Short Sturgeon
Encyclopedia
The Short
Sturgeon was a British
aircraft originally designed in the Second World War
as a high-performance torpedo bomber. With the end of the war in the Pacific
it was no longer needed as such. Through shifting priorities postwar, the Sturgeon was redesigned first into a target tug and then later as a prototype anti-submarine
aircraft. The many modifications that resulted turned the promising design into a hapless and grotesque-looking hybrid.
during the Second World War
with a bomb bay
that could accommodate six 500 lb bomb
s or any of the current standard aerial torpedo
es, operating from Audacious
and Centaur
-class aircraft carrier
s. The torpedo requirement was dropped when the Second World War ended and plans for large aircraft carriers were abandoned.
Specification S.11/43 for a naval
reconnaissance aircraft
called for the design and construction of a twin-engine plane
for visual and photographic reconnaissance and shadowing, by day or night. The specification included a maximum all-up weight of 24,000 lb, height (stowed) of 17 ft, length of 45 ft and a wingspan of 60 ft (spread) / 20 ft (folded). Powered wing-folding
was also required.
The contract went to Short Brothers
for their revised S.38 Sturgeon designated
the PR Mk 1 on 12 February 1944 for three prototype
s, with military serials RK787, RK791 and RK794 assigned. The first Short S.A.1 Sturgeon I RK787 flew at Rochester Airport on 7 June 1946, appearing at Farnborough in July. Deck
landing trials were completed in 1947. The second, RK791, flew from Sydenham
, Belfast
on 18 May 1948.
The pilot's cockpit was a sub assembly bolted to the front of the spar
, the navigator was behind the centre section of the wing and the radio operator — separated from the navigator by his equipment — behind him. The navigator and radio operator entered through a door, which acted as a ladder when opened, in the starboard side with their seats being offset to port. The cameras were installed in the fuselage behind the radio operator. One of the Sturgeon's unfortunate failings was in placement of controls. The fire extinguisher switch was located next to the cockpit switches required for firing the engine starter cartridges, resulting in some inadvertent mishaps and some unintended hilarity for ground crews.
Armament would be two 0.5 inch
machine guns with a 1,000 lb bomb
or two 500 lb bombs (or depth charge
s).
The PR.1 competed in the Air League
Challenge Cup Race of 1949 with an average speed
of 295 mph.
The production series of 100 aircraft was cancelled but the design stayed alive with modifications to accommodate a target tug
role as the S.39 (also known as S.A.2) Sturgeon. A third prototype, RK794, was modified to a Mk 2 standard with a new serial, VR363.
The TT Mk 2 was a large but clean-looking twin-engined, mid-wing cantilever
monoplane
design with a distinctive glazed nose in its target tug configuration. The all-metal monocoque
fuselage was built in four sections ending at a cantilever tailplane
with single fin and rudder. Rudder
and tailplanes were fabric covered. The wing
design featured a swept leading edge
and taper on outboard sections, and wing folds outboard of the twin Rolls-Royce Merlin
140 engine
s driving contra-rotating
propeller
s (which allowed shorter blades and the Merlins to be mounted closer to the centreline). The main wheels
retracted rearwards into the engine nacelle
s while the tail wheel retracted forwards into the fuselage. Radiator
s were mounted in the leading edge between the nacelles and the fuselage
.
The Sturgeon's postwar role began as a naval liaison
and target tug
aircraft with modifications to the nose, lengthened to provide a crew position forward of the propeller arc
s and a winch
system. The crew
of two included a pilot in an enclosed cockpit
, level with leading edge of wing. The all-purpose "observer" in the nose had to perform the functions of "navigator, wireless operator, target operator and camera operator. He moved between stations in the nose and rear fuselage." Five TT2s were further converted into the less-sophisticated TT3 variant.
The penultimate and last Sturgeons were redone as prototypes for a proposed anti-submarine
aircraft, powered by two Armstrong Siddeley Mamba AS Ma3 turboprop
s of 1,147 hp (1,100 kW) driving two four-bladed propellers. The engine exhausts were directed downwards instead of to the rear. Another major modification was the grafting on of a gigantic bulbous nose that housed two radar
operators in stations forward of the engines and the radar itself below. Acute problems arising from the resultant "schnoz" led to the demise of the project — "the efflux from the Mamba turboprops seriously destabilized the aircraft at some power settings and destroyed the good handling characteristics. It proved impossible to trim for safe flight on one engine which was a necessity for long endurance on anti-submarine patrols."
