The Short SC.7 Skyvan (nicknamed the "Flying Shoebox") is a British 19-seat twin-
turboprop
A turboprop is a turbine engine that drives an aircraft propeller.
A turboprop consists of an intake, reduction gearbox, compressor, combustor, turbine, and a propelling nozzle. Air enters the intake and is compressed by the compressor. Fuel ...
aircraft manufactured by
Short Brothers
Short Brothers plc, usually referred to as Shorts or Short, is an aerospace company based in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Shorts was founded in 1908 in London, and was the first company in the world to make production aeroplanes. It was particu ...
of
Belfast
Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdo ...
,
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...
. It is used mainly for short-haul freight and
skydiving
Parachuting, including also skydiving, is a method of transiting from a high point in the atmosphere to the surface of Earth with the aid of gravity, involving the control of speed during the descent using a parachute or parachutes.
For ...
.
The
Short 330
The Short 330 (also SD3-30) is a small turboprop transport aircraft produced by Short Brothers. It seats up to 30 people and was relatively inexpensive and had low maintenance costs at the time of its introduction in 1976. The 330 was based on ...
and
Short 360
The Short 360 (also SD3-60; also Shorts 360)Mondey, David. ''Encyclopedia of the World's Commercial and Private Aircraft''. New York: Crescent Books, 1981. , p. 228. is a commuter aircraft that was built by UK manufacturer Short Brothers during ...
are stretched models of the original SC.7, designed as
regional airliner
A regional airliner or a feederliner is a small airliner that is designed to fly up to 100 passengers on short-haul flights, usually feeding larger carriers' airline hubs from small markets. This class of airliners is typically flown by the re ...
s.
Design and development
In
1958
Events
January
* January 1 – The European Economic Community (EEC) comes into being.
* January 3 – The West Indies Federation is formed.
* January 4
** Edmund Hillary's Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition completes the third ...
, Short was approached by F.G. Miles Ltd (successor company to
Miles Aircraft
Miles was the name used between 1943 and 1947 to market the aircraft of British engineer Frederick George Miles, who, with his wife – aviator and draughtswoman Maxine "Blossom" Miles (née Forbes-Robertson) – and his brother George Herbert ...
) which was seeking backing to produce a development of the H.D.M.106 Caravan design with a
high aspect ratio wing similar to that of the
Hurel-Dubois HD.31
The Hurel-Dubois HD.31, HD.32, and HD.34 were a family of civil aircraft produced in France in the 1950s, based on Maurice Hurel's high aspect ratio wing designs.
Design and construction
Tests with the Hurel-Dubois HD.10 research aircraft ha ...
. Short acquired the design and data gathered from trials of the
Miles Aerovan
The Miles M.57 Aerovan was a British twin-engined short-range low-cost transport aircraft designed and produced by Miles Aircraft. It was primarily used for freight and passenger services.
Development of the Aerovan started during the latter y ...
based H.D.M.105 prototype. After evaluating the Miles proposal, Short rejected the Caravan.
They developed their own design for a utility all-metal aircraft which was called the Short SC.7 Skyvan. The Skyvan is a twin-engined all-metal, high-wing monoplane, with a braced, high aspect ratio wing, and an
unpressurised, square-section
fuselage
The fuselage (; from the French ''fuselé'' "spindle-shaped") is an aircraft's main body section. It holds crew, passengers, or cargo. In single-engine aircraft, it will usually contain an engine as well, although in some amphibious aircraft t ...
with twin
fins and rudders.
It was popular with freight operators compared to other small aircraft because of its large rear door for loading and unloading freight. Its fuselage resembles the shape of a railroad
boxcar
A boxcar is the North American ( AAR) term for a railroad car that is enclosed and generally used to carry freight. The boxcar, while not the simplest freight car design, is considered one of the most versatile since it can carry most ...
for simplicity and efficiency.
