The Short S.45 Seaford was a 1940s flying boat, designed as a long range maritime patrol bomber for RAF Coastal Command. It was developed from the Short S.25 Sunderland, and initially ordered as "Sunderland Mark IV".
In 1942, the Air Ministry issued Specification R.8/42 for a replacement of the Sunderland, as a long range patrol bomber for service in the Pacific Ocean. It required more powerful engines, better defensive armament, and other enhancements.[1][2]
Design and developmentedit
The Sunderland Mark IV used major structural elements of the Sunderland Mark III, with a fuselage stretch of 3 ft ahead of the wing, an extended and redesigned planing bottom, the same wing with thicker Duralumin skinning, and Bristol Hercules engines. Further structural changes were made after initial flight tests. The planned armament consisted of two fixed forward-firing .303 inch (7.7 mm) Browning machine guns in the nose, a Brockhouse Engineering nose turret with twin .50 in (12.7 mm) machine guns, twin 20 mm Hispano cannon mounted in a Bristol B.17 dorsal turret, twin .50 in (12.7 mm) guns in a Glenn-Martin tail turret, and another .50 in (12.7 mm) machine gun in a hand-held waist position on each side of the fuselage. The turrets were all electrically powered. Two prototypes and thirty production aircraft were ordered as the Sunderland Mark IV.[1][2]
Operational historyedit
On 30 August 1944, the prototype (MZ269) first flew from the River Medway at Rochester. The increased engine power caused aerodynamic stability problems, and a new fin was designed with greater height with forward dorsal extension, plus a new tailplane with increased span and area.[3] Changes were so extensive that the new aircraft was given the name Seaford.[4] Thirty production aircraft were ordered, but the first of these flew in April 1945, well after the introduction of the Sunderland Mark V, and too late to see combat in Europe. The prototypes were powered by Hercules XVII engines of 1,680 hp (1,253 kW), but production aircraft used 1,720 hp (1,283 kW) Hercules XIX engines. The planned Glenn Martin tail turrets were never installed. Eight production Seafords were completed; the first (NJ200) was used for trials at MAEE Felixstowe. The second production Seaford (NJ201) was evaluated by RAF Transport Command, then in December 1945 it was loaned without armament to BOAC as G-AGWU, then returned to MAEE as NJ201 in February 1946. In April 1946, the other six production Seafords were delivered to No. 201 Squadron RAF for brief operational trials. In 1948, those six aircraft were modified as civilian airliners at Belfast, then leased to BOAC with the designation Solent 3.[5]
^. Archived from the original on 19 June 2016. Retrieved 14 March 2015.
Bibliographyedit
Barnes, C.H. Shorts Aircraft since 1900. Putnam, 1967, 1989 ISBN0-85177-819-4
Green, William. War Planes of the Second World War: Volume Five Flying Boats. Macdonald, 1968. ISBN0-356-01449-5.
London, Peter. British Flying Boats. Sutton Publishing, 2003. ISBN0-7509-2695-3.
Ogden, Bob (2007). Aviation Museums and Collections of North America. Air-Britain. ISBN0-85130-385-4
Warner, Guy (July–August 2002). "From Bombay to Bombardier: Aircraft Production at Sydenham, Part One". Air Enthusiast. No. 100. pp. 13–24. ISSN 0143-5450.
External linksedit
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Short Seaford.
