Short Brothers
Company type | Parent Spirit Aerosystems | |
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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.[1] It was particularly notable for its flying boat designs manufactured into the 1950s.
In 1943, Shorts was
Shorts was primarily
The company's products include aircraft components, engine
History
Early years
The Short Brothers business started in 1897 when Eustace Short (1875 – 1932) bought a second-hand
In 1902, the brothers started offering balloons for sale. They manufactured the balloons at
In 1905, they won a contract for three balloons for the
In 1908, on hearing reports from Aero Club members who had seen the
In February 1909,
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 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.[10]
In 2013 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.
First World War
By the outbreak of
During the First World War, Shorts were among the manufacturers of two flying boats, the
Expansion at Rochester
Due to the company's success, and the increasing number of seaplanes being produced, larger premises with ready access to 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.[14] In 1913, an 8.4 acre (3.4 hectare) plot of land by the
Airships at Cardington
In 1916, Short Brothers was awarded a contract to build two large
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.
1920s and 1930s
During the immediate post-war years the economic climate was difficult for the aircraft industry in the United Kingdom. Shorts survived without reducing the company's workforce by diversifying into areas such as building lightweight bus and tram bodies.[17]
During the 1920s and 1930s,
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
A year later Shorts won a British government defence contract for the
In 1933, Shorts opened a new factory at
On 5 July 1937, a Short Empire was used by Imperial Airways for the first westbound transatlantic service from Foynes, Ireland to Newfoundland.[18]
First moves to Belfast
In 1936, the
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 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.
Second World War
During the
During the
A much enlarged transatlantic development of 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 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 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
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.[23]
Postwar
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 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.[24]
In the 1950s, Shorts was involved in much pioneering research, including designing and building the VTOL
In 1954, the
In the 1960s, Shorts found a niche for a new short-haul
The heavy lift freighter
In 1988, the proposed development was announced of a
Loyalist paramilitaries
In 1987 loyalists working at Shorts erected loyalists flags and bunting to intimidate the Catholic workers. The loyalists workers went on strike after management removed the loyalist flags from the shop floor.[31]
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."[32] They were accused of having stolen missile parts and documents related to Shorts' products. Also arrested were arms dealer Douglas Bernhardt and a South African diplomat.[32]
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.[33]
Belfast City Airport
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 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
Bombardier
In 1977, the company changed its name back to Short Brothers, and in 1984 it became a
In 1993, with the company under the chairmanship of
Spirit AeroSystems
On 31 October 2019, Bombardier announced the sale of its aerostructures activities to Spirit AeroSystems.[39] The sale closed in November 2020 following regulatory approval and a renegotiated price due to the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic.[3]
Aircraft
This section needs additional citations for verification. (January 2024) |
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
1900–1909
- Short Biplane No. 1
- Short Biplane No. 2 (1909)
- Short Biplane No. 3
1910–1919
- Avro 504Klicence production at Belfast by Harland and Wolff
- De Havilland DH.6licence production at Belfast by Harland and Wolff
- De Havilland DH.9licence production at Rochester
- Dunne D.5 (1910)
- Short S.27 (1910)
- Short Tandem-Twin (1911, 2 × rotary engines for F. McClean)[40]
- Short S.34(Long range S.27)
- Short S.36 (1912)
- Short S.38 (1912)
- Short S.39 Triple-Twin (1911)[40]
- Short S.41 (1912)
- Short S.42 monoplane
- Short S.45 (1912)
- Short S.46 (1912) Twin-engined tractor/pusher monoplane, nicknamed the Double Dirty
- Short S.47 Triple-Tractor (1912, 2 × 50 hp rotary driving tractor propellers)[40]
- Short Folder (1913 ff.)- generic name applied to a number of different types.
- Short Admiralty Type 3- Final rebuild of the Tandem Twin, similar to a Type S.38, one only.
- Short Admiralty Type 42
- Short Admiralty Type 74
- Short Admiralty Type 81 (1913) folding-wing tractor floatplane.
- Short S.80 The Nile pusher floatplane.
- Short S.81 (1913) experimental pusher gun-carrier.
