Short Scion
Encyclopedia
The Short S.16 Scion and Scion II were 1930s British
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...
two-engine, cantilever monoplanes built by Short Brothers
Short 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...
and (under licence) by Pobjoy Airmotors and Aircraft Ltd.
Pobjoy Airmotors
Pobjoy Airmotors and Aircraft was a British manufacturer of small aircraft engines. The company was purchased by Short Brothers shortly before the start of World War II, production continuing until the end of the war.-History:...
in Rochester, Kent between 1933 and 1937. Altogether 22 Scion/Scion II aircraft were built and they provided useful service to operators working from small airstrips/water courses in many parts of the globe, including Europe, the Near and Middle East, Sierra Leone, Papua New Guinea and Australia. Many were impressed into the RAF during the Second World War, providing pilot ferry services, anti-aircraft co-operation and radar calibration duties. Of the civilian Scions, at least two were still operating in Australia in 1966, one having been re-engined with de Havilland Gipsy Minor engines.
Design
The Scion and the later Scion II version were high wing cantilever monoplanes with fabric-covered metal wings and fuselage, the latter providing an enclosed cabin for the pilot and 5-6 passengers. The tail unit comprised a cantilever tailplane with a single fin and rudder. The prototype aircraft was powered by two 80 hb Pobjoy RPobjoy R
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Guttery, T.E. The Shuttleworth Collection. London: Wm. Carling & Co, 1969. SBN 901319-01-5* Lumsden, Alec. British Piston Engines and their Aircraft. Marlborough, Wiltshire: Airlife Publishing, 2003. ISBN 1-85310-294-6....
radial engines; the production aircraft however were fitted with the 90 hp Pobjoy Niagara
Pobjoy Niagara
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Gunston, Bill. World Encyclopedia of Aero Engines. Cambridge, England. Patrick Stephens Limited, 1989. ISBN 1-85260-163-9...
III radial engines. The engines in the Scion were mounted below the wing spar; in the Scion II they were raised so that the leading edge axis ran through the centre of thrust of the engines. Both the Scion and the Scion II were produced as either landplanes or floatplanes, the majority as landplanes (see the table below). On the landplanes the landing gear comprised a single wheel on each side of the fuselage, mounted on a vertical coil-spring and oleo leg inboard of the engine; there was a small castoring tailwheel mounted below the rear end of the fuselage.
History
Test pilot
A test pilot is an aviator who flies new and modified aircraft in specific maneuvers, known as flight test techniques or FTTs, allowing the results to be measured and the design to be evaluated....
John Lankester Parker
John Lankester Parker
John Lankester Parker OBE FRAeS Hon. MSLAE was Chief Test Pilot for Short Brothers from 1918 until his retirement in 1945. He joined Shorts in 1916 as a part-time test pilot and assistant to then Chief Test Pilot Ronald Kemp, having been recommended for the post by Captain, later Admiral Sir,...
. The first production aircraft (G-ACUV) was flown at the SBAC's airshow at Hendon in 1934. In 1935 the fifth production model was built as the revised model Scion II; the major improvement was the repositioning of the two engines as noted above; other changes included the provision of 6 passenger seats as standard (on the original Scion there was a folding seat for a sixth passenger if needed), an improved windscreen and better cabin windows. During the production of the Scions the company had opened a new factory at Rochester Airport and all Scion IIs were manufactured there, initially by Shorts, later by Pobjoy, first under licence and later under Shorts' ownership.
G-ADDR, the fifth Scion II, was retained by Shorts as an experimental testbed aircraft, and it was on this aircraft (temporarily designated M.3) that a scale wooden model of the slender wings (with Gouge flap
Gouge flap
The Gouge flap, invented by Arthur Gouge of Short Brothers in 1936, allowed the pilot to increase both the wing area and the chord of an aircraft's wing. This provided the benefit of a shorter take-off distance for a given load, a shorter distance to achieve a given height and a lower take-off speed...
s) for the later Empire boats was tested, the first flight in this configuration being conducted by Lankester Parker on 6 August 1935. With these flaps fitted it was tested at the Royal Aircraft Establishment
Royal Aircraft Establishment
The Royal Aircraft Establishment , was a British research establishment, known by several different names during its history, that eventually came under the aegis of the UK Ministry of Defence , before finally losing its identity in mergers with other institutions.The first site was at Farnborough...
, which found that the Gouge flap decreased distance to take-off and stalling speed, among other improvements. Further work with standard wings was carried out; one flight from Rochester Airport, with experimental full-span flaps incorporating retractable spoilers instead of ailerons, was made on 22 July 1936; this idea proved unworkable, Lankester Parker having to draw on his considerable experience to coax the aircraft around on a single circuit before landing safely. The standard wing was refitted and the aircraft continued with Shorts in this configuration until it was impressed into military service in 1940, an operational usage experienced by 14 of the 22 Scion/Scion II aircraft.
