Country of origin:

United Kingdom

Description:

Commercial transport flying boat

Power Plant:

Four 679 kw (910 hp) Bristol Pegasus Xc nine-cylinder air-cooled radial engines

Specifications:

History:

One of the most famous commercial flying boats, the Short S.23 C Class (known as the Empire) was built by Short Brothers for Imperial Airways and Qantas, particularly for the routes from the United Kingdom to Australia.  The prototype (G-ADHL – Canopus – c/n S.795) made its first flight on 4 July 1936, the second (G-ADHM – Caledonia – c/n S.804) flying on 4 December 1936.  Production got under way and one aircraft a month was completed.  On 5 July 1937 Caledonia flew across the Atlantic, flying from Shannon in Ireland to Botwood  in Newfoundland, Canada, a distance of 3,207 km (1,993 miles) in 15 hours 3 mins.

Total production was 42 aircraft, comprising 31 S.23s, nine S.30s, and two S.33s.  The S.30 had 608 kw (815 hp) Bristol Perseus XII engines and had a take-off weight of 20,866 kg (46,000 lb); and the S.33 had 664 kw (890 hp) Pegasus XXII engines and had a take-off weight of 24,041 kg (53,000 lb).  The Empires had their problems. Imperial Airways lost eight in major accidents in the first two years of operation, one Capricornus (G-ADVA – c/n S.818) only surviving a few weeks before crashing in a snow storm in France.

The first Model S.23 received by Qantas (VH-ABB – c/n S.851 – Coolangatta) left Southampton, UK on 18 March 1938.  The need for frequent refuelling stops resulted in an elapsed time of 9½ days for the flight to Sydney, NSW.  However, the outbreak of World War II forced a change to services, which meant whilst the route was open Qantas was responsible for the Sydney to Karachi, Pakistan part of the route, and BOAC (as Imperial had become) for the remainder.  When Japan entered the war in December 1941 the route was closed.

The Empire boats performed sterling service during the war, a number being taken over by the RAAF, and a couple were lost to enemy action.  The war also caused changes to ownership of some aircraft . When the Empire route was broken three BOAC aircraft were in Australia and three Qantas aircraft were in India.  By agreement, ownership of these aircraft was exchanged.

The RAAF operated five, and they were used for coastal reconnaissance and general transport.  At various times they were attached to Nos 11, 13, 20, 33 and 41 Squadrons . Two (A18-11 and A18–12) assisted in the evacuation of Rabaul, New Britain.  On 3 March 1942 at 9.20 am Japanese aircraft attacked Broome, WA, destroying all 16 flying boats of various types which were at moorings, including Short Empires, Consolidated Catalinas and Dornier DO-24s, most of these aircraft at the time being involved in the evacuation of personnel from the Netherlands East Indies.

A total of sixteen Short S.23, S.30 and S.33 Empire flying boats had a connection with this region.  Model S.23s were: G-ADUT (c/n S.811) Centaurus made the first survey flight to Australia and New Zealand.  Stranded in Australia, it became A18-10 in September 1939 and was sunk in an air raid at Broome on 3 March 1942. G-AETV (c/n S.838) Coriolanus was also marooned in Australia.  It became VH-ABG with Qantas in September 1942 and continued in service until it was broken up at Rose Bay, NSW in 1948.  G-AETZ (c/n S.842) Circe was shot down between Java and Western Australia on 28 February 1942.  G-AEUA (c/n S.843) Calypso was taken over by the RAAF as A18-11 in September 1939.  It crashed at Daru in New Guinea on 8 August 1942.

