Short Scion Senior

S.22 Scion Senior

Picture - Short Scion Senior FB (L9786)

Role: Transport floatplane
Manufacturer: Short Brothers
First flight: 1935
Introduced: 1935
Status: Retired
Number built: 6
Developed from: Short S.16 Scion

The Short S.22 Scion Senior was a 1930s British four-engined nine-passenger floatplane built by Short Brothers.

Design and development

The Scion Senior was developed as an enlarged version of the Scion light transport for nine passengers. The first two aircraft, built as floatplanes, were shipped to Rangoon as soon as they had received their Certificate of Airworthiness; the third aircraft was built as a landplane for Shorts to use as a demonstrator; the remaining three were built as floatplanes, although one (S.835, G-AENX) was actually first flown as a landplane before being converted to its intended floatplane configuration.

Operational history

The last aircraft built (serial number L9786) was acquired by the Air Ministry for testing flying boat hull designs particularly for the Short Sunderland. Redesignated the Scion Senior FB (for Flying Boat), it was fitted with a duralumin, flush-riveted central float and outrigger floats. During 1942, a series of trials by the Marine Aircraft Experimental Establishment (MAEE) was undertaken, determining attitude and stability characteristics of the design. The sole test example was lost at sea on 15 March 1944 off Helensburgh, Argyll, when an attempt was made to take off from the Clyde in frosty conditions. H.G. White, a Flight Test Officer at MAEE Helenburgh, died when the aircraft stalled into the water and sank. The other two members of the crew were rescued.

The Scion Senior landplane was eventually sold to Palestine Air Transport in December 1938, to be based in Haifa. It was impressed into Royal Air Force service in the Middle East in February 1942 and lost in action on 22 September 1943.

Operators

Floatplane

British India

Irrawaddy Flotilla Co Ltd

Palestine

Palestine Airways Ltd

Sierra Leone

Elders Colonial Airways Ltd

United Kingdom

Air Ministry (MAEE)
Royal Air Force
West of Scotland Air Services Ltd

Landplane

Iraq

Iraq Petroleum Transport Co Ltd

United Kingdom

Jersey Airways Ltd
Royal Air Force
Short Brothers (demonstrator)

Specifications (Scion Senior Floatplane)

General characteristics

Crew: 2
Length: 42 ft (12.80 m)
Wingspan: 55 ft (16.76 m)
Height: ()
Wing area: 400 ft² (37.16 m²)
Empty weight: 3,886 lb (1,760 kg)
Max takeoff weight: 5,750 lb (2,610 kg)
Powerplant: 4x— Niagara III, 90 hp (67 kW) each

Performance

Maximum speed: 120 knots (140 mph, 225 km/h)
Range: 420 mi (675 km)
Service ceiling: 12,000 ft (3,660 m)

Bibliography

Barnes, C.H. with revisions by Derek N. James. Shorts Aircraft since 1900. London: Putnam, 1989 (revised). ISBN 0-85177-819-4.
Green, William. Warplanes of the Second World War, Volume Five: Flying Boats. London: Macdonald & Co. (Publishers) Ltd., 1962. Fifth impression 1972. ISBN 0-356-01449-5.
The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (part: 1982-1985). London: Orbis Publishing, 1985.
Jackson, A.J. British Civil Aircraft since 1919. London: Putnam & Sons, Ltd., 1974. ISBN 0-370-10014-X.

Short Scion Senior Pictures

Living Warbirds: The best warbirds DVD series.

Source: WikiPedia