Country of origin:

United Kingdom

Description:

Light commercial airliner

Power Plant:

Two 67 kw (90 hp) Pobjoy Niagara III seven-cylinder air-cooled radial engines

Specifications:

History:

The Scion was designed by Short Bros (Rochester and Bedford) Ltd as a light, twin-engine, cantilever monoplane for feeder-line work.  Built of metal with fabric covering, it was capable of carrying a pilot and five passengers.  The prototype (G-ACJI – c/n S.766) was flown for the first time on 18 August 1933 powered by two 56 kw (75 hp) Pobjoy R radial engines, but these provided insufficient power for the aircraft’s requirements and the 67 kw (90 hp) Pobjoy Niagara engine was fitted to production aircraft.  This engine was built by Pobjoy Airmotors & Aircraft Ltd and was renowned for its small size. It was also fitted to a number of light aircraft, including the BA Swallow and the Comper Swift.

The initial production batch comprised five aircraft (c/ns S.774 to S.778) with Niagara I or II engines.  A second production batch was laid down comprising ten aircraft (c/ns S.785 to S.794) with Niagara II or III engines; and a third production batch comprised eight aircraft (c/ns PA.1001 to PA.1008) but only six were completed.  Production of this last batch was transferred to Pobjoy Airmotors & Aircraft Ltd at Rochester in Kent, Short Bros then being heavily involved in production of the Short C Class flying boat.

The Scion wing was of thick section and tapered in thickness with a moderate taper in the chord. It was of low aspect ratio. There was a single duralumin box-girder spar with aluminium ribs, and the inset ailerons occupied over half the span on each side. Fuel capacity was 141 litres (31 Imp gals).  The fuselage was of rectangular section with the roof of the pilot’s cabin faired into the wing.  The rear fuselage had a flat top from the wing trailing edge to the kingpost. The structure was of welded steel tube with fabric covering.  The tail unit comprised a rectangular strut-braced tailplane, divided elevators and a curved fin and rudder. All surfaces had duralumin frames with fabric covering and the rudder and elevators were balanced on inset hinges. Accommodation was provided for up to six passengers, a folding seat being provided near the door for the sixth passenger.

Four examples have been seen in this region. The first (G-ACUX – c/n S.776) was constructed and fitted with floats to the order of Major H Hemming of H Hemming & Partners, aerial surveying contractors, on behalf of Papuan Concessions Ltd, for survey work in the New Guinea highlands.  It was launched and test flown with Niagara I engines in October 1934 and shipped on the SS Port Alma to Cockatoo Island Dockyard in Sydney, NSW but damage occasioned during its journey necessitated some weeks of repair, and the fitting of new radio equipment.  It left Sydney on 11 July 1935 and was under charter to the Oroville Dredging Co, a subsidiary of Papuan Concessions Ltd.  At this stage it retained its British registration.

At one stage G-ACUX went missing for a few days on the Fly River due to an engine having seized. The crew and the aircraft drifted down the river for 96 km (60 miles).  However, it was soon found the aircraft’s performance was poor in the hot New Guinea climate, and performance with the available power was considered to be marginal in any event.  It was then flown to Sydney where, after a major overhaul at Mascot, NSW by de Havilland Aircraft, ownership was changed in February 1938 to Sidney Marshall of Rockdale, NSW, who operated as Marshall Airways. He retained it as VH-UUP until it was withdrawn from service.

During the war years it was painted in a camouflage scheme and used as an ambulance aircraft.  Later after the war it was used by Marshall Airways for joy-riding.  By 1970 it had been retired and suspended from the roof of the Marshall Airways hangar at Bankstown, NSW.  In 1973 it was sold to the Hendon Aeroplane Co and shipped to the United Kingdom in 1974. It was then sold to the Strathallan Aircraft Collection and was registered again as G-ACUX in March 1977.  In 1981 it was obtained by the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum in Belfast, Northern Island.

VH-UVQ (c/n S.791 – ex G-ADDU) was the second of two Scions for Adelaide Airways and was a Scion Mk 2, being built in 1935 at Rochester. It was issued with its Australian Certificate of Airworthiness on 21 October 1936 and entered service on the Adelaide, SA to Broken Hill, NSW service.  Eventually Adelaide Airways was absorbed into the newly created Australian National Airways Pty Ltd.  The aircraft was sold to N D Healy of Sydney on behalf of the General Air Transport Syndicate in May 1937, and in October 1938 it was sold to Aerial Transport & Training Ltd of Brisbane, QLD. It was then fitted with the floats from VH-UUP, the intention being that it would operate services between Brisbane and Southport, but this did not eventuate. It was seriously damaged in an accident involving a forced landing on the Brisbane River in December 1939 and the aircraft was later broken up.

