Short Sandringham

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Short Sandringham
Ansett Sandringham taking off from Lord Howe Island in the early 1960s
Role Civil flying boat
Manufacturer Short Brothers
First flight January 1943
Introduction 1943
Retired 1974 (Ansett Flying Boat Services)
Status Out of production, out of service
Primary users British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC)
Qantas
TEAL
Ansett Flying Boat Services
Developed from Short Sunderland

The Short S.25 Sandringham is a British civilian flying boat designed and originally produced by Short Brothers. They were produced as conversions of the widely used Short Sunderland, a military flying boat that was commonly used as a maritime patrol aircraft.

Prior to the Sandringham, numerous Sunderlands which had been built for the

Second World War. Around the conclusion to the conflict, Shorts was keen to produce a more refined and capable conversion of the Sunderland; the first prototype of which, which performed its maiden flight
during November 1945, became known as the Sandringham I.

The BOAC quickly sought to procure the Sandringham for its fleet, the demand for which led to production of the Sandringham II along with multiple further improved versions. Being operated initially alongside the Hythes, the more comfortable conditions onboard the Sandringhams led to them being given greater priority for usage and routing alike. Various other operators also procured the type, including

jetliners
, thus their operations curtailed substantially during the late 1950s. The final scheduled service performed by the type was ended during the 1970s. A total of three Sandringhams are believed to have survived to the present day in preservation.

Design and development

Background

At the height of the

air mail alike.[1]

The initial batch having been determined to be satisfactory, a further six Sunderlands were converted for similar purposes in 1943, along with a further batch of 12 during the following year.

promenade deck, while the H.3 configuration, featured an additional eight seats. Up to 6,500 pounds (2,900 kg) of mail could also be carried. Engines were standardised as the Bristol Pegasus 38.[4][5]

Post-war conversions

Short Sandringham 7 VH-APG at Cowes in 1954

Even prior to the end of the conflict, it has been identified that, while the converted Sunderlands had proved to be successful, there were areas for improvement.[6] Specifically, the temporary and somewhat basic fairings implemented to cover turret positions could be replaced by more sophisticated low-drag counterparts to improve aerodynamic efficiency. Deciding to proceed with this work, in November 1945, Shorts flew a thus refined conversion of BOAC's Sunderlands from their Rochester works.[6] Along with the revised low-drag fairings on both the nose and tail, it benefitted from a refurbished interior; this flying boat was referred to as the Sandringham; it subsequently became known as the Sandringham 1 to distinguish it from the more advanced conversions which later followed it.[7]

During January 1946, a

certificate of airworthiness was issued for the Sandringham I, it entered service with BOAC in June of that year after completing operational trials with RAF Transport Command.[6] Around this time, BOAC opted to have all of its Sunderlands refurbished to a standard akin to contemporary airliners. Shorts had envisioned BOAC issuing a prompt order for Sandringhams, but the first order for the type came from the Argentine airline Compañía Argentina de Aeronavegación Dodero instead.[8] The airline had been keen to procure Sunderlands were its South American intercity routes, and had been impressed by information provided by Shorts on the Sandringham conversation. Ordered in two batches, one for short-haul routes and the other for longer distances, the first Sandringham II was launched to great ceremony at Belfast on 17 November 1945.[8]

There were several differences between the Sandringham I and the following production flying boats. While the first prototype had retained the Pegasus engines, common to both the Sunderland III and Hythe, later models of the Sandringham, which were converted by Short and Harland Ltd at

Pratt & Whitney "Twin Wasp" engines.[9] Every Sandringham was converted from surplus Sunderlands that had been formerly operated by RAF Coastal Command.[7]

During 1963, an additional conversion of a former Royal New Zealand Air Force Sunderland V was carried out by Ansett to a similar standard to the Sandringham. This aircraft, named Islander, was fitted with a 43-seat interior.[10] Its conversion had been necessitated following the loss of an earlier Sandringham due to a cyclone that had torn it from its moorings.[11]

Operational history

Short Sandringham 5 G-AHZE of BOAC at Hamworthy Quay, Poole, Dorset in September 1954
Ansett Sandringham at Rose Bay Sydney in 1970

The converted Sunderlands commenced operations with BOAC on its route between

VJ-Day.[6]

During 1946, BOAC's fleet of Hythes commenced long distance flights to Australia; on 12 May 1946, the Poole–Sydney route, which were operated in conjunction with the Australian airline Qantas, commenced. In August of that year, BOAC's Hythes were also deployed on services to Hong Kong on what was known as the Dragon route.[5][8]

