Short S.27
Encyclopedia
The Short S.27 and its derivates, the Short Improved S.27 series, were important early British aircraft used by the Royal Navy
and its first air arm, the Royal Naval Air Service
(RNAS). The S.27 and Improved S.27 were used for training of the Royal Navys first pilots as well as in early naval aviation experiments. An Improved S.27 airplane bearing Admiralty
number 38, widely but incorrectly referred to the Short S.38, became famous for achieving a number of aviation firsts over a period of several months in 1911 and 1912.
number 27 first appeared in 1910, and became known as the "Short S.27." It was a biplane
built to a box kite
design, with a monoplane
tail
and an elevator
mounted on booms forward of the wing
s. It had a single V-eight-cylinder
E.N.V. type F engine
and a single propeller
mounted in a pusher configuration
.
-braced extensions to their upper wings, making their upper wingspan
12 feet 3 inches (3.73 m) wider than that of the S.27. Their powerplant also differed from that of the S.27; each mounted a 50- or 70-horsepower (37- or 52-kilowatt) Gnome
rotary engine
. At least one of them had a nacelle
for the pilot and passenger.
Much confusion exists over the identities and proper designations of these modified S.27s because each of them received multiple, uncoordinated identification numbers under various numbering systems. Each received a Short company number, which sometimes changed in an aircraft that underwent extensive reconstruction; some owned by Frank McClean and employed by the RNAS for pilot training also received a number from McClean himself; some which received one or both of these numbers also received an Admiralty
number in 1911; and some which received various combinations of these numbers also received a number under the standard British numbering system adopted late in 1912. More confusing, aviation observers and writers of the time sometimes used the same "S" designation for two different aircraft which coincidentally shared a number under these differing systems even though the aircraft were of different design. Adding to the problem of the identification of the aircraft has been the loss of some early Short company records. What is clear, however, is that the modified S.27 aircraft all shared the increased upper wingspan and that all were referred to as "Improved Short S.27 series" aircraft, and "Improved Short S.27" appears to be the most consistent and least confusing way refer them even though some have since been referred by numbers such as "S.34" and "S.38."
Further confusion has arisen in later years as Short aircraft of later decades numbered with "S" numbers under the standard British numbering system received "S" numbers identical to those unofficially ascribed to the early Short biplanes, including Improved S.27s.
After the S.27 appeared in 1910, Cecil Grace
(1880-1910) flew it with distinction, notably at the Midland Aero Clubs meeting at Dunstall Park, Wolverhampton
, between 27 June and 2 July 1910. Frank McClean also purchased S.27 and Improved S.27 aircraft for private use.
In early 1911, McClean loaned two of his biplanes to the Royal Navy for use at Eastchurch in training its first four pilots, and the aircraft probably were an S.27 and an Improved S.27. The pilots, Lieutenant
s Charles R. Samson
(1883-1931), R. Gregory, and Arthur M. Longmore
(1885-1970) of the Royal Navy and Lieutenant E. L. Gerrard
of the Royal Marine Light Infantry, reported for flight training at Eastchurch airfield
on 1 March 1911 and earned their wings in six weeks. In October 1911, the Royal Navy purchased the two aircraft and established the Naval Flying School, Eastchurch, at Eastchurch airfield.
Besides training, S.27 and Improved S.27 aircraft also were used in various early naval aviation experiments. The most famous S.27 was one of the two belonging to the Naval Flying School, Eastchurch, an Improved S.27 assigned the Admiralty number 38. This aircraft is often referred to as the “Short S.38”, not its official designation and confusingly the name used for a later aircraft design. Improved S.27 No. 38 achieved a number of aviation firsts over a period of a few months in 1911 and 1912.
