Short Solent

The Short Solent was a flying boat which was built in the late 1940s by the British aircraft manufacturer Short Brothers for passenger traffic.

History

The Short Solent flying boat based on the older Type Short Seaford, which was in turn derived from the originally used by the military flying boat Short Sunderland.

The Short Solent had its maiden flight in 1946 and was manufactured until 1949. Were put into service, the flying boats of British Overseas Airways Corporation ( BOAC ) and Tasman Empire Airways Limited ( TEAL). Used flying boats were later also used by smaller airlines, such as British Airways Aquila. In regular service the machines to 1958 were.

Equipment

The Short Solent is a high -wing monoplane of aluminum construction and is powered by four double star motors of the type Bristol Hercules.

The flying boats used by BOAC were equipped for night flights with 24 passengers and could carry 36 passengers at Tagflügen. For travelers, a total of six cabins available, two on the upper deck and four on the lower deck. On the upper deck there were also a dining room and kitchen on the lower deck, changing rooms, toilets and three baggage compartments. The crew consisted of seven people: two pilots, a navigator, a radio operator, flight engineer and two stewards.

The short set of TEAL Solent could carry 45 passengers. In all trim levels, the flying boats offered travelers more space and luxury than usual today.

Operation

BOAC used the machine on a 1948-1950 three times a week offered connection between Southampton and Johannesburg, along the Nile and the Great Lakes of East Africa. The flight time was four days, and was stayed on the ground.

Tasman Empire Airways Limited (TEAL ) used five Solent flying boats between 1949 and 1960 in regular service between Sydney, Fiji, Tahiti and Auckland. On board was cooked and served the food on porcelain. The prices for the tickets but were also correspondingly high. In these Solent stewardesses were first used in the New Zealand aviation history. Target group for the flights were rich tourists.

Some Solent were put into service by Aquila Airways on routes between Southampton, Madeira and the Canary Islands. The flying boats used were purchased by BOAC and TEAL. On November 15, 1957 Short Solent Aquila Airways crashed at Chessell on the Isle of Wight after failure of two engines from. Of 58 people on board survived only 13

Museum -preserved specimens

  • The Short Solent ZK- AMO Aranui of TEAL is now preserved and on display at the Museum of Transport and Technology in Auckland. The flying boat wrong initially between Auckland and Sydney, after which it was used until 1960 on the Coral Route and flew from Auckland Fiji, Samoa, the Cook Islands, Tonga and Tahiti. After restoration, the flying boat since 2013 to visit again.
  • A copy of the BOAC, which initially belonged to Howard Hughes, is now preserved in Oakland Aviation Museum in Oakland. This flying boat has a brief appearance in the film Raiders of the Lost Ark, where it had to step in for a Martin China Clipper.

Specifications

  • Wingspan: 34,50 m
  • Length: 27,40 m
  • Engines: 4 x 2,040 hp Bristol Hercules 73
  • Cruising speed: 404 km / h
  • Flight altitude: 5,212 m ( 17,100 ft)
  • Maximum Range: 4828 km
  • Crew: 7-8 men
  • 24-45 travelers
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