- Short Admiralty Type 135 (1914) 1-off folding-wing floatplane
- Short Admiralty Type 136 (1914) 1-off folding-wing floatplane
- Short Admiralty Type 166 (1914)
- Short Admiralty Type 184(1915)
- Short Bomber (1915)
- Short Type 827 (1914)
- Short Type 830 (1914)
- Short 310(1916)
- Short Type 320 (1916)
- Short F.3 Felixstowe (1917)
- Short F.5 Felixstowe (1918)
- Short N.1B Shirl(1918)
- Short N.2A (1917)
- Short N.2B (1917)
- R31(airship) (1918)
- Short Sporting Type (1919)
1920–1929
- Short Silver Streak (1920)
- Short N.3 Cromarty (1921)
- Gnosspelius Gull (1923)
- Short S.1 Cockle (1924)
- Short S.2 (1924)
- Short S.3 Springbok (1923)
- Short S.3a Springbok (1925)
- Short S.3b Chamois (1927)
- Short S.4 Satellite (1924)
- Short S.5 Singapore I (1925)
- Short S.6 Sturgeon (1927) (Biplane)
- Short S.7 Mussel (1926)
- Short S.8 Calcutta (1928)
- Short S.10 Gurnard (1929)
- Short Crusader (1927)
1930–1939
- Short S.8/8 Rangoon (1930)
- Short S.11 Valetta (1930)
- Short S.12 Singapore II (1930)
- Short S.17 Kent (1931)
- Short S.14 Sarafand (1932) (originally known as the Short R6/28)
- Short-Kawanishi S.15 KF1
- Short S.16 Scion/Scion II (1933)
- Short S.18 Knuckleduster (1933)
- Short L.17 Scylla (1934)
- Short S.19 Singapore III (1934)
- Short S.20 Mercury (1937 Short Mayo Composite)
- Short S.21 Maia (1937 Short Mayo Composite)
- Short S.22 Scion Senior (1935)
- Short S.23 Empire Flying Boat(1936)
- Short S.25 Sunderland (1937)
- Short S.25 Sandringham (a post-war derivation of the Sunderland)
- Short S.26 G-Class (1939)
- Short S.27 Civet - project - not built (1936)
- Short S.30 Empire Flying Boat(1938)
- Short S.31 (Half-scale Stirling) (1938)
- Short S.32
- Short S.29 Stirling (1939)
- Bristol Bombay (1939) licence production
- Handley Page Herefordlicence production
1940–1949
- Short S.33 Empire Flying Boat(1940)
- Short S.35 Shetland 1 (1944)
- Short S.45 Seaford (1944)
- Short S.45 Solent (1946)
- Short S.38 SA1 Sturgeon (1946)
- Short S.39 SA2 Sturgeon
- Short Nimbus (1947)
- Short S.40 Shetland 2 (1947)
- Short S.41 (1946) - Design proposal for a naval fighter to specification N.7/46. No built.[41]
- Short SB3 Sturgeon
- Short SA6 Sealand (1948)
1950–1959
- Short S.42 SA4 Sperrin (1951)
- Short S.43 SA5 (project only)
- Short S.48 SA9 (glider - project only)
- Short SB1 (1951)
- Short SB5(1952)
- Short SB.4 Sherpa (1953)
- Short SB6 Seamew (1953)
- Short SB7 Sealand III
- Short SC1(1957)
- English Electric Canberra sub-contract
- Bristol Britannia sub-contract
1960–1989
- Short SC9 Canberra (1961)
- Short SD1 Canberra (1961)
- Short SC7 Skyvan(1963)
- Short SC5 Belfast (1964)
- Shorts 330 (1974)
- Shorts 360 (1981)
- Shorts C-23 Sherpa(1985)
- Bombardier Aerospacein 1989)
Airships
- R31
- R32
- R38 (ZR-2)
Missiles
Shorts' missile division, which evolved into Shorts Missile Systems (1993–2000, then sold), produced surface-to-air missiles.
Year of first use by a military in parentheses.
- Seacat – shipboard short-range surface-to-air missile (1962)
- Tigercat – land-based, trailer-mounted version of Seacat (1967)
- Blowpipe – soldier portable (1975)
- Javelin – soldier portable (post-Blowpipe, pre-Starburst)
- Starburst – soldier portable (1989)
- Starstreak– soldier portable (1997)
Rotorcraft
- Cierva C.14
UAVs and drones
Test and trial programs from the 1960s and 1970s.
- Shorts MATS-B
- Shorts Skeet
- Short Skyspy[42]
- Shorts SD.2/Stiletto (launched from Short SD1 Canberra)[43]
Chief test pilots
This section needs additional citations for verification. (January 2024) |
- Francis McClean (honorary) until 1912[44]
- Gordon Bell 1912–1914[45]
- Sydney Pickles 1913 (Acting CTP during Bell's absence following a crash at Brooklands)[46]
- Ronald C. Kemp 1914–1918[47]
- John Lankester Parker 1918–1945
- Geoffrey Dyson 1945–1946
- Harold Piper 1946–1948
- Tom Brooke-Smith 1948–1960
- Denis Tayler 1960–1969
- Donald Burn Wright 1969–1976
- Lindsay Cummings
- Allan Deacon
- Graham Andrews
- Jack Eaton 1984–present
Armoured vehicles
See also
- Aerospace industry in the United Kingdom
- Canadair
- de Havilland Canada
- Learjet
- Bombardier Aerospace
- Oswald Short
Notes
- ^ Barnes 1966 p. 8
- ^ Shorts as a "Centre of Excellence" within Bombardier, 2007
- ^ a b McAleer, Ryan (29 November 2020). "Short Brothers' new US owner reports £136m operating loss for third quarter". The Irish News. Belfast. Retrieved 29 November 2020.