In 1911, Lieutenant Longmore worked with Oswald Short of Short Brothers to install streamlined air bags on the undercarriage
struts and under the tail of Improved S.27 No. 38 to provide flotation for a water landing. On 1 December 1911, Longmore used No. 38 to become the first person in the United Kingdom
to take off from land and make a successful water landing when he landed in the River Medway
off Sheerness
, after which No. 38 was brought ashore and flown back to Eastchurch. A flying-off platform was constructed over the foredeck and forward 12-inch (305-mm) gun turret of the battleship
HMS Africa
, and on 10 January 1912 while Africa was anchored off Sheerness, Samson, piloting No. 38, used the platform to make the United Kingdoms first successful aeroplane take-off from a ship. The platform was transferred to the battleship HMS Hibernia
, and Samson flew No. 38 off it while Hibernia was making 10½ knots (19 km/h) in Weymouth Bay
at the Royal Fleet Review, during which King George V
witnessed a number of flights at Portland over a period of four days in early May 1912. Sources differ on whether the date of the flight was 2 May, 4 May, or 9 May 1912, but regardless it was the worlds first launch of an aeroplane from a moving ship. After the ramp was again transferred, this time to the battleship HMS London
, Samson repeated the feat, flying No. 38 off of London while she was underway on 4 July 1912. After the standard British numbering system was adopted later in 1912, No. 38 received the designation "RNAS No. 2."
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
and its first air arm, the Royal Naval Air Service
Royal Naval Air Service
The Royal Naval Air Service or RNAS was the air arm of the Royal Navy until near the end of the First World War, when it merged with the British Army's Royal Flying Corps to form a new service , the Royal Air Force...
(RNAS). The S.27 and Improved S.27 were used for training of the Royal Navys first pilots as well as in early naval aviation experiments. An Improved S.27 airplane bearing Admiralty
Admiralty
The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
number 38, widely but incorrectly referred to the Short S.38, became famous for achieving a number of aviation firsts over a period of several months in 1911 and 1912.
S.27
The aeroplane bearing the Short BrothersShort Brothers
Short Brothers plc is a British aerospace company, usually referred to simply as Shorts, that is now based in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Founded in 1908, Shorts was the first company in the world to make production aircraft and was a manufacturer of flying boats during the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s...
number 27 first appeared in 1910, and became known as the "Short S.27." It was a biplane
Biplane
A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two superimposed main wings. The Wright brothers' Wright Flyer used a biplane design, as did most aircraft in the early years of aviation. While a biplane wing structure has a structural advantage, it produces more drag than a similar monoplane wing...
built to a box kite
Box kite
A box kite is a high-performance kite, noted for developing relatively high lift; it is a type within the family of cellular kites. The typical design has four parallel struts. The box is made rigid with diagonal crossed struts. There are two sails, or ribbons, whose width is about a quarter of the...
design, with a monoplane
Monoplane
A monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with one main set of wing surfaces, in contrast to a biplane or triplane. Since the late 1930s it has been the most common form for a fixed wing aircraft.-Types of monoplane:...
tail
Empennage
The empennage , also known as the tail or tail assembly, of most aircraft gives stability to the aircraft, in a similar way to the feathers on an arrow...
and an elevator
Elevator (aircraft)
Elevators are flight control surfaces, usually at the rear of an aircraft, which control the aircraft's orientation by changing the pitch of the aircraft, and so also the angle of attack of the wing. In simplified terms, they make the aircraft nose-up or nose-down...
mounted on booms forward of the wing
Wing
A wing is an appendage with a surface that produces lift for flight or propulsion through the atmosphere, or through another gaseous or liquid fluid...
s. It had a single V-eight-cylinder
Cylinder (engine)
A cylinder is the central working part of a reciprocating engine or pump, the space in which a piston travels. Multiple cylinders are commonly arranged side by side in a bank, or engine block, which is typically cast from aluminum or cast iron before receiving precision machine work...
E.N.V. type F engine
Aircraft engine
An aircraft engine is the component of the propulsion system for an aircraft that generates mechanical power. Aircraft engines are almost always either lightweight piston engines or gas turbines...
and a single propeller
Propeller (aircraft)
Aircraft propellers or airscrews convert rotary motion from piston engines or turboprops to provide propulsive force. They may be fixed or variable pitch. Early aircraft propellers were carved by hand from solid or laminated wood with later propellers being constructed from metal...
mounted in a pusher configuration
Pusher configuration
In a craft with a pusher configuration the propeller are mounted behind their respective engine. According to Bill Gunston, a "pusher propeller" is one mounted behind engine so that drive shaft is in compression...
