Girish Mahajan (Editor)

Short S.32

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Wingspan
  
39 m

Manufacturer
  
Short Brothers

Length
  
27 m

The Short S.32 was a British four-engined all-metal long-range transport monoplane designed by Short Brothers to Air Ministry Specification 14/38. The project was abandoned in May 1940. If produced, it would have been one of the first British pressurised airliners.

Contents

Development

In 1938 the British Air Ministry issued two specifications (14/38 and 15/38) for large transport aircraft comparable in size with the Junkers Ju 90 and Focke Wulf Fw 200, with Specification 14/38 being for use on Empire routes and 15/38 for European routes. The Ministry placed a contract with Shorts for three prototypes designated the Short S.32 against specification 14/38 and a production order for 14 Fairey FC1s against specification 15/38.

The S.32 was a four-engined mid-wing monoplane powered by Bristol Hercules radials. The S.32 had a tailwheel landing gear to overcome problems with a nose wheel retracting into a pressurised fuselage. The build of three prototypes for the Air Ministry was started at Rochester but due to the urgent need for the factory to build the Short Stirling construction was abandoned.

Specifications

Data from

General characteristics

  • Capacity: 16 day passengers or 14 night passengers with alternate high density layout for 24 passengers
  • Length: 89 ft 0 in (27.13 m)
  • Wingspan: 127 ft 0 in (38.72 m)
  • Empty weight: 39,000 lb (17,690 kg)
  • Gross weight: 71,000 lb (32,205 kg)
  • Powerplant: 4 × Bristol Hercules radial piston, 1,250 hp (933 kW) each

    • Performance

  • Cruise speed: 246 mph (396 km/h)
  • Range: 3,420 miles (5,504 km)

    • References

    Short S.32 Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA


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