G-AEZF, built by Pobjoy and first flown in December 1937, was originally operated as a floatplane by Elders Colonial Airways
Elders Colonial Airways
Elders Colonial Airways was an airline based in Lagos, Nigeria, and was an associate of Imperial Airways. The airline operated from 1935-1940.-Background:...
in Sierra Leone, between Bathurst-Freetown, and was returned to Shorts in 1939 and converted into a landplane in 1941. After operating for the company for another six years it was eventually sold on to Air Couriers Ltd. in 1947, after which it changed hands between private owners several times before finally ending up at Southend airport, where it was allowed to become derelict. Its frame was rescued and is in private storage in southern England.
G-ACUX, one of the 'Australian' Scions still flying in the 1960s, was later returned to the United Kingdom and exists as an exhibit at the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum
Ulster Folk and Transport Museum
The Ulster Folk and Transport Museum is situated in Cultra, Northern Ireland, about east of the city of Belfast. It comprises two separate museums, the Folk Museum and the Transport Museum...
, Cultra
Cultra
Cultra is a residential suburban area adjacent to Holywood, County Down, Northern Ireland, part of Greater Belfast. It is also the name of an electoral ward of North Down Borough Council. It is comfortably one of Northern Ireland's most affluent areas...
, Holywood, Northern Ireland, where an unconfirmed source claims that its condition has been allowed to deteriorate. It was not on public display in early 2009.
A larger 9-passenger version of Scion was produced designated the Short S.22 Scion Senior
Short Scion Senior
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Barnes, C.H. with revisions by Derek N. James. Shorts Aircraft since 1900. London: Putnam, 1989 . ISBN 0-85177-819-4....
.
Variants
- S-16 Scion : Company designation.
- Scion : Light transport aircraft, powered by two 63-kW (85-hp) Projoy Niagara I or II piston engines. Five built, one prototype and four production machines.
- Scion II : Light transport aircraft, powered by two 67-kW (85-hp) Projoy Niagara III piston engines.
- M.3: Scion II fitted with scaled-down Empire flying-boat wings with Gouge flaps
Overview of Scion / Scion II production
| Aircraft | Landplane | Seaplane | First flight | Type | Manufacturer | Built | RAF from... | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | G-ACJI | x | - | 18. August 1933 1933 in aviation This is a list of aviation-related events from 1933:- Events :* The United States Coast Guard requests authorization to construct its first cutters with a capability of carrying aircraft.* Tokyo conducts it first blackout exercise.... |
Scion (prototype) | Shorts | Seaplane Works | 1940 |
| 2 | G-ACUV | x | - | 18. August 1933 1933 in aviation This is a list of aviation-related events from 1933:- Events :* The United States Coast Guard requests authorization to construct its first cutters with a capability of carrying aircraft.* Tokyo conducts it first blackout exercise.... |
Scion | Shorts | Seaplane Works | - |
| 3 | G-ACUW | x | - | 18. August 1933 1933 in aviation This is a list of aviation-related events from 1933:- Events :* The United States Coast Guard requests authorization to construct its first cutters with a capability of carrying aircraft.* Tokyo conducts it first blackout exercise.... |
Scion | Shorts | Seaplane Works | 1940 |
| 4 | G-ACUX | - | x | 18. August 1933 1933 in aviation This is a list of aviation-related events from 1933:- Events :* The United States Coast Guard requests authorization to construct its first cutters with a capability of carrying aircraft.* Tokyo conducts it first blackout exercise.... |
Scion | Shorts | Seaplane Works | - |
| 5 | G-ACUY | x | - | 10. December 1934 1934 in aviation This is a list of aviation-related events from 1934:-Events:* Sir Alan Cobhams Flight Refuelling Ltd. develops the looped-hose aerial refueling system, a weighted cable let out of a tanker aircraft and grabbed by a grapnel fired from the receiving aircraft... |
Scion | Shorts | Seaplane Works | 1940 |
| 6 | G-ACUZ | x | - | 13. February 1935 1935 in aviation This is a list of aviation-related events from 1935:- Events :* Employing aerial refueling, a sustained flight record of 653 hours 33 minutes is set... |
Scion II | Shorts | Rochester Airport | - |
| 7 | G-ADDN | x | - | 9. June 1935 1935 in aviation This is a list of aviation-related events from 1935:- Events :* Employing aerial refueling, a sustained flight record of 653 hours 33 minutes is set... |
Scion II | Shorts | Rochester Airport | 1940 |
| 8 | G-ADDO | x | - | 10. July 1935 1935 in aviation This is a list of aviation-related events from 1935:- Events :* Employing aerial refueling, a sustained flight record of 653 hours 33 minutes is set... |