.
Improved S.27 series
The S.27s design served as the basis of various Short aircraft which followed. They differed from the S.27 in having strutStrut
A strut is a structural component designed to resist longitudinal compression. Struts provide outwards-facing support in their lengthwise direction, which can be used to keep two other components separate, performing the opposite function of a tie...
-braced extensions to their upper wings, making their upper wingspan
Wingspan
The wingspan of an airplane or a bird, is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777 has a wingspan of about ; and a Wandering Albatross caught in 1965 had a wingspan of , the official record for a living bird.The term wingspan, more technically extent, is...
12 feet 3 inches (3.73 m) wider than that of the S.27. Their powerplant also differed from that of the S.27; each mounted a 50- or 70-horsepower (37- or 52-kilowatt) Gnome
Gnome et Rhône
Gnome et Rhône was a major French aircraft engine manufacturer. Between 1914 and 1918 they produced 25,000 of their 9-cylinder Delta and Le Rhône 110 hp rotary designs, while another 75,000 were produced by various licensees, powering the majority of aircraft in the first half of the war on...
rotary engine
Rotary engine
The rotary engine was an early type of internal-combustion engine, usually designed with an odd number of cylinders per row in a radial configuration, in which the crankshaft remained stationary and the entire cylinder block rotated around it...
. At least one of them had a nacelle
Nacelle
The nacelle is a cover housing that holds engines, fuel, or equipment on an aircraft. In some cases—for instance in the typical "Farman" type "pusher" aircraft, or the World War II-era P-38 Lightning—an aircraft's cockpit may also be housed in a nacelle, which essentially fills the...
for the pilot and passenger.
Much confusion exists over the identities and proper designations of these modified S.27s because each of them received multiple, uncoordinated identification numbers under various numbering systems. Each received a Short company number, which sometimes changed in an aircraft that underwent extensive reconstruction; some owned by Frank McClean and employed by the RNAS for pilot training also received a number from McClean himself; some which received one or both of these numbers also received an Admiralty
Admiralty
The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
number in 1911; and some which received various combinations of these numbers also received a number under the standard British numbering system adopted late in 1912. More confusing, aviation observers and writers of the time sometimes used the same "S" designation for two different aircraft which coincidentally shared a number under these differing systems even though the aircraft were of different design. Adding to the problem of the identification of the aircraft has been the loss of some early Short company records. What is clear, however, is that the modified S.27 aircraft all shared the increased upper wingspan and that all were referred to as "Improved Short S.27 series" aircraft, and "Improved Short S.27" appears to be the most consistent and least confusing way refer them even though some have since been referred by numbers such as "S.34" and "S.38."
Further confusion has arisen in later years as Short aircraft of later decades numbered with "S" numbers under the standard British numbering system received "S" numbers identical to those unofficially ascribed to the early Short biplanes, including Improved S.27s.
Operational history
Cecil Grace
-External links:*...
(1880-1910) flew it with distinction, notably at the Midland Aero Clubs meeting at Dunstall Park, Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region...
, between 27 June and 2 July 1910. Frank McClean also purchased S.27 and Improved S.27 aircraft for private use.
In early 1911, McClean loaned two of his biplanes to the Royal Navy for use at Eastchurch in training its first four pilots, and the aircraft probably were an S.27 and an Improved S.27. The pilots, Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
s Charles R. Samson
Charles Rumney Samson
Air Commodore Charles Rumney Samson CMG, DSO & Bar, AFC was a British naval aviation pioneer. He also operated the first British armoured vehicles in combat...
(1883-1931), R. Gregory, and Arthur M. Longmore
Arthur Longmore
Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Murray Longmore GCB, DSO was an early naval aviator, before reaching high rank in the Royal Air Force.-Biography:...
