Short Silver Streak

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Silver Streak
Short Streak Crop 1.jpg
RoleExperimental all-metal biplane
National originUnited Kingdom
Manufacturer Short Brothers
First flightAugust 20, 1920
Number built1

The Short Silver Streak was the first British all-metal aircraft. [1] It was designed and built by Short Brothers at Rochester, Kent, England. [1] Although Flight magazine claimed that it was the first instance of stressed skin construction in the world, [2] it was preceded by a number of Dornier designs, including the Dornier-Zeppelin D.I, which was ordered into production. [3] [4]

Contents

Development

The Silver Streak was a single-seat biplane with a semi-monocoque duralumin fuselage and duralumin-covered wings. [1] The wing skin was not stressed. [5] The Silver Streak had a conventional landing gear and was powered by a 240 hp (180 kW) Siddeley Puma engine. [1] The Silver Streak was exhibited in July 1920 at the Olympia in London. [1] Registered G-EARQ, it was first flown at Grain on 20 August 1920 by test pilot J. L. Parker. [1] It was later modified as a two-seater and delivered to the Air Ministry in February 1921 for both flight and static testing. [1] The Air Ministry issued a specification for a two-seat reconnaissance biplane and Shorts produced the Springbok based on the Silver Streak.

Specifications

The Silver Streak at Farnborough in February 1921 Short Streak Crop 2.jpg
The Silver Streak at Farnborough in February 1921

Data fromJackson. [1]

General characteristics

Performance

See also

Related development

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References

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Jackson 1973, p. 297.
  2. "The First Fifty Years" Flight 11 December 1953 p762
  3. Grosz, 1998, p.0
  4. Grey, 1970, p.573-581
  5. "1938 | 3512 | Flight Archive". www.flightglobal.com. Archived from the original on 8 March 2016.
  6. 1 2 Barnes 1967, p.168.

Bibliography