Short Silver Streak

Silver Streak
General information
Type	Experimental all-metal biplane
National origin	United Kingdom
Manufacturer	Short Brothers
Number built	1
History
First flight	August 20, 1920

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]}

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

Data fromJackson. ^[1]

General characteristics

• Crew: one (later two)
• Length: 26 ft 6 in (8.08 m)
• Wingspan: 37 ft 6 in (11.43 m)
• Wing area: 370 sq ft (34 m²) ^[6]
• Empty weight: 1,865 lb (846 kg)
• Gross weight: 2,870 lb (1,302 kg)
• Powerplant: 1 × Siddeley Puma 6-cylinder water-cooled inline piston engine, 230 hp (170 kW)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 120 mph (190 km/h, 100 kn)
• Cruise speed: 90 mph (140 km/h, 78 kn)
• Range: 450 mi (720 km, 390 nmi) ^[6]

See also

Related development

• Short Springbok
• Short S.1 Cockle
• Short S.2

References

Notes

1. 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. Barnes 1967, p.168.

Bibliography

• Barnes, C.H. (1967). Shorts Aircraft since 1900. London: Putnam.
• Jackson, A.J. (1973). British Civil Aircraft since 1919 Volume 1. London: Putnam. ISBN   0-370-10006-9.
• Grosz, Peter (1998). Dornier D.I Windsock Minidatafile # 12. Hertfordshire, UK: Albatros Publications. ISBN   9780948414923.
• Gray, Peter; Thetford, Owen (1970). German Aircraft of the First World War (second ed.). London: Putnam. pp.  580. ISBN   9780370001036.

External links

• Norwegian archive images of Silver Streak showing structural details
• "Shorts Silver Streak, all metal aeroplane" FLIGHT, 10 November 1921, complete 3 view photos of Silver Streak, bottom half of page 736