Two Sturgeon SB 3 prototypes were ordered with the first, WF632 flying on 8 December 1950 at Belfast
. The design proved extremely difficult to trim when flying on one engine and so unstable that no effort was made to resolve these problems, consequently, the project was cancelled before the second prototype, WF636 flew. Both aircraft had very short lives, being scrapped in 1951.
. They also operated with No. 771 Squadron at RNAS Ford in 1950- 1954. Their primary role as a target tug included towing targets for ground-to-air firing practice, photographic marking of ground-to-air firing, target towing for air-to-air practice by night and day, "throw-off," target practice and radar calibration.
All existing Sturgeon TT2s were modified to a (S.B.9) TT3 standard during the early 1950s. The TT3 variant was intended to meet less stringent requirements. The extended TT2 nose with its synchronised photographic equipment and crew station was removed and replaced by a smaller streamlined nose cone. With the change from carrier operations
to ground bases, all deck-landing equipment was also eliminated as well as the wing being modified to have a manual folding gear in place of the TT2's hydraulic system.
Briefly, a Short Sturgeon TT2 (VR363) piloted by "Jock" Eassie was utilised as a glider
tow aircraft in the Short SB.1
flight tests. The experimental "tailless
" glider, designed by David Keith-Lucas
and Professor Geoffrey T. R. Hill
, was built by Shorts as a private research venture and intended to test the concept of the aero-isoclinic wing. The first towed launch of the SB.1 piloted by Shorts' Chief Test Pilot, Tom Brooke-Smith ("Brookie") took off from RAF Aldergrove
on 30 July 1951. The SB.1 was towed behind to an altitude
of 10,000 ft with the flight completed successfully.
On the second flight of the day, the tow rope was extended and Brooke-Smith experienced the problems inherent in flying a light aircraft in the turbulence caused by the towing aircraft. Brooke-Smith had to cast off at low altitude and while attempting to side-slip out of the wake, struck the ground "nose-down" at 90 mph, injuring himself seriously and damaging the aircraft. With the extensive damage to the Short SB.1 necessitating a rebuild, the decision to power the modified glider (redesignated the Short SB.4 Sherpa) meant the end of the use of the Sturgeon tow plane in the program.
Short Brothers
Short Brothers plc is a British aerospace company, usually referred to simply as Shorts, that is now based in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Founded in 1908, Shorts was the first company in the world to make production aircraft and was a manufacturer of flying boats during the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s...
Sturgeon was a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
aircraft originally designed in the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
as a high-performance torpedo bomber. With the end of the war in the Pacific
Pacific War
The Pacific War, also sometimes called the Asia-Pacific War refers broadly to the parts of World War II that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia, then called the Far East...
it was no longer needed as such. Through shifting priorities postwar, the Sturgeon was redesigned first into a target tug and then later as a prototype anti-submarine
Anti-submarine warfare
Anti-submarine warfare is a branch of naval warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, or other submarines to find, track and deter, damage or destroy enemy submarines....
aircraft. The many modifications that resulted turned the promising design into a hapless and grotesque-looking hybrid.
Design and development
The (S.A.1) Sturgeon began life as a high-performance torpedo bomberTorpedo bomber
A torpedo bomber is a bomber aircraft designed primarily to attack ships with aerial torpedoes which could also carry out conventional bombings. Torpedo bombers existed almost exclusively prior to and during World War II when they were an important element in many famous battles, notably the...
during the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
with a bomb bay
Bomb bay
The bomb bay or weapons bay on some military aircraft is a compartment to carry bombs, usually in the aircraft's fuselage, with "bomb bay doors" which open at the bottom. The bomb bay doors are opened and the bombs are dropped when over the target or at a specified launching point.Large-sized...
that could accommodate six 500 lb bomb
Aerial bomb
An aerial bomb is a type of explosive weapon intended to travel through the air with predictable trajectories, usually designed to be dropped from an aircraft...
s or any of the current standard aerial torpedo
Aerial torpedo
The aerial torpedo, airborne torpedo or air-dropped torpedo is a naval weapon, the torpedo, designed to be dropped into water from an aircraft after which it propels itself to the target. First used in World War I, air-dropped torpedoes were used extensively in World War II, and remain in limited...
es, operating from Audacious
Audacious class aircraft carrier
The Audacious class aircraft carriers were a class of ship proposed by the British government in the 1930s - 1940s.- History :The Audacious class was originally designed as an expansion of the Implacable class with double storied hangars...
and Centaur
Centaur class aircraft carrier
The Centaur class of aircraft carriers of the British Royal Navy was the last of the light fleet carrier designs started during the closing years of World War II.-Ships In Class:HMS Centaur...