Scion II | Shorts | Rochester Airport | 1940 |
| 9 | G-ADDP | x | - | 10. July 1935 1935 in aviation This is a list of aviation-related events from 1935:- Events :* Employing aerial refueling, a sustained flight record of 653 hours 33 minutes is set... |
Scion II | Shorts | Rochester Airport | 1940 |
| 10 | G-ADDR | x | - | 6. August 1935 1935 in aviation This is a list of aviation-related events from 1935:- Events :* Employing aerial refueling, a sustained flight record of 653 hours 33 minutes is set... |
Scion II | Shorts (experimental) | Rochester Airport | 1940 |
| 11 | VH-UUT | x | - | 23. August 1935 1935 in aviation This is a list of aviation-related events from 1935:- Events :* Employing aerial refueling, a sustained flight record of 653 hours 33 minutes is set... |
Scion II | Shorts | Rochester Airport | - |
| 12 | G-ADDT | x | - | - | Scion II | Shorts | Rochester Airport | - |
| 13 | VH-UVQ | x | - | - | Scion II | Shorts | Rochester Airport | - |
| 14 | G-ADDV | x | - | - | Scion II | Shorts | Rochester Airport | 1940 |
| 15 | VH-UTV | x | - | - | Scion II | Shorts | Rochester Airport | - |
| 16 | G-ADDX | x | - | - | Scion II | Shorts | Rochester Airport | 1940 |
| 17 | VQ-PAA | x | - | - | Scion II | Pobjoy | Rochester Airport | 1941 |
| 18 | VQ-PAB | x | - | - | Scion II | Pobjoy | Rochester Airport | 1941 |
| 19 | G-AEIL | x | - | 1936 1936 in aviation This is a list of aviation-related events from 1936:- Events :* The Royal Air Forces first monoplane bomber, the Avro Anson, enters service.*The German Luftwaffe begins experiments with helle Nachtjagd techniques, the operation of night fighters with the aid of searchlights.*The Soviet aviator... |
Scion II | Pobjoy | Rochester Airport | 1940 |
| 20 | G-AEJN | x | - | September 1936 1936 in aviation This is a list of aviation-related events from 1936:- Events :* The Royal Air Forces first monoplane bomber, the Avro Anson, enters service.*The German Luftwaffe begins experiments with helle Nachtjagd techniques, the operation of night fighters with the aid of searchlights.*The Soviet aviator... |
Scion II | Pobjoy | Rochester Airport | 1940 |
| 21 | G-AETT | x | - | April 1937 1937 in aviation This is a list of aviation-related events from 1937:- Events :* The Hawker Hurricane enters service as the Royal Air Forces first monoplane fighter.... |
Scion II | Pobjoy | Rochester Airport | 1940 |
| 22 | G-AEZF | - | x | 9 December 1937 | Scion II | Pobjoy | Rochester Airport | - |
Operators
Floatplanes
Australia
- Papuan Concessions Ltd (VH-UUP the former G-ACUX)
Sierra Leone
- Elders Colonial Airways Ltd (Bathurst-Freetown) (G-AEZF)
Landplanes
Aden (colony)
- Arabian Airlines Ltd
Australia
- Adelaide Airways Ltd
Palestine (mandate)
- Palestine Airways Ltd (Haifa-Lydda)
Sierra Leone
- Elders Colonial Airways Ltd
United Kingdom
- Aberdeen Airways Ltd
- Air Couriers Ltd
- Airwork LtdAirwork ServicesDuring the post-war period Airwork also further expanded its business into civil aviation. This expansion was financed by its wealthy shareholders, including Lord Cowdray, Whitehall Securities, the Blue Star shipping line, Furness Withy and Thomas Loel Evelyn Bulkeley Guinness.Airwork's other air...
- Atlantic Coast Air Services Ltd
- Golden Eagle Marine & Air
- Great Western & Southern Air Lines Ltd
- Lundy and Atlantic Coast Air Lines Ltd
- Nottingham Airport Ltd
- Olley Air Services Ltd
- Palestine Airways Ltd
- Pobjoy Airmotors and Aircraft LtdPobjoy AirmotorsPobjoy Airmotors and Aircraft was a British manufacturer of small aircraft engines. The company was purchased by Short Brothers shortly before the start of World War II, production continuing until the end of the war.-History:...
- Ramsgate Airport LtdRamsgate AirportRamsgate Airport was a civil airfield at Ramsgate, Kent, United Kingdom which opened in July 1935. It was briefly taken over by the Royal Air Force in the Second World War, becoming RAF Ramsgate. The airfield was then closed and obstructed to prevent its use...
- Royal Air ForceRoyal Air ForceThe Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
- No. 173 Squadron RAFNo. 173 Squadron RAFNo. 173 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force Squadron that was a communications unit in World War II.-Formation in World War II:The squadron formed on 9 July 1942 at Heliopolis, Egypt and equipped with the Hawker Audax and it went on to operate many other types of aircraft...
- No. 173 Squadron RAF
- Short Brothers LtdShort BrothersShort 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...
- Southend-on-Sea Flying Services Ltd
- Southern Airways Ltd
- West of Scotland Air Services Ltd (Renfrew-Mull)
- Williams & Co., Squires Gate, Blackpool
- Yorkshire Airways Ltd