Short Seaford Flight 3 January 1946 (3 pages of diagrams and images)
January 01, 1970
short, seaford, short, seaford, 1940s, flying, boat, designed, long, range, maritime, patrol, bomber, coastal, command, developed, from, short, sunderland, initially, ordered, sunderland, mark, seaford, seaford, nj205, rochester, july, 1946, role, flying, boat. The Short S 45 Seaford was a 1940s flying boat designed as a long range maritime patrol bomber for RAF Coastal Command It was developed from the Short S 25 Sunderland and initially ordered as Sunderland Mark IV S 45 Seaford Seaford NJ205 at Rochester July 1946 Role Flying boat National origin United Kingdom Manufacturer Short Brothers First flight 30 August 1944 Primary user Royal Air Force Number built 10 Developed from Short Sunderland Variants Short Solent Contents 1 Background 2 Design and development 3 Operational history 4 Operators 5 Specifications S 45 Seaford 6 Survivor 7 See also 8 Notes 9 Bibliography 10 External linksBackground editIn 1942 the Air Ministry issued Specification R 8 42 for a replacement of the Sunderland as a long range patrol bomber for service in the Pacific Ocean It required more powerful engines better defensive armament and other enhancements 1 2 Design and development editThe Sunderland Mark IV used major structural elements of the Sunderland Mark III with a fuselage stretch of 3 ft ahead of the wing an extended and redesigned planing bottom the same wing with thicker Duralumin skinning and Bristol Hercules engines Further structural changes were made after initial flight tests The planned armament consisted of two fixed forward firing 303 inch 7 7 mm Browning machine guns in the nose a Brockhouse Engineering nose turret with twin 50 in 12 7 mm machine guns twin 20 mm Hispano cannon mounted in a Bristol B 17 dorsal turret twin 50 in 12 7 mm guns in a Glenn Martin tail turret and another 50 in 12 7 mm machine gun in a hand held waist position on each side of the fuselage The turrets were all electrically powered Two prototypes and thirty production aircraft were ordered as the Sunderland Mark IV 1 2 Operational history edit nbsp On 30 August 1944 the prototype MZ269 first flew from the River Medway at Rochester The increased engine power caused aerodynamic stability problems and a new fin was designed with greater height with forward dorsal extension plus a new tailplane with increased span and area 3 Changes were so extensive that the new aircraft was given the name Seaford 4 Thirty production aircraft were ordered but the first of these flew in April 1945 well after the introduction of the Sunderland Mark V and too late to see combat in Europe The prototypes were powered by Hercules XVII engines of 1 680 hp 1 253 kW but production aircraft used 1 720 hp 1 283 kW Hercules XIX engines The planned Glenn Martin tail turrets were never installed Eight production Seafords were completed the first NJ200 was used for trials at MAEE Felixstowe The second production Seaford NJ201 was evaluated by RAF Transport Command then in December 1945 it was loaned without armament to BOAC as G AGWU then returned to MAEE as NJ201 in February 1946 In April 1946 the other six production Seafords were delivered to No 201 Squadron RAF for brief operational trials In 1948 those six aircraft were modified as civilian airliners at Belfast then leased to BOAC with the designation Solent 3 5 Operators edit nbsp United Kingdom British Overseas Airways Corporation Royal Air Force No 201 Squadron RAFSpecifications S 45 Seaford editData from Green 1968 p 107 6 General characteristicsCrew 8 11 two pilots radio operator navigator engineer bomb aimer three to five gunners Length 88 ft 6 3 4 in 26 994 m Wingspan 112 ft 9 1 2 in 34 379 m Height 37 ft 3 in 11 35 m Wing area 1 687 sq ft 156 7 m2 Empty weight 45 000 lb 20 412 kg Gross weight 75 000 lb 34 019 kg Powerplant 4 Bristol Hercules XIX 14 cylinder radial engines 1 720 hp 1 280 kW each Performance Maximum speed 242 mph 389 km h 210 kn at 500 ft 150 m Cruise speed 155 mph 249 km h 135 kn at 5 000 ft 1 500 m Range 3 100 mi 5 000 km 2 700 nmi 7 8 Service ceiling 14 000 ft 4 300 m Rate of climb 880 ft min 4 5 m s Time to altitude 18 min to 10 000 ft 3 000 m Armament Guns 6 50 in Browning machine guns two each in nose and tail turrets and two beam guns 2 x 20 mm Hispano cannon in dorsal turret and 2 fixed 303 in Browning machine gun Bombs 4 960 lb 2 250 kg of bombs and depth chargesSurvivor editShort S 45 Seaford NJ203 converted to a Short Solent in 1948 is displayed at the Oakland Aviation Museum Oakland California 9 10 See also editAircraft of comparable role configuration and era Kawanishi H8K Related lists List of aircraft of the Royal Air ForceNotes edit a b Barnes 1989 pp 357 a b Green 1968 p 106 Barnes 1967 p 360 London 2003 p 196 Barnes 1989 pp 360 363 Green 1968 p 107 Barnes 1967 p 368 London 2003 pp 264 265 Ogden 2007 Short Solent Archived from the original on 19 June 2016 Retrieved 14 March 2015 Bibliography editBarnes C H Shorts Aircraft since 1900 Putnam 1967 1989 ISBN 0 85177 819 4 Green William War Planes of the Second World War Volume Five Flying Boats Macdonald 1968 ISBN 0 356 01449 5 London Peter British Flying Boats Sutton Publishing 2003 ISBN 0 7509 2695 3 Ogden Bob 2007 Aviation Museums and Collections of North America Air Britain ISBN 0 85130 385 4 Warner Guy July August 2002 From Bombay to Bombardier Aircraft Production at Sydenham Part One Air Enthusiast No 100 pp 13 24 ISSN 0143 5450 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Short Seaford Short Seaford Flight 3 January 1946 3 pages of diagrams and images Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Short Seaford amp oldid 1129115331, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