![Short SC](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/63/Short_SC.7_Skyvan_C-FQSL_TOR_27.07.75_edited-2.jpg)
Construction started at
Sydenham Airport in 1960, and the first prototype first flew on 17 January 1963, powered by two
Continental
Continental may refer to:
Places
* Continent, the major landmasses of Earth
* Continental, Arizona, a small community in Pima County, Arizona, US
* Continental, Ohio, a small town in Putnam County, US
Arts and entertainment
* ''Continental'' (al ...
piston engines.
Later in 1963, the prototype was re-engined with the intended
Turbomeca
Safran Helicopter Engines, previously known as Turbomeca, is a French manufacturer of low- and medium-power gas turbine turboshaft engines for helicopters. The company also produces gas turbine engines for aircraft and missiles, as well as turbin ...
Astazou II turboprop engines of ;
the second prototype (the first Series 2 Skyvan) was initially fitted with
Turbomeca
Safran Helicopter Engines, previously known as Turbomeca, is a French manufacturer of low- and medium-power gas turbine turboshaft engines for helicopters. The company also produces gas turbine engines for aircraft and missiles, as well as turbin ...
Astazou X turboprop engines of but subsequently the initial production version was powered by
Turbomeca
Safran Helicopter Engines, previously known as Turbomeca, is a French manufacturer of low- and medium-power gas turbine turboshaft engines for helicopters. The company also produces gas turbine engines for aircraft and missiles, as well as turbin ...
Astazou XII turboprop engines of . In 1967, it was found that the Astazou XII was temperature limited at high altitudes.
Consequently, in 1968, production switched to the Skyvan Series 3 aircraft, which replaced the Astazou engines with
Garrett AiResearch TPE331
The Honeywell TPE331 (military designation: T76) is a turboprop engine. It was originally designed in the 1950s by Garrett AiResearch, and produced since 1999 by Honeywell Aerospace. The engine's power output ranges from .
Design and developm ...
turboprops of . A total of 149 Skyvans (including the two prototypes)
were produced before production ended in 1986. The United States Air Force operated Sherpa Skyvans in Europe for spare parts and cargo delivery. The larger Sherpas were developed from the earlier models.
Operational history
Skyvans served widely in both military and civilian operations, and the type remained in service in 2009 with a number of civilian operators, and in military service in Guyana and Oman.
![Shorts SC](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8a/Shorts_SC.7_Skyvan.jpg)
Skyvans were used during the infamous
death flight
Death flights ( es, vuelos de la muerte, links=no) are a form of extrajudicial killing practiced by military forces in possession of aircraft: victims are dropped to their death from airplanes or helicopters into oceans, large rivers or even mount ...
s at the depths of Argentina's
Dirty War
The Dirty War ( es, Guerra sucia) is the name used by the military junta or civic-military dictatorship of Argentina ( es, dictadura cívico-militar de Argentina, links=no) for the period of state terrorism in Argentina from 1974 to 1983 a ...
in 1977, during which around 4,400
detainees
Detention is the process whereby a state or private citizen lawfully holds a person by removing their freedom or liberty at that time. This can be due to (pending) criminal charges preferred against the individual pursuant to a prosecution or ...
were thrown to their deaths onto the
Río de la Plata
The Río de la Plata (, "river of silver"), also called the River Plate or La Plata River in English, is the estuary formed by the confluence of the Uruguay River and the Paraná River at Punta Gorda. It empties into the Atlantic Ocean and fo ...
.
Two
Argentine Naval Prefecture
The Argentine Naval Prefecture ( es, Prefectura Naval Argentina or PNA) is a service of Argentina's Security Ministry charged with protecting the country's rivers and maritime territory. It therefore fulfills the functions of other countries' coa ...
Skyvans later participated in the 1982
Falklands War
The Falklands War ( es, link=no, Guerra de las Malvinas) was a ten-week undeclared war between Argentina and the United Kingdom in 1982 over two British dependent territories in the South Atlantic: the Falkland Islands and its territorial de ...