It was in 1946 that the initial production models of the Sandringham proved themselves to be capable performers in the South American market.[13] Multiple airlines in Argentina, as well as the Uruguayan airline CAUSA, became early operators of the type. Aerolíneas Argentinas would operate Sandringhams in a passenger role up until 1962, after which they saw use as freighters up until the late 1960s.[14]

In 1946, BOAC recognised that its existing fleet of flying boats was insufficient to perform all of the routes it envisioned, thus the airline placed its first order for the Sandringham.[15] During the following year, the Sandringham 5 was introduced into service with BOAC, which referred to it as the "Plymouth class" and operated it mainly the company's Far East routes from Southampton via Alexandria to Hong Kong and Tokyo. The type quickly proved to be both reliable and popular with the travelling public, leading to BOAC ordering the improved Sandringham 6, which it called the Bermuda Class, in 1948.[16] However, these operations were quickly overshadowed by other developments, with BOAC choosing to replace its flying boats on several routes with land-based Lockheed Constellation airliners during 1949.

The New Zealand-based airline

Sydney Harbour to destinations in New Caledonia, New Hebrides, Fiji, New Guinea and Lord Howe Island; two of these were purchased from TEAL and the other three were purchased from BOAC. Qantas kept its Sandringhams in regular service through to 1955.[18]

The Sandringham was used by Ansett Flying Boat Services on the Sydney (Rose Bay) to Lord Howe Island scheduled service until 1974. One of Ansett's Sandringhams was converted from a S-25 Sunderland previously owned by the Royal New Zealand Air Force. The Sandringham was also operated by the Norwegian airline DNL – Norwegian Airlines between 1946 and 1952 on the domestic service from Oslo to Tromsø. This customer's small fleet was specially equipped with flying in cold prevailing conditions, although services had to be halted during the winter regardless; they also featured the same Air-to-Surface Vessel radar sets as fitted to the wartime Sunderland V for navigation purposes, helping the crew avoid mountainsides and safely operate from the fjords.[17]

In October 1954,

Paris Le Bourget
.

One of the last operators of the Sandringham was Antilles Air Boats in the Virgin Islands of the Caribbean which flew the aircraft in scheduled passenger service into the 1970s with flights from the Charlotte Amalie Harbor Seaplane Base on Saint Thomas and the Christiansted Harbor Seaplane Base on Saint Croix among other destinations.[19]

Variants

Hythe
Modification of Sunderland III for BOAC, with seats for 16–24 passengers.[5] 23 converted.[20]
Sandringham 1
Full civil conversion of Sunderland 3 for BOAC, accommodating 24 day or 16 sleeper passengers, and powered by four 1,030 hp (768 kW) Bristol Pegasus 38 engines. One converted.[7]
Sandringham 2
Civil conversion of Sunderland 5 for Argentine airline Dodero, accommodating 45 day passengers. Powered by four R-1830-92 engines, three conversions.[21]
Sandringham 3
Conversion of Sunderland 5 with dining room and galley on upper deck and seats for 21 on lower deck. Two converted.[21]
Sandringham 4
Four converted for TEAL of New Zealand (Tasman class). Seating for 30 passengers.[21] Two were sold to Qantas and operated by them between 1950 and 1955, with the remaining two sold to Ansett.[18]
Sandringham 5
Nine converted for BOAC (Plymouth class), accommodating 22 day or 16 sleeper passengers.[22] Three of these were sold to Qantas which operated them between 1951 and 1955.[21]
Sandringham 6
Radar equipped aircraft for Norwegian airline DNL. 37 passengers. Five converted.[21]
Sandringham 7
Thirty seat aircraft for BOAC (Bermuda class). Three converted.[23]
Islander
An additional civil conversion by Ansett officially described as a Sunderland Mark V (Modified).

Operators

 Argentina
 Australia
 France
 New Zealand
 Norway
  • Det Norske Luftfartselskap
 United Kingdom
  • BOAC
 Uruguay
 United States