(1885-1970) of the Royal Navy and Lieutenant E. L. Gerrard
Eugene Gerrard
Air Commodore Eugene Louis Gerrard CMG, DSO, RAF was an officer in the Royal Marines and Royal Air Force....
of the Royal Marine Light Infantry, reported for flight training at Eastchurch airfield
RAF Eastchurch
RAF Eastchurch was a Royal Air Force station near Eastchurch village in the English County of Kent. The history of aviation at Eastchurch stretches back to the first decade of the 20th century when it was used as an airfield by members of the Royal Aero Club...
on 1 March 1911 and earned their wings in six weeks. In October 1911, the Royal Navy purchased the two aircraft and established the Naval Flying School, Eastchurch, at Eastchurch airfield.
Besides training, S.27 and Improved S.27 aircraft also were used in various early naval aviation experiments. The most famous S.27 was one of the two belonging to the Naval Flying School, Eastchurch, an Improved S.27 assigned the Admiralty number 38. This aircraft is often referred to as the “Short S.38”, not its official designation and confusingly the name used for a later aircraft design. Improved S.27 No. 38 achieved a number of aviation firsts over a period of a few months in 1911 and 1912.
In 1911, Lieutenant Longmore worked with Oswald Short of Short Brothers to install streamlined air bags on the undercarriage
Undercarriage
The undercarriage or landing gear in aviation, is the structure that supports an aircraft on the ground and allows it to taxi, takeoff and land...
struts and under the tail of Improved S.27 No. 38 to provide flotation for a water landing. On 1 December 1911, Longmore used No. 38 to become the first person in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
to take off from land and make a successful water landing when he landed in the River Medway
River Medway
The River Medway, which is almost entirely in Kent, England, flows for from just inside the West Sussex border to the point where it enters the Thames Estuary....
off Sheerness
Sheerness
Sheerness is a town located beside the mouth of the River Medway on the northwest corner of the Isle of Sheppey in north Kent, England. With a population of 12,000 it is the largest town on the island....
, after which No. 38 was brought ashore and flown back to Eastchurch. A flying-off platform was constructed over the foredeck and forward 12-inch (305-mm) gun turret of the battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
HMS Africa
HMS Africa (1905)
HMS Africa was a pre-dreadnought battleship of the Royal Navy. She was the penultimate ship of the King Edward VII class. Like all ships of the class , she was named after an important part of the British Empire, namely Africa....
, and on 10 January 1912 while Africa was anchored off Sheerness, Samson, piloting No. 38, used the platform to make the United Kingdoms first successful aeroplane take-off from a ship. The platform was transferred to the battleship HMS Hibernia
HMS Hibernia (1905)
HMS Hibernia was a King Edward VII-class predreadnought battleship of Britain's Royal Navy. Like all ships of the class she was named after an important part of the British Empire, namely Ireland....
, and Samson flew No. 38 off it while Hibernia was making 10½ knots (19 km/h) in Weymouth Bay
Weymouth Bay
Weymouth Bay is a sheltered bay on the south coast of England, in Dorset. It is protected from erosion by Chesil Beach and the Isle of Portland, and includes several beaches, notably Weymouth Beach, a gently curving arc of golden sand which stretches from the resort of Weymouth, along to the...
at the Royal Fleet Review, during which King George V
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
witnessed a number of flights at Portland over a period of four days in early May 1912. Sources differ on whether the date of the flight was 2 May, 4 May, or 9 May 1912, but regardless it was the worlds first launch of an aeroplane from a moving ship. After the ramp was again transferred, this time to the battleship HMS London
HMS London (1899)
HMS London was a Formidable class battleship in the British Royal Navy, often considered to be part of the London class or subclass.-Technical Description:...
, Samson repeated the feat, flying No. 38 off of London while she was underway on 4 July 1912. After the standard British numbering system was adopted later in 1912, No. 38 received the designation "RNAS No. 2."