-class aircraft carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
s. The torpedo requirement was dropped when the Second World War ended and plans for large aircraft carriers were abandoned.
Specification S.11/43 for a naval
Naval aviation
Naval aviation is the application of manned military air power by navies, including ships that embark fixed-wing aircraft or helicopters. In contrast, maritime aviation is the operation of aircraft in a maritime role under the command of non-naval forces such as the former RAF Coastal Command or a...
reconnaissance aircraft
Reconnaissance aircraft
A reconnaissance aircraft is a manned military aircraft designed, or adapted, to carry out aerial reconnaissance.-History:The majority of World War I aircraft were reconnaissance designs...
called for the design and construction of a twin-engine plane
Fixed-wing aircraft
A fixed-wing aircraft is an aircraft capable of flight using wings that generate lift due to the vehicle's forward airspeed. Fixed-wing aircraft are distinct from rotary-wing aircraft in which wings rotate about a fixed mast and ornithopters in which lift is generated by flapping wings.A powered...
for visual and photographic reconnaissance and shadowing, by day or night. The specification included a maximum all-up weight of 24,000 lb, height (stowed) of 17 ft, length of 45 ft and a wingspan of 60 ft (spread) / 20 ft (folded). Powered wing-folding
Folding wing
A folding wing is a design feature of aircraft to save space in the airfield, and time, and is typical of naval aircraft that operate from the limited deck space of aircraft carriers. The folding allows the aircraft to occupy less space in a confined hangar because the folded wing normally rises...
was also required.
The contract went to Short Brothers
Short Brothers
Short Brothers plc is a British aerospace company, usually referred to simply as Shorts, that is now based in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Founded in 1908, Shorts was the first company in the world to make production aircraft and was a manufacturer of flying boats during the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s...
for their revised S.38 Sturgeon designated
British military aircraft designation systems
British military aircraft designations are used to refer to aircraft types and variants operated by the armed forces of the United Kingdom.Since the end of the First World War, aircraft types in British military service have generally been known by a name British military aircraft designations are...
the PR Mk 1 on 12 February 1944 for three prototype
Prototype
A prototype is an early sample or model built to test a concept or process or to act as a thing to be replicated or learned from.The word prototype derives from the Greek πρωτότυπον , "primitive form", neutral of πρωτότυπος , "original, primitive", from πρῶτος , "first" and τύπος ,...
s, with military serials RK787, RK791 and RK794 assigned. The first Short S.A.1 Sturgeon I RK787 flew at Rochester Airport on 7 June 1946, appearing at Farnborough in July. Deck
Flight deck
The flight deck of an aircraft carrier is the surface from which its aircraft take off and land, essentially a miniature airfield at sea. On smaller naval ships which do not have aviation as a primary mission, the landing area for helicopters and other VTOL aircraft is also referred to as the...
landing trials were completed in 1947. The second, RK791, flew from Sydenham
Electoral wards of Belfast
The electoral wards of Belfast are subdivisions of the city, used primarily for statistics and elections. Belfast has had 51 wards since May 1973, which were revised in May 1985 and again in May 1993...
, Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
on 18 May 1948.
The pilot's cockpit was a sub assembly bolted to the front of the spar
Spar (aviation)
In a fixed-wing aircraft, the spar is often the main structural member of the wing, running spanwise at right angles to the fuselage. The spar carries flight loads and the weight of the wings whilst on the ground...
, the navigator was behind the centre section of the wing and the radio operator — separated from the navigator by his equipment — behind him. The navigator and radio operator entered through a door, which acted as a ladder when opened, in the starboard side with their seats being offset to port. The cameras were installed in the fuselage behind the radio operator. One of the Sturgeon's unfortunate failings was in placement of controls. The fire extinguisher switch was located next to the cockpit switches required for firing the engine starter cartridges, resulting in some inadvertent mishaps and some unintended hilarity for ground crews.
Armament would be two 0.5 inch
.50 BMG
The .50 Browning Machine Gun or 12.7×99mm NATO is a cartridge developed for the Browning .50 caliber machine gun in the late 1910s. Entering service officially in 1921, the round is based on a greatly scaled-up .30-06 cartridge...
machine guns with a 1,000 lb bomb
Aerial bomb
An aerial bomb is a type of explosive weapon intended to travel through the air with predictable trajectories, usually designed to be dropped from an aircraft...
or two 500 lb bombs (or depth charge
Depth charge
A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare weapon intended to destroy or cripple a target submarine by the shock of exploding near it. Most use explosives and a fuze set to go off at a preselected depth in the ocean. Depth charges can be dropped by either surface ships, patrol aircraft, or from...
s).
