Short Brothers (also Shorts) was a British airplane manufacturer, whose successor is settled in Belfast at present. Shorts is considered as the first airplane company of the world and was an important manufacturer of Flugbooten during the Second World War. After the war it changed over particularly to production from air freighters. The enterprise 1989 of the Canadian company bombard bought.

Pioneer years

The foundation-stone for the enterprise was put 1897, as Eustace (1875-1932) and Oswald Short (1883-1970) their first flight in a Gasballon undertook. 1902 began it to offer balloons for the purchase and locked 1905 a contract with the British Indian Army over the supply of three pieces. 1908 pushed its brother Horace (1872-1917) to them, and they created a company around licensed reproductions of the WRIGHT of Flyers to sell, that manufactured them in Battersea in the southwest of London. In July 1909 they created the Shellbeach Aerodrom on obstacle-free march country on the Isle OF Sheppey in the muzzle delta of the Themse. There also the Royal was aero club at home, and they sold six WRIGHTs Flyer during the next two years to the club.

In the year 1910 they moved with the aero club in the nearby Eastchurch and built a first airplane, the Short Dunne 5, that world-wide first airplane with swept wings. In the year 1911 they built the first twin-engine airplane of the world, the S-39 or tripolarize twin. In the following years Shorts built a multiplicity of different airplanes and expanded after the First World War with the production of the Short Admirality type 184 (also Short S.184). This was sunk the first type of aircraft with a ship, when a S.184 started of a British warship met a Turkish cargo ship during the battle of Gallipoli into the Dardanellen. The S.185 was sold also as Short bomber to the Royal Flying Corps.

Era of the Flugboote

During the 1920er and 30's the only possibility for civilian was the Flugboot, because the necessary infrastructure of airports was not yet present and would not have been profitable because of the small number of flights also. Shorts turned to the flight boat market and produced a set of three models, which admits as Singapore became. Singapore a I became 1927 famous, when Sir Alan Cobham with its wife and a crew undertook a round flight over Africa, with which it approx. 37,000 kilometers put back.

Shorts began then with the development one of its most famous models, the Calcutta. It was based on that Singapore, was however larger and more efficient. The Calcutta flew for the first time 1928 and starting from August of the same yearly with imperially Airways was commercially used. Two further copies were supplied in April 1929 and flew the coastal routes from Genova, preferred by the passengers, to Alexandria, over Athens, Korfu, Neapel and Rome. Some Calcuttas were used on shorter distances, and they were important for to between the outside areas of the British Empire. The Calcutta followed the larger Kent, and further, still larger models.

The enterprise became soon too large for the plants in Eastchurch, and 1933 moved it in nearby smelling esters. 1934 bought it the engine manufacturer Pobjoy, with which one had already longer co-operated. 1936 created the air Ministry a new aircraft factory in Belfast, in which Shorts as well as Harland and Wolff were involved to 50% each, and which Short and Harland Ltd. one called. The first product of the new company were 189 Handley PAGE Hereford bomber.

The work on Seeflugzeugen culminated in the development of the Short Sunderland to serve an enormous Flugboot with enough range over as air liners for transatlantic flights.

The Second World War

At larger celebrity the Hereford arrived however than anti-submarine patrol during the Second World War, whereby their high range and flight duration permitted to close the gap between Iceland and Greenland and thus to it contributed the battle around the Atlantic in favor of the allied one to terminate.

The Sunderland was it also, which help the Short Brothers to the order for the Short Stirling, the first four-engined bomber of Great Britain, which should be however only little successful. If one would have remained with the original draft, which was essentially a land-based and Sunderland adapted for the military use, it would have become probably an effective heavy bomber. Instead the air Ministry put numerous bizarre requirements after, which finally ruined the draft, during newer, more efficient models of other manufacturers developed.

While the air battle became several times substantial around England the factory in smelling esters bombarded by Luftwaffe, and some early Stirlings and other airplanes destroyed, likewise some miles removes convenient factory for supernavy Spitfires. From then on the factory in Belfast at meaning won, since it was clearly outside of the range of German bombers. In the year 1943 the British government transferred temporarily control of the enterprise and fused it now completely with Harland, so that it of now at Short Brothers and Harland Ltd. was called.

After 1945

Until 1947 production was concentrated in Belfast and all other factories of wartime closed, 1948 moved also the offices. Belfast was from now on the exclusive company headquarters.

Into the 1960er years found Shorts with short-distance air freighters a market gap and manufactured the Short Skyvan. The Skyvan had a characteristic, crate-well-behaved exterior with double tail fin, in addition, good flight characteristics and a high pay load. Although it had to divide a market segment with famous de Havilland twin Otter, it was very successful because of its large loading hatch in the tail, since it permitted a simple shipping of also bulkiest packages. Skyvans are until today in enterprise, for example in the Canadian arctic.

Into the 1970er years entered Short & Harland Ltd. later the market for feeder-service aircraft with the Short 330, which is called in the USAF C-23 Sherpa, which are based on the Skyvan, and with the konventionelleren and Short 360. 1977 the company changed and became for its names again in Short Brothers 1984 a Public limited company, when the British government sold its remaining portions.

1989 Short Brothers of the Canadian aviation company bombard bought up and finally lost their identity as independent enterprise. 1993 based bombards Shorts and Thomson CSF a joint venture, Shorts Missile of system, in order to develop on behalf the Ministry of Defense of the UK air defense rockets for very short ranges. In the year 2000 Thomson CSF Bombardier's 50%igen stock share bought and became sole owner. Shorts Missile of system was renamed 2001 in Thales air Defence Limited.

Related links

• Web left with articles over '' Shorts ''

Articles in category "Short Brothers"

We found here 9 articles.