- ^ Manufacturing profiles Archived 15 March 2006 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Barnes 1967, p. 3
- ^ Barnes 1967, pp. 1–6
- ^ Barnes 1967, p. 6
- ^ Barnes, pp. 6–8
- ISBN 0-86193-234-X.
- ^ Barnes 1967, pp. 8–12, 120
- ^ The supply ship had already been hit by a torpedo from the submarine HMS E14 4 days earlier, and had run aground. See Short Type 184 for further details
- ^ Barnes 1967, p. 113
- ^ Barnes and James 1989, p. 16
- ^ a b Hanson, Richard. Borstal: Short Brothers.[1] Archived 2 August 2005 at the Wayback Machine "Short Brothers by Richard Hanson". Archived from the original on 18 November 2008. Retrieved 6 May 2009. Access date: 15 January 2007.
- ^ a b Cassidy, Brian. Flying Empires: Short "C" class Empire flying boats. Queens Parade Press, 2004. [2] Access date: 15 January 2007.
- ^ Barnes & James 1989, p. 15
- ^ Barnes and James 1989, p. 19.
- ^ Service from Foynes, Republic of Ireland Archived 13 April 2007 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Barnes and James 1989, p. 28.
- ^ Barnes and James 1989, p. 388
- ^ Barnes and James 1989, p. 368
- ^ Barnes and James 1989, p. 541
- ^ Barnes and James 1989, p. 30
- ^ Barnes and James 1989, p. 32
- ^ Barnes and James 1989, p. 508
- ^ Barnes and James 1989, p. 509
- ^ Shorts Quarterly Review, Vol. 2 No. 3, Autumn 1953, p.1.
- ^ Barnes and James 1989, p. 510
- ^ "The 50-seat jetliner". Flight International. 4 March 1989.
- ^ O’Keeffe, Niall. "Boom and bust, the regional jet phenomenon". Flight International. Retrieved 10 April 2012.
- ^ "NI 1987 State papers: 'Wildcat' strikes over flags at Shorts revealed". BBC News. 21 August 2015. Retrieved 20 March 2021.
- ^ a b McKittrick, David (29 October 1991). "Arms from Africa fuel paramilitary terror=". The Independent. London.
- ^ "Catholic shot dead in ambush: Attack on workmen in mini-bus seen as loyalist warning to workers at Shorts aerospace factory". The Independent. 22 October 2011. Retrieved 20 March 2021.
- ^ John Major (1999). John Major: The Autobiography. Phoenix Books. p. 110.
- ^ Anthony Seldon (1997). Major: A Political Life. HarperCollins. p. 82.
- ^ Harrison, Michael (8 June 1989). "Shorts sold to Bombardier". The Independent.
- ^ "Bombardier of Canada Wins Competition to Buy Short Brothers". Aviation Week & Space Technology. 12 June 1989. p. 63.
- ^ "Shorts is private". Flight International. 14 October 1989.
- ^ Campbell, John (31 October 2019). "Bombardier NI operations sold to US firm". BBC News.
- ^ a b c "Thirty Short Years" Flight 20 April 1939 p G
- ^ Buttler, page 321.
- ^ "photo caption" (PDF), Flight International, p. 787, 27 November 1975
- ISBN 0-85177-806-2.
- ^ EarlyAviators.com
- ^ EarlyAviators.com
- ^ EarlyAviators.com
- ^ EarlyAviators.com
References
- Barnes, C.H. (1989 revisions by James, Derek N.) Shorts Aircraft since 1900. Putnam. 1967, 1989 (revised). ISBN 0-85177-819-4
- Buttler, Tony (2017). British Secret Projects: Jet Fighters since 1950 (2nd ed.). Manchester: Crecy Publishing. ISBN 978-1-910-80905-1.
- Jackson, A.J. British Civil Aircraft since 1919, Volume 3. Putnam. 1973. ISBN 0-370-10010-7
- Warner, Guy (July–August 2002). "From Bombay to Bombardier: Aircraft Production at Sydenham, Part One". ISSN 0143-5450.