VH-UTV (c/n S.793 – ex-G-ADDW [ntu]) was issued with its Australian Certificate of Airworthiness on 28 May 1936 and, named Moata, it entered service with Adelaide Airways.  On 1 July 1936 ownership of it, and VH-UVQ, was transferred to ANA Pty Ltd. It remained with that airline being used for light charter work and with the Company’s flying school at Essendon, VIC.

In December 1942 it was sold to Guinea Airways Ltd of Adelaide and was used for charter work for almost two years.  In October 1944 it was sold to Norman Padgett of Werribee,VIC  operating as Southernaire Charter Service. He sought to replace the Pobjoy engines with either de Havilland Gipsy Major or Gipsy Minor engines.  The Gipsy Minor engines providing 67 kw (90 hp) were installed in 1946.

Mr Padgett left Melbourne, VIC in November 1946 to fly to Borneo but near Oodnadatta, SA on 3 December 1946 the aircraft suffered fuel tank problems which necessitated repair.  After repairs, on 3 December 1946 when the trip continued further fuel problems occurred bringing about a forced landing, causing extensive damage.  The Scion was recovered by Connellan Airways personnel and taken to Alice Springs, NT. Ownership changed to Edward J Connellan of Alice Springs in June 1949.

By 1949 it had been sold to J A Collins and Partner, operating as Chart Air Aviation Service at Meekatharra, WA and was used for local charter and ambulance work.  It was damaged in an accident at Meekatharra on 17 January 1951.  It later went to Doggett Aviation & Engineering Company of Maylands, WA, and then went back to E J Connellan at Alice Springs in 1963.  It was struck off the register on 2 February 1965 and was placed on display in the Chewing Gum Airfield Museum at Tallebudgera, QLD in 1968.

The Scion was eventually auctioned and obtained by Roy and Primrose Fox of Baulkham Hills, NSW. Work commenced on a long-term restoration to airworthiness, a number of Pobjoy engines being obtained and overhauled to power the aircraft when completed. The aircraft in 2020 was with Luskintyre Aircraft Restoration on the mid-coast of NSW undergoing restoration to airworthiness.

A fourth example of the type appeared on the Australian register as VH-UUT (c/n S.789 – ex G-ADDS) for Adelaide Airways. This aircraft was test flown at Rochester on 23 August 1935 and shipped to Australia on the SS Barabool, arriving in Adelaide on 4 October that year.  It was assembled at Parafield, was registered in October 1935, and was used to inaugurate the Company’s service to Melbourne on 29 October, but crashed at Meadows, SA, on 22 January 1936.  It was returned to the United Kingdom to Short Bros for a rebuild and was registered as G-AEOY. It did not return to Australia, going to Arabian Airways based at Aden and was written off in a crash in April 1938.

One Scion (G-AEZF – c/n PA.1008) with Pobjoy Niagara engines has been restored and placed on static display at the old Croydon Airport in the United Kingdom.  One Scion 2 (G-ADDR – c/n S.788) was experimentally fitted with a tapered wooden wing and Gouge flaps in November 1935.  One was used for a long distance flight, Scion G-ADDT (c/n S.790) leaving Croydon on 21 January 1936 and flying to India, returning on 13 March covering 25,639 km (15,932 miles).

Short Bros also built a development of the Scion known as the Scion Senior, this being a larger aircraft fitted with four Pobjoy engines. Six examples were completed, three going to the Irrawaddy Flotilla Company, which was a Scottish-owned company operating services in Burma. The first became G-ACZG (c/n S.779) and was flown on 22 October 1935.  Compared to the Scion, the cabin was lengthened from 3.04 m (10 ft) to 5.18 m (17 ft) and the width by 38.1 cm (15 in). It accommodated three rows of seats and a further single seat.  The fifth example of the Scion Senior (G-AETH – c/n S.836) was initially ordered to operate services from Rose Bay to Newcastle Harbour, NSW, on floats but the sale was not proceeded with and the aircraft became L9786 with the Marine Aircraft Experimental Establishment at Helensburgh, Argyll, Scotland, until it sank in frosty conditions in 1944.

The airframe of VH-UUP is in storage in Belfast, Ireland, whereas the airframe of VH-UTV, owned by a Sydney, Australia, aviation enthusiast is in the Hunter Valley, NSW, where it is being rebuilt to airworthiness by Luskintyre Aircraft Restorations.