Short S.26

infobox Aircraft
name = G-Class
type = Transport Flying Boat
manufacturer = Short Brothers


caption =
designer =
first flight = 21 July 1939
introduced =
retired =
status =
primary user = Royal Air Force
more users = Imperial Airways/BOAC
produced =
number built = 3
unit cost =
developed from = Short Empire
variants with their own articles =

The Short S.26 G-class was a large transport flying-boat with non-stop transatlantic capability intended for commercial service. Three aircraft were ordered by Imperial Airways, with the help of an Air Ministry subsidy in view of their potential for military use. With the onset of World War II, all three were pressed into military service; only one aircraft was in operation when hostilities ended, remaining in service until 1947.

Design and development

The S.26 was designed as an enlarged Short C-Class Empire flying boat, also incorporating features from the Short Sunderland. Powered by four 1,400 hp Bristol Hercules sleeve valve radial engines, the Short S.26s (or "Golden Boats") were designed with the capability of crossing the Atlantic without refuelling, and were intended to form the backbone of Imperial Airways' Empire services.

The first aircraft, (G-AFCI "Golden Hind"), was first flown by Shorts' chief test pilot, John Lankester Parker, on July 21, 1939; the second (G-AFCJ "Golden Fleece") and third (G-AFCK "Golden Horn") aircraft were flown on February 24 and July 8, 1940 respectively. [Barnes and James, pp.334-341] Although two aircraft were handed over to Imperial Airways for crew training, all three were pressed (along with their crews) into the RAF in 1939 before starting civilian operation. They were modified by Shorts to S.26/M military configuration before delivery to the RAF as X8275, X8274 and X8273 respectively. Armament comprised eight 500 lb (227 kg) bombs under the wings, two dorsal and one tail Boulton Paul BPA Mk II four-gun turrets and internal stowage for 20 reconnaissance flares, 28 flame floats and 8 smoke floats. Air to surface vessel (ASV) radar was fitted, as was armour plating for the internal fuel tanks and the crew stations. [Barnes and James] . After modification at Rochester, and before they entered service, an Airborne Surveillance Radar was fitted by Blackburn Aircraft Limited at Dumbarton in Scotland.

Operation

The G-Boats served with No. 119 Squadron RAF from early 1941 and with No. 10 Squadron RAAF, flying stores to Gibraltar and the Middle East, during which X8274 ("Golden Fleece" ) was lost off Cape Finisterre on 20 June, 1941 when it broke up following a heavy forced-landing due to the simultaneous failure of two engines. "Golden Horn" and "Golden Hind" were returned in December 1941 to BOAC (created in November 1939 by the merger of Imperial Airways and British Airways Ltd.) and fitted out for 40 passengers in 'austerity' seating and operated between the UK and Nigeria. "Golden Horn" was lost at Lisbon on January 9, 1943 when an engine seized and caught fire on a test flight following an engine overhaul; "Golden Hind" was employed on other routes in UK and West Africa until the end of the war and remained in service with BOAC until 1947; she was eventually scrapped in 1954 without ever having been employed again.

Operators

;AUS
* Royal Australian Air Force
** No. 10 Squadron RAAF;UK
* British Overseas Airways Corporation
* Royal Air Force
**No. 119 Squadron RAF

pecification

aircraft specifications

plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=prop

ref=British Aircraft Directory [cite web|url=http://www.britishaircraft.co.uk/aircraftpage.php?ID=381|title=Short Golden Hind]

crew=7
capacity=28
payload main=
payload alt=
length main= 101 ft 4 in
length alt= 30.9 m
span main= 134 ft 4 in
span alt= 40.9 m
height main=
height alt=
area main= 2,160 ft²
area alt= 201 m²
airfoil=
empty weight main= 37,705 lb
empty weight alt= 17,100 kg
loaded weight main=
loaded weight alt=
useful load main=
useful load alt=
max takeoff weight main= 74,500 lb
max takeoff weight alt= 33,800 kg
more general=

engine (prop)= Bristol Hercules IV
type of prop= sleeve valve
number of props= 4
power main= 1,400 hp
power alt=
power original=

max speed main= 209 mph
max speed alt= 336 km/h
cruise speed main=
cruise speed alt=
stall speed main=
stall speed alt=
never exceed speed main=
never exceed speed alt=
range main= 3,300 miles
range alt= 5,120 km
ceiling main=
ceiling alt=
climb rate main=
climb rate alt=
loading main=
loading alt=
thrust/weight=
power/mass main=
power/mass alt=
more performance=

guns=8 x 500 lb (227 kg) bombs under the wings
two dorsal and one tail Boulton Paul BPA Mk. II four-gun turrets
bombs=20 reconnaissance flares
28 flame floats
8 smoke floats

avionics=

References

* cite book
last = Barnes C.H. & James D.N
first =
authorlink =
coauthors =
title =Shorts Aircraft since 1900
publisher =Putnam
date =
location =London (1989)
pages =560
url =
doi =
id = ISBN 0-85177-819-4

External links

* [http://www.jaapteeuwen.com/ww2aircraft/html%20pages/SHORT%20S26%20G-CLASS.htm British Aircraft of WWII]
*

ee also

aircontent
related=
* Short Empire

similar aircraft=

lists=

see also=