. Both aircraft were ferried to
Port Stanley
Stanley (; also known as Port Stanley) is the capital city of the Falkland Islands. It is located on the island of East Falkland, on a north-facing slope in one of the wettest parts of the islands. At the 2016 census, the city had a populat ...
in April 1982. One aircraft was damaged by
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
naval gunfire on Stanley racecourse, and did not fly again; it was finally destroyed by shellfire during British bombardments on 12/13 June 1982. The second aircraft was used at
Pebble Island
Pebble Island is one of the Falkland Islands, situated north of West Falkland
West Falkland ( es, Isla Gran Malvina) is the second largest of the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic. It is a hilly island, separated from East Falkland by th ...
, where it became bogged down in the soft ground, and on 15 May 1982 it was destroyed by a
British raiding party.
Skyvans continue to be used in limited numbers for air-to-air photography and for skydiving operations. In 1970, Questor Surveys of
Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
Canada converted the first of two Skyvan 3s for aerial geological survey work. The Collier Mosquito Control District uses Skyvans for aerial spraying.
Variants
;Skyvan 1: prototype, one built. 2 x
Continental GTSIO-520 engines.
;Skyvan 1A: re-engined 1st prototype. 2 x 388 kW (520 hp)
Turbomeca Astazou
The Turbomeca Astazou is a highly successful series of turboprop and turboshaft engines, first run in 1957. The original version weighed and developed at 40,000 rpm. It was admitted for aviation service on May 29, 1961, after a 150-hour test ru ...
II engines.
;Skyvan 2:
Turbomeca
Safran Helicopter Engines, previously known as Turbomeca, is a French manufacturer of low- and medium-power gas turbine turboshaft engines for helicopters. The company also produces gas turbine engines for aircraft and missiles, as well as turbin ...
Astazou powered production. 8 Series 2 produced (including the second prototype).
;:
Garrett TPE331
The Honeywell TPE331 (military designation: T76) is a turboprop engine. It was originally designed in the 1950s by Garrett AiResearch, and produced since 1999 by Honeywell Aerospace. The engine's power output ranges from .
Design and developm ...
powered production. 140 produced (of all Series 3 versions) plus 2 Series 2 were converted.
[Barnes 1989 p488.]
;Skyvan 3A: higher gross weight version of Skyvan Series 3.
![Skyvan-g-bjdc](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d4/Skyvan-g-bjdc.jpg)
;Skyvan 3M: military transport version. It can be used for supply dropping, assault transport, dropping paratroops, troop transport, cargo transport, casualty evacuation, plus
search and rescue
Search and rescue (SAR) is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger. The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, typically determined by the type of terrain the search ...
missions.
;Skyvan 3M-200: high gross weight version of Skyvan 3M (MTOW 6,804 kg, 15,000 lb).
;Skyliner: deluxe all-passenger version.
;Seavan: Maritime patrol version, (SC7-3M-4022), principally used by the
Sultan of Oman's Air Force
The Royal Air Force of Oman ( ar, سلاح الجو السلطاني عمان, Silāḥ al-Jaww as-Sulṭāniy ‘Umān or RAFO) is the air arm of the Armed Forces of Oman.
History Sultan of Oman's Air Force era
The Sultan of Oman's Air Force ...
/
Royal Air Force of Oman
The Royal Air Force of Oman ( ar, سلاح الجو السلطاني عمان, Silāḥ al-Jaww as-Sulṭāniy ‘Umān or RAFO) is the air arm of the Armed Forces of Oman.
History Sultan of Oman's Air Force era
The Sultan of Oman's Air Force ...
(SOAF / RAFO)
Operators
Civilian operators
As of July 2009, a total of 39 Skyvan aircraft remained in airline or skydiving service, with
Pink Aviation Services (4),
Sonair (1),
Swala Airlines (2),
Transway Air Services (1),
Deraya Air Taxi
Deraya Air Taxi is an airline based in Jakarta, Indonesia. It operates commuter, charter, medical evacuation, and aerial photography services, as well as a flying school. Its main base is Halim Perdanakusuma International Airport, Jakarta, with a ...
