Country of origin:

United Kingdom

Description:

Commercial flying boat

Power Plant:

(Sandringham 4)

Four 895 kw (1,200 hp) Pratt & Whitney R-1830-92D Twin Wasp fourteen-cylinder two-row air-cooled radial engines

Specifications:

History:

The Short Sandringham series was a conversion of the Short Sunderland to meet requirements of airlines for a four-engine flying-boat to carry passengers, luggage and freight.  The Sandringham 1 G-AGKX (ex ML788 – Himalaya) was a former British Overseas Airways Corp [BOAC] Sunderland III fitted with Pegasus engines, but was still basically a Sunderland with interior accommodation and fairings on the nose and tail cone.  In December 1942 six Sunderland IIIs were modified for passenger / freight use and became known as the Hythe, and a further 18 were later modified.  One was modified to Sandringham specifications.  At the end of the war there was a surplus of Sunderlands and Short Bros commenced modifying them at its Belfast plant, BOAC obtaining a total of 13.

The Sandringham 1 had accommodation for 22 passengers and the engines were 768 kw (1,030 hp) Bristol Pegasus 38 radials.  Only one example of the Series I was built and it was first publicly shown at the Eastleigh Victory Air Pageant in Hampshire on 22 June 1946.  Subsequently a number of variants were built, all with the Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp engine.  The Sandringham 2 was a 45 seat variant with an upper deck bar, and three were built.  There was little difference between the various marks externally and changes related mainly to the internal lay-out.

The Sandringham 3, of which two were built, was similar to the Series 2, with seating for 21.  The Sandringham 4 was built for Tasman Empire Airways Limited [TEAL] and seated 30. It had an upper deck pantry and four were built.  The Sandringham 5 was built for BOAC, nine were delivered, and it seated 32.  The Sandringham 6 seated 37 and five were built for DNL-Norwegian Airlines.  The Sandringham 7 was the Bermuda class for BOAC and three were built.  Total production of the Sandringham was 27 aircraft between 1945 and 1948.  First operator of the type was Aeronaves Dodero in Argentina, the second being TEAL.

When the type was operated by TEAL the first four were Sandringham 4s known as the Dominion class.  First aircraft for TEAL ZK-AMB (c/n SH.30c) was delivered on 17 July 1946 and was followed by three more ZK-AMD (c/n H.32C – Australia); ZK-AME (c/n SH.33C – New Zealand); and ZK–AMH (c/n SH.55C – Auckland).  They were operated on the Trans Tasman service but engine cooling problems led to them being withdrawn for some months in 1948.  In 1949 they were replaced by Short Solents and the last TEAL Sandringham service took place on 19 December 1949 when ZK-AME flew from Sydney, NSW to Auckland, NZ.  ZK-AMB and ZK-AMD were sold to Qantas and became VH-EBW and VH-EBX, the latter later going to Ansett Flying Boat Services as VH-BRE; and ZK-AME became VH-BRD with Ansett Flying Boat Services.

Qantas operated five Sandringhams, two ex-TEAL Series 4s and three Series 5s which it obtained from BOAC.  These were initially operated on the Sydney – Noumea – Fiji services from 2 May 1950 and remained in service until June 1955 in the South Pacific.  After the BOAC aircraft were obtained services were expanded to include Sydney to Port Moresby, PNG and in June 1953 this was extended to Rabaul in New Britain.

