76 RAF CENTENARY CELEBRATION PATROLLERS AND AIRLIFTERS
1918 2018Type: Six-crew long-range strategic transport aircraft
First fl ight: January 5, 1964, entered service January 1966
Powerplant: Four 5,730hp (4,273kW) Rolls-Royce Tyne 101 turboprops
Dimensions: Span 158ft 10in (48.41m), length 136ft 5in (41.58m)
Weights: Empty 125,000lb (56,700kg), all-up 230,300lb (104,464kg)
Max speed: 346mph (557km/h) at 28,000ft (8,534m)
Range: 3,600 miles (5,793km)
Capacity: 150 troops and up to 70,000lb (31,752kg) of freight.
Taken on charge: Te n
Replaced by: Lockheed C-130 HerculesSHORT BELFAST C MK. 1
When the Short Belfast
joined the RAF in 1966
it became the largest and
heaviest type operated by the service
since its inception. It also made
the RAF the first air force in the
world to operate a military transport
aircraft with a fully automatic
landing system.
Designed from the outset as a
long-range military cargo mover,
the Belfast evolved from an earlier
Short Brothers design, which was
effectively a high-winged Bristol
Britannia known as the Britannic.
The original blueprint shared the
Britannia’s Bristol Proteus engines,
but the RAF was looking for an
aircraft with greater range and
payload capabilities, so the Britannic
was abandoned in favour of an
entirely new design.
The resulting Short SC.5 benefited
from more powerful Rolls-Royce
Tyne engines, and the airframe was
enlarged to give a gross weight of
38,000lb (17,237kg).The SC.5 was pitted against
designs from Blackburn, Handley
Page and Vickers in competition
to win the Air Ministry 1959 Spec
C.203 order for the RAF’s new
strategic transport. Short’s proposal
was deemed most suitable and, after
it was christened Belfast, a prototype
was ordered.was deemed most suitable and, after
it was christened Belfast, a prototypeSHORT
BELFAST
1966 TO 1976
DRAGMASTER
The aircraft performed its maiden
flight on January 5, 1964 carrying
the civilian registration G-ASKE
but was later re-registered as XR632
for testing.
Initial trials proved successful
and the RAF ordered ten Belfasts, all
of which were to be delivered
by 1966.
The first example, XR367, was
delivered to 53 Squadron at RAF
Brize Norton on January 20, 1966,
but although handling was deemed
satisfactory the Belfast fleet initially
suffered from a major degradation
in performance. This was caused by
‘suction drag’ around the tail and
rear fuselage; a trait that gave rise
to derogatory nicknames such as
‘Dragmaster’ and ‘Bel-Slow’.
The aircraft were later
retrofitted with aerodynamic
modifications that increased theAbove
A typical Belfast
military load was three
Saladin armoured
vehicles, with a
combined weight of
more than 33 tonnes.
The vehicles could be
driven straight in and
out of the aircraft’s hold
via the loading ramp.Bottom right
Belfast XR369 was
delivered to 53
Squadron in July 1966
and was eventually
named ‘Spartacus’.
It was retired in 1977
and joined Pan African
Freight Liners and
later Rolls-Royce PLC
as G-BEPL. The aircraft
was scrapped at Rolls-
Royce’s Hucknall airfi eld
in July 1979. ANDY HAY/
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