The PR.1 competed in the Air League
Air League
For the Air League , see Australian Air LeagueThe Air League is an aviation society in the United Kingdom, founded in 1909.The aims and mission of the Air League are to promote the cause of British aviation by:...
Challenge Cup Race of 1949 with an average speed
Airspeed
Airspeed is the speed of an aircraft relative to the air. Among the common conventions for qualifying airspeed are: indicated airspeed , calibrated airspeed , true airspeed , equivalent airspeed and density airspeed....
of 295 mph.
The production series of 100 aircraft was cancelled but the design stayed alive with modifications to accommodate a target tug
Target tug
A target tug is an aircraft which tows an unmanned drone, a fabric drogue or other kind of target, for the purposes of gun or missile target practice. Target tugs are often conversions of transport and utility aircraft, as well as obsolescent combat types...
role as the S.39 (also known as S.A.2) Sturgeon. A third prototype, RK794, was modified to a Mk 2 standard with a new serial, VR363.
The TT Mk 2 was a large but clean-looking twin-engined, mid-wing cantilever
Cantilever
A cantilever is a beam anchored at only one end. The beam carries the load to the support where it is resisted by moment and shear stress. Cantilever construction allows for overhanging structures without external bracing. Cantilevers can also be constructed with trusses or slabs.This is in...
monoplane
Monoplane
A monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with one main set of wing surfaces, in contrast to a biplane or triplane. Since the late 1930s it has been the most common form for a fixed wing aircraft.-Types of monoplane:...
design with a distinctive glazed nose in its target tug configuration. The all-metal monocoque
Monocoque
Monocoque is a construction technique that supports structural load by using an object's external skin, as opposed to using an internal frame or truss that is then covered with a non-load-bearing skin or coachwork...
fuselage was built in four sections ending at a cantilever tailplane
Tailplane
A tailplane, also known as horizontal stabilizer , is a small lifting surface located on the tail behind the main lifting surfaces of a fixed-wing aircraft as well as other non-fixed wing aircraft such as helicopters and gyroplanes...
with single fin and rudder. Rudder
Rudder
A rudder is a device used to steer a ship, boat, submarine, hovercraft, aircraft or other conveyance that moves through a medium . On an aircraft the rudder is used primarily to counter adverse yaw and p-factor and is not the primary control used to turn the airplane...
and tailplanes were fabric covered. The wing
Wing
A wing is an appendage with a surface that produces lift for flight or propulsion through the atmosphere, or through another gaseous or liquid fluid...
design featured a swept leading edge
Leading edge
The leading edge is the part of the wing that first contacts the air; alternatively it is the foremost edge of an airfoil section. The first is an aerodynamic definition, the second a structural one....
and taper on outboard sections, and wing folds outboard of the twin Rolls-Royce Merlin
Rolls-Royce Merlin
The Rolls-Royce Merlin is a British liquid-cooled, V-12, piston aero engine, of 27-litre capacity. Rolls-Royce Limited designed and built the engine which was initially known as the PV-12: the PV-12 became known as the Merlin following the company convention of naming its piston aero engines after...
140 engine
Reciprocating engine
A reciprocating engine, also often known as a piston engine, is a heat engine that uses one or more reciprocating pistons to convert pressure into a rotating motion. This article describes the common features of all types...
s driving contra-rotating
Contra-rotating
Contra-rotating, also referred to as coaxial contra-rotating, is a technique whereby parts of a mechanism rotate in opposite directions about a common axis, usually to minimise the effect of torque. Examples include some aircraft propellers, resulting in the maximum power of a single piston or...
propeller
Propeller (aircraft)
Aircraft propellers or airscrews convert rotary motion from piston engines or turboprops to provide propulsive force. They may be fixed or variable pitch. Early aircraft propellers were carved by hand from solid or laminated wood with later propellers being constructed from metal...
s (which allowed shorter blades and the Merlins to be mounted closer to the centreline). The main wheels
Undercarriage
The undercarriage or landing gear in aviation, is the structure that supports an aircraft on the ground and allows it to taxi, takeoff and land...
