Short Nimbus

infobox Aircraft
name = Nimbus
type = 2-seater civilian glider trainer
manufacturer = Short Brothers


caption =
designer = Tom Weekes, Dudley Parkes
first flight = 18 January 1947
introduced = 1947
retired =
status =
primary user = Rochester Gliding Club
more users = Shorts' Gliding Club, Belfast
produced = Rochester
number built = 1
unit cost =
variants with their own articles =

The Short Nimbus was a British two-seat glider trainer designed in 1947 by members of the Short Brothers design office, who had recently formed the Rochester Gliding Club. The company supported this venture by providing drawing-office and workshop facilities free of charge, assigning to the Nimbus one of its constructor's numbers (S.1312). The glider was registered with the British Gliding Association and given the serial number "BGA470". The Nimbus was the last aircraft to be designed, built and flown from the Rochester works. [Barnes and James, p.421]

Design

The Nimbus was a wooden, two-seater, gull-wing, low-wing glider trainer. The two pilots were housed in a tandem cockpit with a perspex hood. The tailplane was attached to the fuselage immediately forward of the single tail fin. The landing gear comprised a single, central, partly-recessed landing-wheel below the rear pilot and a tail-skid below the fin.

History

Although great interest was shown wherever the Nimbus was flown, only one provisional order was received, making it unviable as a commercial proposition. It took part in the SBAC's second air show in 1947 at Radlett [ [http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/1450?view=synopsis# British Film Institute material available] ] and was placed second in the 1947 British Gliding Association's two-seater design category. After many years of service for various gliding clubs, including taking part in many competitions, it was acquired in 1985 as an exhibit by the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum in Cultra, Holywood, nr. Belfast, finally going on display in 1989 after restoration.

References

External 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 = 0-85177-819-4

pecifications

aircraft specifications

plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=neither

ref=Barnes and James, p.420-423

crew=2
capacity=
payload main=
payload alt=
length main= 26 ft 10 in
length alt= 8.2 m
span main= 62 ft
span alt= 18.9 m
height main=
height alt=
area main= 230 ft²
area alt= 19 m²
airfoil= Göttingen 535 / Clark Y
empty weight main= 800 lb
empty weight alt= 363 kg
loaded weight main= 1,200 lb
loaded weight alt= 545 kg
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