Short SA.4 Sperrin

[lemoncat]

this plane just looks soooooooo niccccccce..wow

[atotti2000]

a lovely saab?
its like the military version of their civilian prop.
quality lemoncat

[FLYING_TRUCKER]

Great lemoncat...Fantastic Design

Did that Aircraft go into production and military/civilian use?
Do you have any info on this aircraft including interior shots and cockpit?

Thanks for posting it!!!!!

Cheers...Happy Landings...Doug

[Felix/FFDS]

The Sperrin was conceived as a "safety" in case the "V" bombers weren't as successful as they eventually became.

http://avia.russian.ee/air/england/short_sperrin.html

While there is more information available, suffice it to say that the Sperring was basically a "conventional" design with the unconventional arrangement of its four engines.  

Short Bros. initial design for a jet bomber was too unconventional and the smaller Sperrin was made to a more modest proposal.

The Sperrin ended up in prototype form since its specification was met (and exceeded) by the Vickers Valiant.

[foo_fighter]

wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwowwwww

where? where? wheeeeeeere can I d/l this??????

cya!

[ozzy72]

Agreed Foo, where did you find that beast Lemoncat?

[foo_fighter]

hey oZZY!

found her at alphsim's site, freeware department!!!
she ll cause that error message cos it's an old model, just click NO and move on!!!!
I just love her!
Onwe more sugestion, d/l the XB-51 Xperimental!!! reaaaally strange and funnie guy!

cya!

[Hagar]

Hehe Lemoncat. You certainly know how to pick 'em. This brings back a lot of fond memories for me. The Sperrin is just one of many prototypes I was lucky enough to see back in the 'Golden Age' of the jets. The ones that didn't quite make it were often used as engine test-beds & displayed in various guises at the Farnborough Air Show. This was an annual event in those days & very different to what it is now. Here's some info on the Sperrin if you're interested.

The Shorts design became the "SA.4", later known as the "Sperrin". It was, as intended, a conservative design, basically a jet-powered version of a World War II style bomber with conventional tail assembly and straight wings (though the wings did have leading-edge sweep). The only particularly unusual feature was that the four Rolls-Royce Avon engines were fitted in nacelles mounted in the midwing, with two engines in each nacelle mounted in a top-and-bottom fashion.

The first prototype performed its initial flight on 10 August 1951, with Shorts chief test pilot Tom Brooke-Smith at the controls. It was fitted with Avon RA.2 turbojets with 26.6 kN (2,720 kgp / 6,000 lbf) thrust each. In March 1950, well before the initial flight, the Air Ministry had decided that the Sperrin wouldn't be put into production, but work on the two prototypes was allowed to continue.

The second prototype performed its first flight on 12 August 1952. It was fitted with Avon RA.3 turbojets with 28.1 kN (2,950 kgp / 6,500 lbf) thrust each. The two Sperrin prototypes were used in a variety of trials through the 1950s, including engine tests for the big de Havilland Gyron turbojet, with 66.7 kN (6,800 kgp / 15,000 lbf) thrust, with the nacelles modified to accommodate a Gyron in the lower half and an Avon in the upper half; the "Blue Danube" atomic bomb; and the "Blue Boar" TV-guided missile, which did not see service. Both Sperrin prototypes were scrapped in the late 1950s.

PS. I wasn't particularly interested in the Sperrin but did find a nice Lanc at Alphasim. They also posted another interesting prototype. The strange little Short SC.1 VSTOL research aircraft. I also remember seeing that demonstrated at Farnborough.

[Billerator]

Interesting. Looks like an an-26 with jets  8) .

[Tequila Sunrise]

wierd bird  8)
I got the SC.1 yesterday and its got what to my knowledge is a unique animation, when you deploy the speedbrakes the canopy opens and the pilot ejects  8)
Anyone know if they'll be releasing the Sea Vixen any time soon, I really want to fly it of the Ark and Hermes in CFS2  ;D

[lemoncat]

thanx for the nice replys
thanks felix&hagar for the very interesting info..
sorry foo for not saying where i found her..
i was so excited at finding the sperrin i forgot... i hope
someone does an upgrade for it. but this one will do very nicely
for now
thanx for reminding me crazy about the ejector animation on the sc-1 when i posted my screenies i meant to show the pilot ejecting but forgot due to the shock of finding this gorgous plane..the sc-1 is a real blast though don;t you think
weeeeeeeeeee..........