G-AEUB (c/n S.844) Camilla was also marooned in Australia and became VH-ADU with Qantas.  It was lost when it crash landed in a severe tropical storm at Port Moresby, NG on 22 April 1943.  G-AEUC (c/n S.845) Corinna was destroyed at its mooring at Broome, on 3 March 1942. G-AEUF (c/n S.848) Corinthian made a war-time survey of the route to Central Africa and was lost when it crashed at Darwin, NT on 21 March 1942. G-AEUG (c/n S.849) Coogee was operated by Qantas as VH-ABC from July 1938.  It was impressed by the RAAF as A18-12 in September 1939 but crashed on alighting from a test flight at Townsville, QLD on 27 February 1942.

G-AEUH (c/n S.850) Corio was operated by Qantas as VH-ABD from July 1938. It was shot down near Koepang in Timor on 30 January 1942. G-AUEI (c/n S.851) Coorong was operated by Qantas as VH-ABE from March 1938.  It was badly damaged at Darwin on 12 December 1938. Salvaged, it returned to the United Kingdom with Imperial Airways in September 1939.  It was scrapped at Hythe in 1947. G-AFBJ (c/n S.876) Carpentaria was operated by Qantas as VH-ABA from November 1937.  It became marooned by Japanese forces in India and was taken over by BOAC in August 1942.  It was scrapped at Hythe in 1947.

G-AFBK (c/n S.877) Coolangatta was operated by Qantas as VH-ABB from December 1937.  It was impressed by the RAAF as A18-13 in September 1939.  It returned to Qantas on 13 July 1943 and crashed in Sydney on 11 October 1944. G-AFBL (c/n S.878) Cooee was operated by Qantas as VH-ABF from March 1938.  It also became marooned in India and was taken over by BOAC in August 1942.  It was scrapped at Hythe in 1947.

Following the Japanese attacks upon Java, Qantas Empire flying-boats were used on a shuttle service between Broome, WA and Tjilatjap on Java to evacuate personnel.  Whilst in service with No 11 Squadron, RAAF, a few Empires were fitted with bomb-aiming cupolas in place of the mooring hatch.

Three S.30 Empires had connections with Tasman Empire Airways Limited (TEAL).  G-AFCY (c/n 884) Captain Cook was built for Imperial Airways but the company agreed for it, and two other S.30s, to be sold to TEAL.  Launched on 2 March 1939, it became ZK-AMA Ao-Tea-Roa.  Repainted as G-AFCY for a period before delivery to New Zealand, it became ZK-AMC Aotearoa in March 1940.  However, it continued to be owned and operated by Imperial Airways as G-AFCY.  As ZK-AMC it left Poole in Dorset on 15 March 1940 and served with TEAL on the Auckland – Sydney route until retired and broken up.

G-AFCZ (c/n S.885) Canterbury, allotted ZK-AMB, flew as G-AFCZ Australia on 9 August 1939 in Imperial Airways colours.  It suffered an accident on 9 August 1939 and took some months to repair at Basle in Switzerland.  Eventually it was delivered to New Zealand and was operated by TEAL on the Auckland – Sydney route. G-AFDA (c/n S.886) Cumberland never carried the name nor the registration. It was allotted the registration ZK-AMC Awarua and flew on 9 May 1939, owned by Union Airways, to be operated by Tasman Empire Airways Ltd of Wellington.  However, in May 1939 the name was changed for a period in the United Kingdom to Aotearoa. In the event, when delivered, c/n S.886 became ZK-AMA, as it was the first delivered to New Zealand, and c/n S.884 became ZK-AMC when it was delivered later.

G-AFDA (c/n S.886) left Southampton on delivery on 18 August 1939, arriving ten days later and entered service.  For a period prior to delivery G-AFCY (c/n S.884) and G-AFCZ (c/n S.885) were operated on Imperial’s Southampton to Karachi route.  On 30 April 1940 ZK-AMA inaugurated the Auckland to Sydney service, and from then on the type maintained the only passenger service of any kind between the two countries.  By 29 October 1947 they had made 442 Tasman crossings.  After retirement ZK-AMA served as a coffee bar at Mechanics Bay, Auckland into the late 1950s but was eventually scrapped.  No example of the Short C-Class survives.