retracted rearwards into the engine nacelle
Nacelle
The nacelle is a cover housing that holds engines, fuel, or equipment on an aircraft. In some cases—for instance in the typical "Farman" type "pusher" aircraft, or the World War II-era P-38 Lightning—an aircraft's cockpit may also be housed in a nacelle, which essentially fills the...
s while the tail wheel retracted forwards into the fuselage. Radiator
Radiator (engine cooling)
Radiators are used for cooling internal combustion engines, mainly in automobiles but also in piston-engined aircraft, railway locomotives, motorcycles, stationary generating plant or any similar use of such an engine....
s were mounted in the leading edge between the nacelles and the fuselage
Fuselage
The fuselage is an aircraft's main body section that holds crew and passengers or cargo. In single-engine aircraft it will usually contain an engine, although in some amphibious aircraft the single engine is mounted on a pylon attached to the fuselage which in turn is used as a floating hull...
.
The Sturgeon's postwar role began as a naval liaison
Liaison aircraft
A liaison aircraft is a small, usually unarmed aircraft primarily used by military forces for artillery observation or transporting commanders and messages. The concept developed before World War II and included also battlefield reconnaissance, air ambulance, column control, light cargo delivery...
and target tug
Target tug
A target tug is an aircraft which tows an unmanned drone, a fabric drogue or other kind of target, for the purposes of gun or missile target practice. Target tugs are often conversions of transport and utility aircraft, as well as obsolescent combat types...
aircraft with modifications to the nose, lengthened to provide a crew position forward of the propeller arc
Arc (geometry)
In geometry, an arc is a closed segment of a differentiable curve in the two-dimensional plane; for example, a circular arc is a segment of the circumference of a circle...
s and a winch
Winch
A winch is a mechanical device that is used to pull in or let out or otherwise adjust the "tension" of a rope or wire rope . In its simplest form it consists of a spool and attached hand crank. In larger forms, winches stand at the heart of machines as diverse as tow trucks, steam shovels and...
system. The crew
Aircrew
Aircrew are the personnel who operate an aircraft while in flight. The composition of the crew depends on the type of aircraft as well as the purpose of the flight.-Civilian:*Aviator** Pilot-in-command** First officer** Second officer** Third officer...
of two included a pilot in an enclosed cockpit
Cockpit
A cockpit or flight deck is the area, usually near the front of an aircraft, from which a pilot controls the aircraft. Most modern cockpits are enclosed, except on some small aircraft, and cockpits on large airliners are also physically separated from the cabin...
, level with leading edge of wing. The all-purpose "observer" in the nose had to perform the functions of "navigator, wireless operator, target operator and camera operator. He moved between stations in the nose and rear fuselage." Five TT2s were further converted into the less-sophisticated TT3 variant.
The penultimate and last Sturgeons were redone as prototypes for a proposed anti-submarine
Anti-submarine warfare
Anti-submarine warfare is a branch of naval warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, or other submarines to find, track and deter, damage or destroy enemy submarines....
aircraft, powered by two Armstrong Siddeley Mamba AS Ma3 turboprop
Turboprop
A turboprop engine is a type of turbine engine which drives an aircraft propeller using a reduction gear.The gas turbine is designed specifically for this application, with almost all of its output being used to drive the propeller...
s of 1,147 hp (1,100 kW) driving two four-bladed propellers. The engine exhausts were directed downwards instead of to the rear. Another major modification was the grafting on of a gigantic bulbous nose that housed two radar
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
operators in stations forward of the engines and the radar itself below. Acute problems arising from the resultant "schnoz" led to the demise of the project — "the efflux from the Mamba turboprops seriously destabilized the aircraft at some power settings and destroyed the good handling characteristics. It proved impossible to trim for safe flight on one engine which was a necessity for long endurance on anti-submarine patrols."
Two Sturgeon SB 3 prototypes were ordered with the first, WF632 flying on 8 December 1950 at Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
. The design proved extremely difficult to trim when flying on one engine and so unstable that no effort was made to resolve these problems, consequently, the project was cancelled before the second prototype, WF636 flew. Both aircraft had very short lives, being scrapped in 1951.
Operational history
The main production variant, the TT2 naval target tug (TS 475 – TS 498) spent most of its life with No. 728 Squadron at Hal Far, MaltaMalta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
. They also operated with No. 771 Squadron at RNAS Ford in 1950- 1954. Their primary role as a target tug included towing targets for ground-to-air firing practice, photographic marking of ground-to-air firing, target towing for air-to-air practice by night and day, "throw-off," target practice and radar calibration.