(3),
Layang Layang Aerospace (1),
Macair Airlines
MacAir Airlines Pty Ltd was a regional airline based in Townsville, Queensland, Australia. It operated scheduled passenger services throughout Queensland from major regional locations, as well as regular and ad hoc charters for the minerals indu ...
(1),
Malaysia Air Charter (1),
Olympic Airways
Olympic Airlines ( el, Ολυμπιακές Αερογραμμές, ''Olympiakés Aerogrammés'' – OA), formerly named Olympic Airways for at least four decades, was the flag carrier airline of Greece. The airline's head office was located ...
(1),
Pan Malaysian Air Transport (1),
Wirakris Udara (1),
CAE Aviation
CAE Aviation is an aviation company based in Luxembourg providing services such as aerial surveillance, reconnaissance, parachuting and maintenance to various international governmental agencies and private operators. The business is unrelated ...
(1),
Deltacraft (1),
Invicta Aviation (2),
Advanced Air
Advanced Air is an American scheduled commuter and private charter airline based in Hawthorne, California, at the Hawthorne Municipal Airport where it also owns a fixed base operator, Jet Center Los Angeles.
History
Advanced Air was founded in ...
(1),
Allwest Freight (2),
Era Alaska
Northern Pacific Airways, Inc., d.b.a. Ravn Alaska, is an Alaskan airline that specializes in serving the small communities in the US state of Alaska. The airline is headquartered in Anchorage, which is also home to its primary hub, Ted Stev ...
(3),
GB Airlink (1),
North Star Air Cargo (5),
Skylift Taxi Aereo (1),
Skydive Arizona (13),
Skydive DeLand
Parachuting, including also skydiving, is a method of transiting from a high point in the atmosphere to the surface of Earth with the aid of gravity, involving the control of speed during the descent using a parachute or parachutes.
For ...
(1),
Skydive Lonestar
Parachuting, including also skydiving, is a method of transiting from a high point in the Atmosphere of Earth, atmosphere to the surface of Earth with the aid of gravity, involving the control of speed during the descent using a parachut ...
(1), Skydive Perris (5), Sydney Skydivers (2), SkyForce Piotrków Trybunalski (1),
Skydive Pennsylvania and
Summit Air
Summit Air (8199400 Canada Inc.) is a Canadian airline headquartered in Yellowknife that operates scheduled, charter and cargo aviation throughout the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and Yukon. Summit Air is a member of the Ledcor Group of Compan ...
(2),
Eagle Air (2), Sustut Air (1),
Ryan Air Services
Ryan Air, Inc. is an American airline that serves over 70 villages in Bush Alaska out of hubs in Anchorage, Aniak, Bethel, Emmonak, Kotzebue, Nome, St. Mary's, and Unalakleet. Offering primarily cargo services, Ryan Air also operates s ...
, Nomad Air (2),
Aalto University (Helsinki, Finland),
Skykef (Israel)
As of September 2018, Skydive Lonestar no longer operates a Skyvan.
As of January 2019 Era Alaska, Ryan Air Services and All West Freight no longer operate Skyvans.
Sydney skydivers no longer own Skyvans.
As of May 2019, Olympic Air (successor to Olympic Airways) no longer operates Skyvans.
In 2019, Invicta Aviation sold their 2 Skyvans (G-PIGY, G-BEOL) to the Guyana Defence Force.
Military operators
;
*
Guyana Defence Force
The Guyana Defence Force (GDF) is the military of Guyana, established in 1965. It has military bases across the nation. The Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Force is always the incumbent President of Guyana.
History
The GDF was formed on 1 Nove ...
;
*
Royal Air Force of Oman
The Royal Air Force of Oman ( ar, سلاح الجو السلطاني عمان, Silāḥ al-Jaww as-Sulṭāniy ‘Umān or RAFO) is the air arm of the Armed Forces of Oman.
