Short Rangoon

Infobox Aircraft
name = S.8 Rangoon
type = military flying boat
manufacturer = Short Brothers


caption =
designer =
first flight = 24 September 1930
introduced =
retired =
status =
primary user = Royal Air Force
more users = French Navy (Aeronavale)
IJN Air Service
Imperial Airways
produced =
number built = 16
unit cost =
developed from= Short Calcutta
variants with their own articles =

The Short S.8/8 Rangoon was a 1930s British three-engined biplane flying-boat built by Short Brothers and (under licence) by Breguet in France between 1933 and 1937. It was a military version of the Short S.8 Calcutta, and was ordered as a replacement for the Southampton IIs operated by No. 203 Squadron RAF from Basra, Iraq. Rangoons provided useful service to the Royal Air Force, the French Navy and, (converted for civilian use), Imperial Airways. The last British Rangoon was taken out of service in 1938. [Barnes and James, p.236.]

Design and development

The Rangoon was a straightforward military adaption of the Calcutta. The major changes were the use of an enclosed cockpit for the pilots, the addition of three Lewis guns (one mounted forward of the cockpit and two in the fuselage behind the wings), the provision of enlarged fuel tanks in the upper wing, under-wing armament racks and a large fresh-water tank (specified for the intended use in tropical conditions). [Barnes and James, p.235.]

History

The Rangoon was initially created as a military version of the Short S.8 Calcutta to meet Air Ministry Specification R.18/29 for a flying-boat for the Royal Air Force; this direct development was emphasised by the assignment of the version number S.8/8. The Royal Air Force needed urgent replacements to re-equip No. 203 Squadron RAF, operating out of Basra, and three aircraft were constructed, the first of which was flown on 24 September 1930 by Shorts' Chief Test Pilot, John Lankester Parker. The three "Rangoons" were delivered to Basra in 1931 [ [http://www.rafweb.org/Timeline.htm RAF timeline: Rangoon entered RAF service in April 1931] ] ; over the next three years three more "Rangoons" (built to a higher specification R.19/31) were delivered to No. 203 Squadron RAF in Basra where they served without problem until they were replaced by Short Singapore IIIs in 1935.

In 1934 three Rangoons of No. 203 Squadron visited Australia as part of the Victoria Centenary celebrations. [ [http://www.slv.vic.gov.au/argus/inter/142448.shtml Rangoons in Melbourne 1934] ]

No. 210 Squadron RAF at Pembroke Dock took delivery in 19?? of the Rangoons returning from Basra, and when they left military service in 19?? some were converted for civilian use and flown by Imperial Airways for training purposes until their retirement.

Variants

;Rangoon:Version produced by Shorts, 6 aircraft built.;Naval Calcutta:Version produced by Shorts (1 aircraft) and by Breguet (4 aircraft - Breguet 521-01 Bizerte).;K.F.1:Version built by Short Brothers who built 1 aircraft. Remaining 4 were built as the Kawanishi H3K by Kawanishi, Japan.

Operators

;FRA;JPN
*Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service;UK
*Royal Air Force
**No. 203 Squadron RAF
**No. 210 Squadron RAF

pecifications (Rangoon)

aircraft specifications

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

ref=British Aircraft Directory [ [http://www.britishaircraft.co.uk/aircraftpage.php?ID=329 Rangoon ] ]

crew=5
capacity=
payload main=
payload alt=
length main= 66 ft 9 in
length alt= 20.35 m
span main=93 ft
span alt=28.35 m
span sweep=
height main=23 ft 7 in
height alt= 7.19 m
area main= 1,828 sq ft
area alt= 169.9 m
airfoil=
empty weight main= 14,000 lb
empty weight alt= 6,360 kg
loaded weight main= 24,000 lb
loaded weight alt= 10,900 kg
useful load main=
useful load alt=
max takeoff weight main=
max takeoff weight alt=
more general=

engine (prop)=Bristol Jupiter XIF
type of prop=
number of props=3
power main= 540 hp
power alt=403 kW
power original=

max speed main= 100 knots
max speed alt= 115 mph, 185 km/h
max speed more=
cruise speed main= 83 knots
cruise speed alt= 92 mph Cite book|author=Thetford, Owen|title=Aircraft of the Royal Air Force 1918-57|edition= 1st edition |publisher=Putnam |location= London|year=1957|id= , 148 km/h
stall speed main=
stall speed alt=
never exceed speed main=
never exceed speed alt=
range main= 565 nm
range alt= 650 miles, 1046 km
ceiling main= 12,000 ft
ceiling alt= 5,500 m
climb rate main= 550 ft/min
climb rate alt= 2.8 m/s
loading main=
loading alt=
thrust/weight=
power/mass main=
power/mass alt=
more performance=
*Endurance: 7 hrs at 92 mph
armament=
*Guns: Three 0.303 in Lewis guns
*Bombs: Up to 1,000 lb (455 kg) (bombs
avionics=

ee also

aircontent
related=
*Short Calcutta
*Kawanishi H3K
*Breguet 521-01 Bizerte
similar aircraft=
lists=
* List of seaplanes
see also=

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