All existing Sturgeon TT2s were modified to a (S.B.9) TT3 standard during the early 1950s. The TT3 variant was intended to meet less stringent requirements. The extended TT2 nose with its synchronised photographic equipment and crew station was removed and replaced by a smaller streamlined nose cone. With the change from carrier operations
Flight deck
The flight deck of an aircraft carrier is the surface from which its aircraft take off and land, essentially a miniature airfield at sea. On smaller naval ships which do not have aviation as a primary mission, the landing area for helicopters and other VTOL aircraft is also referred to as the...
to ground bases, all deck-landing equipment was also eliminated as well as the wing being modified to have a manual folding gear in place of the TT2's hydraulic system.
Briefly, a Short Sturgeon TT2 (VR363) piloted by "Jock" Eassie was utilised as a glider
Glider aircraft
Glider aircraft are heavier-than-air craft that are supported in flight by the dynamic reaction of the air against their lifting surfaces, and whose free flight does not depend on an engine. Mostly these types of aircraft are intended for routine operation without engines, though engine failure can...
tow aircraft in the Short SB.1
Short SB.1
|-References:NotesBibliography* Barnes, C.H. with revisions by James, Derek N. Shorts Aircraft since 1900. London: Putnam, 1989 . ISBN 0-85177-819-4....
flight tests. The experimental "tailless
Tailless aircraft
A tailless aircraft traditionally has all its horizontal control surfaces on its main wing surface. It has no horizontal stabilizer - either tailplane or canard foreplane . A 'tailless' type usually still has a vertical stabilising fin and control surface...
" glider, designed by David Keith-Lucas
David Keith-Lucas
David Keith-Lucas CBE was an aeronautical engineer.-Early life:David Keith-Lucas was one of the sons of Keith Lucas, who invented the first aeronautical compass. He was educated at Gresham's School, Holt, and at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, where he read engineering.-Career:He was an...
and Professor Geoffrey T. R. Hill
Geoffrey T. R. Hill
Professor Geoffrey Terence Roland Hill MC, M.Sc, M.I.Mech.E., FRAeS , was a British aeronautical engineer.He was a pilot with No. 29 Squadron RFC and later a test pilot during the First World War as was his brother...
, was built by Shorts as a private research venture and intended to test the concept of the aero-isoclinic wing. The first towed launch of the SB.1 piloted by Shorts' Chief Test Pilot, Tom Brooke-Smith ("Brookie") took off from RAF Aldergrove
RAF Aldergrove
RAF Aldergrove was a Royal Air Force station situated northwest of Belfast. It adjoined Belfast International Airport, sometimes referred to simply as Aldergrove which is the name of the surrounding area...
on 30 July 1951. The SB.1 was towed behind to an altitude
Altitude
Altitude or height is defined based on the context in which it is used . As a general definition, altitude is a distance measurement, usually in the vertical or "up" direction, between a reference datum and a point or object. The reference datum also often varies according to the context...
of 10,000 ft with the flight completed successfully.
On the second flight of the day, the tow rope was extended and Brooke-Smith experienced the problems inherent in flying a light aircraft in the turbulence caused by the towing aircraft. Brooke-Smith had to cast off at low altitude and while attempting to side-slip out of the wake, struck the ground "nose-down" at 90 mph, injuring himself seriously and damaging the aircraft. With the extensive damage to the Short SB.1 necessitating a rebuild, the decision to power the modified glider (redesignated the Short SB.4 Sherpa) meant the end of the use of the Sturgeon tow plane in the program.
Variants
- S Mk 1 gunnery trainers built at Shorts, Rochester
- TT Mk 2 target tugs (further converted to the TT Mk 3 standard)
- SB.3 prototype anti-submarine aircraft built in Belfast. One SB.3 was demonstrated at the 19511951 in aviationThis is a list of aviation-related events from 1951:-Events:* Three aerial refueling points are installed on a modified United States Air Force B-29 Superfortress, making it the worlds first triple-point aerial tanker...
Society of British Aerospace Companies' (SBAC) Farnborough Airshow; the second example was completed but never flown.
Operators
- Royal NavyRoyal NavyThe Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
, Fleet Air ArmFleet Air ArmThe Fleet Air Arm is the branch of the British Royal Navy responsible for the operation of naval aircraft. The Fleet Air Arm currently operates the AgustaWestland Merlin, Westland Sea King and Westland Lynx helicopters...
- 728 Naval Air Squadron
- 771 Naval Air Squadron