Survivors

Spirit of Foynes moored off Hythe Pier, Southampton Water (1989). While painted in Ryanair colors, this aircraft never actually flew in revenue service for the airline and was painted for a proposed sponsor deal with the Foynes Flying Boat Museum that did not come to fruition.
Sandringham JM715 (VH-BRC), Solent Sky museum, Southampton, England, (2011)
  • Ex-Ansett Sandringham (
    RAF Serial JM715 Short Sunderland Mk III) flew for Tasman Empire Airways Ltd. (TEAL) of New Zealand purchased JM715 from the Air Ministry for conversion. After conversion at Short's Belfast factory, the aircraft was allocated the conversion number SH.55C and registered to TEAL, delivered from Southampton to Waitemata Harbour, Auckland on 29 October 1947 and was soon in service on the 1,300-mile Sydney–Auckland route. In May 1950, ZK-AMH, was sold to Barrier Reef Airlines of Australia where it was renamed Beachcomber and registered VH-BRC. Barrier Reef Airlines were subsequently taken over by the major Australian airline Ansett and became Ansett Flying Boat Services and operated out of Rose Bay, Sydney, Australia until 1974. The vast amounts of money required to keep the aircraft in flying condition were not available and in 1981, the aircraft was purchased for the National Aeronautical Collection by the Science Museum and is now on display at Solent Sky museum in Southampton
    , Hampshire, UK.
Short S.25 Sandringham Mk7 Bermuda F-OBIP at the Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace (2015)
  • Short S-25 Sandringham 7 Bermuda Class. c/n SH-57C. Built as a (
    Le Bourget Airport, 1977. Transported by French military to Paris in 1979 and placed on display, but was severely damaged during a storm on 8 February 1984.[24] Under restoration since 2008, and as of January 2018
    not currently viewable by the public.

Specifications (Sandringham 5)

Short Sandringham 3-view drawing from Les Ailes March 29, 1947

Data from British Civil Aircraft 1919–1972[25]

General characteristics

  • Crew: 5
  • Capacity: 22 day passengers or 16 sleeper passengers
  • Length: 86 ft 3 in (26.29 m)
  • Wingspan: 112 ft 9.5 in (34.379 m)
  • Height: 22 ft 10.5 in (6.972 m)
  • Wing area: 1,687 sq ft (156.7 m2)
  • Airfoil: Göttingen 436 modified [26]-->
  • Empty weight: 39,498 lb (17,916 kg)
  • Gross weight: 60,000 lb (27,216 kg)
  • Fuel capacity: 2,032 imp gal (2,440 US gal; 9,238 L)[27]
  • Powerplant: 4 ×
    Pratt & Whitney R-1830-92D Twin Wasp
    / -90B 14-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engines, 1,200 hp (890 kW) each
  • Propellers: 4-bladed
    Hamilton Standard Hydromatic
    , 12 ft 1 in (3.68 m) diameter constant-speed propellers

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 206 mph (332 km/h, 179 kn)
  • Cruise speed: 176 mph (283 km/h, 153 kn)
  • Range: 2,440 mi (3,930 km, 2,120 nmi)
  • Service ceiling: 17,900 ft (5,500 m)
  • Rate of climb: 840 ft/min (4.3 m/s)
  • Wing loading: 35.6 lb/sq ft (174 kg/m2)
  • Power/mass: 0.08 hp/lb (0.13 kW/kg)

See also

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

Related lists

References

Citations

  1. ^ a b c d Barnes 1967, p. 398.
  2. ^ a b Barnes 1967, pp. 398–399.
  3. ^ London 2003, pp. 203–204.
  4. ^ a b Jackson 1988, p. 152.
  5. ^ a b c London 2003, p. 215.
  6. ^ a b c d Barnes 1967, p. 399.
  7. ^ a b c Jackson 1988, pp. 152–153.
  8. ^ a b c Barnes 1967, p. 400.
  9. ^ Barnes 1967, pp. 400-401.
  10. ^ London 2003, p. 226.
  11. ^ Barnes 1967, pp. 406-407.
  12. ^ London 2003, p. 204.
  13. ^ Barnes 1967, p. 401.
  14. ^ Barnes 1967, pp. 401-402.
  15. ^ a b Barnes 1967, p. 403.
  16. ^ Barnes 1967, pp. 403-404.
  17. ^ a b Barnes 1967, pp. 404-405.
  18. ^ a b Barnes 1967, p. 405.
  19. ^ http://www.airliners.net, photos of Antilles Air Boats Short Sandringham in the U.S. Virgin Islands
  20. ^ London 2003, pp. 278–279, 281.
  21. ^ a b c d e Jackson 1988, p. 153.
  22. ^ Jackson 1988, p. 154.
  23. ^ Jackson 1988, p. 155.
  24. ^ "Short S.25 Sandringham Mk7 Bermuda F-OBIP". Musée de l’Air et de l’Espace (in French). Retrieved 9 January 2018.
  25. ^ Jackson 1988, p. 156.
  26. ^ Lednicer, David. "The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage". m-selig.ae.illinois.edu. Retrieved 16 April 2019.
  27. ^ Bridgman, Leonard, ed. (1947). Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1947 (35th ed.). London: Sampson Low, Marston & Co. pp. 74c–75c.

Bibliography

Further reading

External links

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