Short Silver Streak

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Silver Streak
Short Streak Crop 1.jpg
Role Experimental all-metal biplane
National origin United Kingdom
Manufacturer Short Brothers
First flight 1920
Number built 1

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 (179 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 the 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 from [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[6] ft2 (34.4 m2)
  • Empty weight: 1865 lb (846 kg)
  • Gross weight: 2870 lb (1302 kg)
  • Powerplant: 1 × Siddeley Puma 6-cylinder water-cooled inline piston engine, 240 hp (179 kW)

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 120 mph (193 km/h)
  • Cruise speed: 90 mph (145 km/h)
  • Range: 450[6] miles (723 km)

See also

Related development

External links

References

Notes

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 Jackson 1973, page 297
  2. "The First Fifty Years" Flight 11 December 1953 p762
  3. Grosz, 1998, p.0
  4. Grey, 1970, p.573-581
  5. https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1938/1938%20-%203512.html
  6. 6.0 6.1 Barnes 1967, p.168.

Bibliography

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