Country of origin:

United Kingdom

Description:

General-purpose utility transport

Power Plant:

(Mk 3)

Two 533 kw (715 eshp) Garrett AiResearch TPE-331-201 turboprops

Specifications:

History:

Design of the Skyvan, originally known as the Short PD-36, began as a private venture in 1959 at Shorts Light Aircraft Division.  Construction of the prototype, the Skyvan 1 G-ASCN (c/n SH.1828), began in 1960, the first flight being made at Sydenham Airport, Belfast, Northern Island on 17 January 1963.  Powered by two 291 kw (390 hp) Continental G-TSIO-520 six-cylinder supercharged engines, the aircraft was considered underpowered and the 388 kw (520 eshp) Turbomeca Astazou II turboprop was chosen as the definitive power plant for production aircraft. In this form, and known as the SC-7/110 Skyvan 1A, it was flown for the first time on 2 October 1963.  In 1965 G-ASCN was fitted with 475 kw (637 eshp) Turbomeca Astazou X engines, becoming known as the Skyvan 1A Series 2.  It was marketed by Short Brothers & Harland Ltd of London and Belfast, a sales team visiting Alaska, Australia, New Zealand and the Philippines in 1964.

First operator of the Skyvan was Societa Aer Alpi in Italy.  A market for at least 400 was foreseen in 1966 and an initial production batch of 20 was laid down.  Trials of the prototype were carried out fitted with skis, and it was planned to fit floats, but this did not occur.  Definitive production aircraft in the Mk 2 series were fitted with 545 kw (730 eshp) Astazou XIIH-1 turboprops.  However, the Astazou powered aircraft could not meet hot and high altitude requirements of some operators, and it was proposed the 630 kw (845 eshp) Astazou XIV, or perhaps the PT6A-27 engine be installed.  In the event the 533 kw (715 eshp) Garrett AiResearch TPE-331-201 unit was installed, this model becoming known as the Mk 3, the first of this model G-ASZI (c/n SH.1830) flying at Belfast on 15 December 1967.

The fuselage of the Skyvan was virtually a rectangular box with rounded corners and simple fairings fore and aft, with a rear door and tail-unit mounting.  Construction was of conventional light-alloy monocoque, the tailplane being attached straight on to the fuselage frames.  The main hold had an emergency exit hatch in the roof ahead of the wing, and five rectangular windows on each side.  The freight compartment floor was designed to carry both distributed and concentrated loads, including wheel load of up to 454 kg (1,000 lb) with the use of spreaders.  The stub wing carried the main undercarriage, and the wing-strut attachment was integral with the frames that picked up at the fore and aft wing attachments.  The wing consisted of separate port and starboard units, each structurally continuing from root to tip and attached to the fuselage frames by two chord-wise axis pins.  The flight deck was designed for solo operation, and provision was made for conversion to dual control for pilot conversion.

Although designed basically as a freighter, a number were used in the passenger carrying role, Ansett/MAL operating aircraft in New Guinea which were QC (quick change) aircraft with a palletisation system, able to carry up to 1,996 kg (4,400 lb) of cargo, or up to 18 passengers.  The type has seen service with a number of air forces, including those of Austria and Singapore.

First Skyvan seen in this region was a demonstrator G-AVJX (c/n SH.1838 – VH-EJR [ntu]) for Forrester Stephen, the Australian distributor, this later becoming VH-FSG. It was exported to the United States in September 1972.  Others have reached this area and these include: VH-FSG (c/n SH.1838) delivered to TAA in 1968; VH-PNI (c/n SH1840) with Papuan Airlines, later to Ansett Airlines, which crashed at Mt Giluwe, New Guinea on 1 September 1972; VH-PNJ (c/n SH.1841) for Papuan Airlines, which was not in fact imported and went to the United States; VH-PNJ² (c/n SH.1849) with Papuan Airlines and later Ansett Airlines, exported to the US in July 1973; and VH-FSH (c/n SH.1853) with Connellan Airlines at Alice Springs, NT exported to the UK in May 1972.

Construction numbers SH.1913, SH.1914 and SH.1915 were imported and registered to World Geoscience Corp of Wembley, WA in 1994. These machines, Model 3M 400-15s, formerly serialled 700 to 702 with the Singapore Air Force, became VH-WGG, VH-WGL and VH-WGQ respectively in August 1994, later being exported.  Two other registrations were allotted, VH-EJS and VH-EJT (c/ns SH1839 and SH1842), for Ansett/MAL but were not imported.  One was imported to New Guinea as P2-BAG (c/n 1846 – ex N4916) for North Solomons Air, later going to Bousair.

In New Guinea the type was popular, being able to carry a car, such as a Land-Rover, in its 22.08 m³ (780 cub ft) hold, or convert to a 19-seat airliner with full headroom and walk-about comfort.  It had STOL characteristics which enabled it to operate to small, rough airstrips such as Tapini, which was hacked out of the jungle on the side of a mountain.

The Skyvan was operated by a number of air forces including the Royal Nepalese Army Air Wing, Ghana Air Force, and the Sultan of Oman Air Force. With the Singapore Air Force they were used for anti-smuggling, search-and-rescue and transport work. They were also operated by Argentina, Austria, Botswana, Ciskey, Guyana, Indonesia, Mauritania, Mexico, Nepal, Lesotho, Panama, Seychelles and North Yemen.  One was supplied to the North American Space Administration (N430NA).

In 1996 a further three ex-Singapore Air Force Skyvans arrived for International Air Parts at Bankstown, NSW becoming VH-IBO² (c/n SH.1916G-14-88 – ex 704 [Singapore Air Force]), VH-IBR (c/n SH.1912 – ex 703 [Singapore Air Force], G-14-84) and VH-IBS (c/n SH.1917 – ex 705 [Singapore Air Force], G-14-89), followed later in 1997 by two ex-Japanese aircraft, these becoming VH-IBT² (c/n SH.1939 – ex JA-8800, G-BCIB, G-14-107) and VH-IBA (c/n SH.1954).  Most of these were converted for civil use and have since been exported, three going to Collier District Mosquito Control in Florida, US; and another going to Burundi in Central Africa.

VH-IBO was registered in November 1995, was extant derelict at Bankstown for some years, and is believed to have been exported to Israel in 2012 for use as spares.  VH-IBR was registered from November 1995 to November 1998 and was exported to the United States as N644M.  VH-IBS [above] was registered on 29 November 1995 until 29 January 1998 when it was exported to the United States as N642M.  VH-IBT² was registered from 3 December 1997 to 15 April 1998 and was noted as being exported to the United States as N643M.  A further Skyvan became VH-IBS² (c/n 1893 – ex 9M-BAM, N8189J, PK-PSC, G-AYZB, G-14-65) and this aircraft left in May 2012 when it was flown to Israel where it became 4X-AGP.

The fuselage of an un-identified Skyvan was stored at Wedderburn, NSW in 2004 but it is not known if this was from VH-IBO.  Another was imported from Federal Hotels in Malaysia (9M-BAM – c/n SH1893).  Examples have also been operated in New Guinea, one being P2-BAG (c/n SH 1846 – ex N4916) registered in June 1979, operated by North Solomons Air of Arawa, and painted in the colours of Bougair.

In recent years the type has seen regular service around the world in the light freight role, and has been particularly successful with parachute clubs, being able to lift good numbers of parachutists to altitude quickly. Examples have operated from Wilton and Warnervale, NSW on this work.  One, VH-WGT (c/n SH.1960), has been operated by Fugro Airborne Services of Adelaide and, fitted with a MAD boom, has been used for mineral survey work.