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Short Empire




The Short Empire or '''S.23''' was a passenger and mail carrying Flying Boat , of the 1930s and 1940s , which flew between Britain and British colonies in Africa , Asia and Australia . It was manufactured by Short Brothers and was the precursor to the more famous Short Sunderland of World War II .

The Empire was officially known as the C-class and each aircraft was christened with a name beginning with C. The first aircraft, G-ADHL 'Canopus', was completed in June 1936 and launched on 2 July . A total of 42 Empires were built, all at Short's Rochester factory.

Names of the Short S23 seaplanes include:
Cavalier,
Caledonia,
Calpurnia,
Cameronian,
Canopus,
Capella,
Caribou,
Cassiopeia,
Castor,
Centaurus,
Corinna,
Coogee,
Coriolanus,
and Corsair.

Imperial Airways (and its successor BOAC ), Qantas and TEAL operated the Short Empire.

The Short Empire could carry 5 crew, 17 passengers, and 4,480 lb / 2035 kg of cargo. It had four Bristol Pegasus engines, each generating 910 hp / 680 kW. Its wing span was 114 ft / 35 metres and its length was 88 ft / 27 metres. It weighed 24,500 lb / 11 tonnes empty and 40,500 lb / 18 tonnes loaded. Its maximum speed was 174 knots / 320 km per hour.

List of aircraft:

Registration Name Operator

S.23

G-ADHL ''Canopus'' IAL / BOAC
G-ADHM ''Caledonia'' " "
G-ADUV ''Cambria'' " "
G-ADUW ''Castor'' " "
G-ADUX ''Cassiopea'' " "
G-ADVB ''Corsair'' " "
G-AETV ''Coriolanus'' " "
G-AETX ''Ceres'' " "
G-AETY ''Clio'' IAL/BOAC - to RAF as ''AX659'' 9/7/40
G-AETZ ''Circe'' IAL/BOAC
G-AEUB ''Camilla'' IAL/BOAC - to QANTAS as VH-ADU 8/42
G-AEUC ''Corinna'' IAL/BOAC
G-AEUD ''Cordelia'' IAL/BOAC - to RAF as ''AX660'' 9/7/40 (1)
G-AEUE ''Cameronian'' IAL/BOAC
G-AEUF ''Corinthian'' IAL/BOAC
VH-ABA ''Carpentaria'' QANTAS - to BOAC as G-AFBJ 8/42
VH-ABD ''Corio'' QANTAS - to IAL/BOAC as G-AEUH 9/39
VH-ABE ''Coorong'' QANTAS - to IAL/BOAC as G-AEUI 9/39
VH-ABF ''Cooee'' QANTAS - to BOAC as G-AFBL 8/42

(1) - returned to BOAC and previous identity - 19/9/41

S.30

G-AFCT ''Champion'' IAL/BOAC
G-AFCX ''Clyde'' " "
G-AFCY ''Captain Cook'' QANTAS - to TEAL as ZK-AMC ''Awarua'' 3/40
G-AFCZ ''Clare'' IAL/BOAC
G-AFDA ''Aotearoa'' To TEAL as ZK-AMA 3/40
G-AFKZ ''Cathay'' IAL/BOAC

S.33

G-AFPZ ''Clifton'' IAL/BOAC - to QANTAS as VH-ACD 8/42
G-AFRA ''Cleopatra'' IAL/BOAC


MILITARY OPERATORS

  • Australia, United Kingdom.



REFERENCES

  • ''BOAC At War'' - Part 2 - Aeroplane Monthly - August 1975



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