Short Brothers Aircraft — Military & Civilian Fleet

Short Brothers: Britain's Oldest Aircraft Manufacturer

Short Brothers holds the distinction of being the world's first company to manufacture aircraft in series production. Founded in 1897 by Eustace, Horace, and Oswald Short, the firm began by building balloons before pivoting to heavier-than-air machines in the earliest days of powered flight. From the biplanes of the Wright era to flying boats, maritime patrol bombers, and post-war airliners, Short Brothers shaped the course of British aviation across more than a century.

Early Aircraft & WWI Era

  • Short No. 1 (Biplane) — One of the first aircraft built by Short Brothers, constructed for the Wright brothers' associates in Britain.
  • Short S.27 — An early pusher biplane; among the first aircraft to operate from a ship.
  • Short S.38 — Tractor biplane used for early naval aviation experiments.
  • Short Folder — The world's first aircraft with folding wings, designed for shipboard stowage; a landmark in naval aviation.
  • Short Type 74 — Early seaplane torpedo carrier; a pioneering design in naval strike aviation.
  • Short Type 184 — Two-seat seaplane; the first aircraft to sink a ship with a torpedo in combat, during the Dardanelles campaign of 1915.
  • Short Type 166 — Torpedo-carrying seaplane development of the WWI period.
  • Short Bomber — Twin-engine biplane bomber; one of the earliest purpose-built strategic bombers operated by the RNAS.
  • Short 320 — Development of the Type 184; a larger seaplane torpedo bomber.

Interwar Flying Boats & Military Types

  • Short Cromarty — Large biplane flying boat of the early 1920s.
  • Short Cockle — Small experimental flying boat of the mid-1920s.
  • Short Singapore — Long-range biplane flying boat; served with the RAF on maritime patrol duties through the 1930s.
  • Short Rangoon — Military flying boat development; operated by the RAF in the Middle East.
  • Short Calcutta — Three-engine biplane flying boat; operated by Imperial Airways on Mediterranean routes.
  • Short Sarafand — Very large six-engine biplane flying boat; a one-off experimental type for the RAF.
  • Short R.24/31 — Experimental monoplane flying boat; a significant step toward the monoplane era for Short Brothers.
  • Short Knuckleduster — Experimental monoplane flying boat; a transitional design leading to the Empire class.
  • Short Scion — Small twin-engine monoplane airliner/feeder liner of the mid-1930s.
  • Short Scion Senior — Enlarged four-engine development of the Scion.

WWII Military Aircraft

  • Short Empire (S.23) — Four-engine monoplane flying boat; operated by Imperial Airways on the Empire routes; the foundation of Short's monoplane flying boat lineage.
  • Short S.30 — Development of the Empire class with increased range; used for the transatlantic mail service.
  • Short S.33 — Further development of the Empire flying boat series.
  • Short Sunderland — Four-engine maritime patrol flying boat; one of the most capable and long-serving Allied maritime patrol aircraft of WWII; nicknamed "The Flying Porcupine" by the Luftwaffe for its defensive armament.
  • Short Stirling — Four-engine heavy bomber; the first four-engine monoplane bomber to enter RAF service in WWII; used for strategic bombing, glider towing, and special operations.
  • Short Seaford — Development of the Sunderland with improved performance; entered service too late for WWII.
  • Short Shetland — Very large six-engine flying boat; designed as a long-range maritime patrol aircraft; only two built.

Post-War & Civilian Aircraft

  • Short Solent — Four-engine monoplane flying boat; developed from the Seaford; operated by BOAC on post-war Empire routes and by Tasman Empire Airways.
  • Short Sturgeon — Twin-engine carrier-based aircraft; originally designed as a torpedo bomber, completed as a target tug and anti-submarine type.
  • Short Sperrin — Twin-jet research aircraft; built as a backup to the V-bomber programme.
  • Short S.A.4 Sperrin — Jet-powered research and development aircraft supporting the V-bomber programme.
  • Short SC.1 — Experimental VTOL research aircraft; the first British fixed-wing aircraft to achieve vertical take-off and landing using jet lift.
  • Short Belfast — Four-turboprop strategic freighter; operated by the RAF as a heavy-lift transport; capable of carrying outsized military cargo.
  • Short Skyvan — Twin-turboprop utility transport; distinctive square-section fuselage; widely exported for civil and military use.
  • Short 330 — Twin-turboprop regional airliner; a stretched development of the Skyvan; operated by commuter airlines worldwide.
  • Short 360 — Enlarged development of the Short 330; a 36-seat regional turboprop airliner.
  • Short C-23 Sherpa — Military freighter variant of the Short 330; operated by the US Army.

The Online Aviation Library holds primary-source technical documentation for selected Short Brothers aircraft types. Explore the collection for original factory manuals, maintenance publications, and engineering references.