Short SC.7 Skyvan
The Short SC7 Skyvan is a twin-engined cargo transport aircraft of the former British aircraft manufacturer Short Brothers.
History
In the late 1950s Short Brothers began developing a new twin-engined shoulder Deckers abgestrebten with wings as short start and landing -capable transport and utility aircraft.
The first flight of the first prototype, the Skyvan SC7 Series 1, took place on January 17, 1963 on the Sydenham Airfield place in Belfast; This machine was equipped with piston engines of the Continental GTSIO -520 with an output of 291 kW ( 396 hp). In the second prototype, designated as Series 1A, was built Turboméca - Astazou II engines with a 388 kW power.
The first production aircraft were designated as Skyvan SC7 Series 2 and provided with the much stronger turboprop engines of type Turboméca - Astazou XII with an output of 544 kW. The first flight of a Series 2 machine took place on 29 October 1965. Starting in 1968, the Skyvan was with an output of 533 kW ( 715 hp) equipped with propeller type turbines Garrett TPE 331-2 - 201A and came as a Series 3 on the market; from September 1970, either as Series 3A with increased allowable take-off weight.
In addition to the civilian versions, variants for military buyers appear, the Skyvan Mk.3M analogous to the Series 3 and the Skyvan Series M -200 analogous to the Series 3A. In the 70 years also the Skyliner was still being built, a version for airlines, which is characterized by comfortable interior and a side door.
From 1963 to 1986 153 copies of this aircraft built and sold to many military and civilian customers worldwide. The most common use was or is the organization of material and supply flights, as this aircraft can also accommodate bulky goods (due to its angular shape like popularly called flying shoe box ) through the large interior space. Due to the cross-section of the cabin and the great height of about two meters can stand well in the interior. Therefore, and also because of the high transport capacity, the Skyvan pleased until today very popular for skydiving Absetzflüge, especially since the large rear door also allows the exit of larger formations.
We are especially famous, not least because of the extremely eye-catching color scheme, the Pink Skyvan which are in operation registered in Austria as panning machines for skydivers all year mainly in Europe.
Military user
- Argentina Argentina Coast Guard: 5 (2 in the Falklands war lost).
- Botswana Botswana
- Ecuador Ecuador
- Gambia Gambia
- Ghana Ghana
- Guyana Guyana
- Indonesia Indonesia
- Japan Japan: Japanese Coast Guard
- Yemen Yemen
- Lesotho Lesotho
- Malawi Malawi
- Mauritania Mauritania
- Mexico Mexico
- Nepal Nepal
- Oman Oman: 16
- Austria Austria: 2 1969-2007
- Panama Panama
- Singapore Singapore ( RSAF )
- Thailand Thailand: Border Police
- United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates
- United Kingdom United Kingdom: British Army