturing company in the world to undertake volume production of an aircraft design. Here the Dunne D.5 , the first tailless aircraft , was also built under contract. In 1910 the Royal Aero Club and Short Brothers moved to a larger and less marshy ground at Eastchurch , about 2.5 miles (4 km) away. At this time the Royal Aero Club had offered
6804-451: Was the first DHC design powered by two engines. The Caribou was similar in concept in that it was designed as a rugged STOL utility aircraft. The Caribou was primarily a military tactical transport that in commercial service found itself a small niche in cargo hauling. The United States Army ordered 173 in 1959 and took delivery in 1961 under the designation AC-1, which was changed to CV-2 Caribou in 1962. The majority of Caribou production
6888-509: Was the largest manufacturing concern in Northern Ireland. In November 2020, Bombardier sold its Belfast operations to Spirit AeroSystems . The company's products include aircraft components, engine nacelles and aircraft flight control systems for Bombardier Aerospace , Boeing , Rolls-Royce Deutschland , General Electric and Pratt & Whitney . The Short Brothers business started in 1897 when Eustace Short (1875 – 1932) bought
6972-511: Was used once the Halifax and Avro Lancaster were available in large enough numbers. Attempts by Shorts to sell improved versions to the RAF were ignored, not least over concerns regarding Oswald's leadership and alcoholism. In 1944, the Short Shetland , a high-speed, long-range, four-engined flying-boat, was built (with Saunders-Roe providing the wings and detail design work), but the project
7056-508: Was widely used for other uses it was originally the winner of an early 1980s competition for a light cargo aircraft to deliver cargo, especially aviation parts, for EDSA. While the C-23 was a new production, as was the C-23B, the C-23B+ were actually Shorts 360, with the tail and rear fuselage of a C-23. One of the differences between the C-23 and C-23B, is that the latter had cabin windows. The aircraft has
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