aviation

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chartered these aircraft to support the airlift
commitment during the Falklands War in
1982, with regular supply lights to Ascension
Island. Initially, all three were needed though
eventually it thinned down to just one. At
least two (G-BEPS and G-BFYU) had light-
refuelling probes reinstalled at this time. This
support for the UK armed forces during the
conlict proved very proitable for HeavyLift.
In a similar fashion, a single Belfast provided
logistical support in the irst Gulf War almost
a decade later.
The advantage of employing a Belfast
was that it cut out the costs of special
packaging, insurance fees were lower
compared to travel by sea and tight
schedules could be met. Helicopters proved
popular loads. Westland Sea Kings were
delivered to the Indian Navy and Bristow
Helicopters used HeavyLift services to ferry
three Whirlwinds from Lagos, Nigeria, to the

UK, all in one Belfast. The aircraft’s selling

point was its 12ft-square cross section,

uninterrupted for 86ft, which proved equal

to accepting a variety of loads. The wider

sections fore and aft of the wing-fuselage

junction allowed even larger loads, such as

BAC One-Eleven fuselage sections. Ease

of access through the rear-loading doors

and ramp was a boon. The Belfast had the

advantage that an entire engine pod unit

could it comfortably in its spacious hold

and be swiftly ferried back to the airline’s

maintenance base.

G-BFYU was withdrawn from use in mid-

1992, though G-BEPS lasted another seven

years and both were broken up at Southend,

Essex. The inal active Belfast, G-HLFT,

was registered as 9L-LDQ and arrived in

Brisbane, Queensland, in March 2003. In

2007, it became RP-C8020 and was lying for

HeavyLift Cargo Airlines Pty and took relief

supplies to the Solomon Islands in 2008. It

was then withdrawn from use and is currently

parked at Cairns in Western Australia.

The Shorts Belfast was a ine design,

perfect for military supply and the

aerospace industry, transporting aero

engines, fuselages, wings, complete

helicopters, satellites and the like. It was

under-powered though and remedying

its early problems took time, but these

were rectiied. The contemporary Airbus

A400M Atlas is similar to the Belfast in

terms of payload, internal dimensions and

range, albeit superior in speed and airield

performance by virtue of its swept wings

and turboprops of approximately twice the

horsepower.

Shorts had a name for large aircraft,

but the Belfast was its last big aircraft. The

disappointment for the company was that

only ten were built.

One example, XR371, is preserved in the UK and can be found at RAF Museum Cosford. It’s illustrated within the impressive Cold War Exhibition
hall in late September 2018. RAF Museum/Michelle Worthington

The inal airworthy Belfast lew for HeavyLift

Cargo Airlines Pty with the aircraft registered

as RP-C8020. Mark A Camenzuli