The five Sandringham aircraft were: VH-EBW (c/n SH.30C – Tasman – ex ZK-AMB, ML761); VH-EBX (c/n SH.32C – ex ZK-AMD, NJ255); VH-EBZ (c/n SH.37C – ex G-AHZG, ML828 – Pacific Explorer); VH-EBV (c/n SH.40C – ex G-AHZD, NJ257 – Pacific Warrior); and VH-EBY (c/n SH.41C – ex G-AHZF, NJ188 – Pacific Voyager).  VH-EBW entered service in April, 1950 and set a trans-Tasman record between Australia and New Zealand of a little less than eight hours.  It was damaged on 4 April 1951 when a stay wire caused the starboard float to break off.  The crew and passengers climbed onto the port wing to balance the aircraft so it could be recovered.  However, it was written off on 10 June 1951 at Port Vila in the New Hebrides when, whilst taking off, the pilot took action to avoid a dug-out canoe in its path, struck coral and it was holed in several places.  The aircraft was beached but written off and later scuttled.  It remains on the bottom of the harbour in 41 m (136 ft) of water. It is intact and is regularly dived on by tourists.  In June 1955 Qantas stopped operating the Sandringham and VH-EBV, VH-EBY and VH-EBZ were broken up at Rose Bay in Sydney.

Ansett Flying Boat Services operated four Sandringhams.  Ansett commenced services with Consolidated Catalinas which had been operated by Barrier Reef Airways on the Brisbane to Daydream Island, QLD route, amongst other services.  When it obtained two ex-TEAL Sandringhams in May 1950 it commenced services on the Sydney to Lord Howe Island Service, this service being previously operated by Trans Oceanic Airways.  Ansett FBS had the longest association with the type in this region.  The first (VH-BRC – c/n SB.2018 – Beachcomber – ex ZK-AMH, JM715) was obtained by Barrier Reef Airways but this company was soon taken over by Ansett FBS.

On 9 June 1974 VH-BRC flew to Lord Howe Island to operate the service until completion of the airfield.  However, it was blown ashore and badly damaged.  Repairs were made and it was flown back to Sydney, repairs being completed on 29 August. It operated the last service by a flying-boat to the island on 10 September 1974.  This aircraft served for 24 years before being sold to Antilles Air Boats in the Virgin Islands, becoming N158J for the ferry flight, later becoming VP-LVE Excalibur.  It was later sold in Europe and is now in the Hall of Aviation at Southampton in the United Kingdom.

VH-BRD (c/n SH.33C – Princess of Cairns – ex ZK-AME, NJ179) sank at its moorings on the Brisbane River on 31 October 1952. Reports indicate it may have been damaged by a passing boat, and was written off.  It was salvaged and the new owners planned to use it as a nightclub but it sank again whilst under tow to Coolangatta, QLD.

VH-BRE (c/n SH.32C – Pacific Chieftain – VH-EBX, ZK-AMD, NJ255) stopped at Lord Howe Island on 3 July 1963 early on a commercial flight of 13,680 km (8,500 miles), which would have taken it around Polynesia but the island was hit by a cyclone and the aircraft was driven ashore and badly damaged.  It was stripped and scuttled at sea.

To replace the loss of VH-BRE, a Sunderland (NZ4108) was obtained from the RNZAF and flown to Rose Bay where it was converted to Sandringham configuration, this aircraft (VH-BRF – c/n SH974 – Islander – ex NZ4108, ML814) entering service in 1964.  Eventually it was decided to build an airstrip on Lord Howe Island and in 1974 the flying-boat services ceased, the last scheduled flight being made by VH-BRC on 31 May 1974.  A number of charter flights were made with the Sandringhams, memorable ones including flights from Sydney to Rathmines, NSW and to Lake Eucumbene in the Snowy Mountains, NSW.  As with VH-BRC, VH-BRF was sold to Antilles Air Boats in the Virgin Islands, becoming N158C for the ferry flight, later becoming VP-LVF Excalibur III.  It survives as part of the Fantasy of Flight Museum at Polk City in Florida.

One other Sandringham was operated in Australasia, this being a Series 7 known as the Bermuda class VH-APG (c/n SH.57C – ex G-AKCO, JM719 – St George) obtained by Sir Patrick Gordon Taylor from BOAC and used on a number of cruises in the Pacific region.  Named Frigate Bird III it was used for about three years before being sold to Reseau Aerien Interinsulaire as F-OBIP where it operated for a period.  In 1974 it was noted on Tahiti minus engines.  It was eventually shipped to France where it was restored and survives in the Musee de l’Air at Le Bourget.