Short Sealand
Type of aircraft / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Short SA.6 Sealand was a light, commercial amphibious aircraft designed and produced by Short Brothers. It was sized to accommodate between five and seven passengers as well as to suit the general overseas market in territories with suitable water access and/or runways. It could take off from and land on rivers, lakes and sheltered bays or prepared runways, and could be flown by either a single pilot or a pilot and navigator.
Sealand | |
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Short Sealand prototype and demonstrator G-AIVX at RNAS Stretton on 25 July 1953 | |
Role | Amphibious Seaplane |
Manufacturer | Short Brothers |
Designer | C. T. P. Lipscomb |
First flight | 22 January 1948 |
Introduction | 31 December 1950 |
Primary users | Indian Navy Christian & Missionary Alliance Royal Dutch Shell Yugoslav Air Force |
Number built | 25 |
On 22 January 1948, the maiden flight of the Sealand took place; the first examples entered service roughly two years later. A total of two production variants of the type were produced, the SA.6 Sealand I and the SB.7 Sealand III, an extended version with longer wings, a deeper rudder and a strengthened hull. The proposed SB.2 Sealand II was intended as the type's second prototype, but was never completed as such, instead becoming the first of the batch of 4 pre-production aircraft G-AKLM to G-AKLP.[1] The Sealand was flown by both civilian and military operators, the Indian Navy being a particularly prominent operator of the type. Its operational life including regular flights within various areas of the world, including Borneo, East Bengal, Norway and Venezuela.