History Sultan of Oman's Air Force era
The Sultan of Oman's Air Force ...
: Oman continues to operate five of its original 16 Skyvans as of December 2013.
Former military operators
;
*
Argentine Coast Guard
The Argentine Naval Prefecture ( es, Prefectura Naval Argentina or PNA) is a service of Argentina's Ministry of Security (Argentina), Security Ministry charged with protecting the country's rivers and maritime territory. It therefore fulfills the ...
: Bought five in 1971, survivors sold in 1995 following replacement by five
CASA C-212 Aviocar
The CASA C-212 Aviocar is a turboprop-powered STOL medium cargo aircraft designed and built by the Spanish aircraft manufacturer Construcciones Aeronáuticas SA (CASA). It is designed for use by both civil and military operators.
The C-212 w ...
s.
![SC-7-3M-400 Austria](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1d/SC-7-3M-400_Austria.JPG)
;
*
Austrian Air Force
The Austrian Air Force (german: Österreichische Luftstreitkräfte, , Austrian Air Combat Force) is a component part of the Austrian Armed Forces.
History
The Austrian Air Force in its current form was created in May 1955 by the victorious Al ...
;
*
Botswana Defence Force Air Wing
The Botswana Defence Force Air Arm is the air force of the Botswana Defence Force of Botswana in southern Africa.
Chiefs of the Defence Staff Air Wing
The former heads of the Botswana Armed Forces Air Wing were referred to while in office as ...
;
*
Ciskei Defence Force
The Ciskei Defence Force (CDF) was established during March 1981 from the 141 Battalion of the South African Defence Force (SADF). It was the defence force of Ciskei, a bantustan that was controlled by the apartheid regime of South Africa. The CD ...
;
*
Ecuadorian Army
The Ecuadorian Army ( es, ''Ejército Ecuatoriano'', italic=unset) is the land component of the Ecuadorian Armed Forces. Its 160,500 soldiers are deployed in relation to its military doctrine. The contemporary Ecuadorian Army incorporates many jung ...
;
*
Military of Gambia
The Gambia Armed Forces, also known as the Armed Forces of The Gambia, consists of three branches: the Gambia National Army (GNA), the Gambia Navy, and the Republican National Guard (RNG). It formerly included the Gambia National Gendarmerie (GNG) ...
;
*
Ghana Air Force
The Ghana Air Force (GHF) is the aerial warfare organizational military branch of the Ghanaian Armed Forces (GAF). The GHF, along with the Ghanaian army (GA) and Ghanaian navy (GN), make up the Ghanaian Armed Forces (GAF), which are controlled ...
;
*
Indonesian Air Force
The Indonesian Air Force ( id, Tentara Nasional Indonesia Angkatan Udara (TNI-AU), literally "''Indonesian National Military-Air Force''") sometimes shortened as IDAF / IdAF, is the aerial branch of the Indonesian National Armed Forces. The ...
;
*
Japan Coast Guard
The is the coast guard of Japan.
The Japan Coast Guard consists of about 13,700 personnel and is responsible for the protection of the coastline of Japan under the oversight of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. Th ...
;
*
Lesotho Defence Force – Air Squadron
;
*
Malawi Police Force
The Malawi Police Service is an independent organ of the executive that is mandated by the constitution to protect public safety and the rights of persons in Malawi. The Malawi Police Service is overseen by an Inspector General of Police.
Poli ...
Air Wing
;
*
Mauritania Islamic Air Force
The Mauritania Islamic Air Force (french: Force Aérienne Islamique de Mauritanie or ''FAIM'') is the air force of the Armed Forces of Mauritania. It was established in 1960. Like many of the former French colonies, Mauritania received limited ec ...
: bought two Skyvan 3Ms in 1975
;
*
Mexican Air Force
The Mexican Air Force (FAM; es, Fuerza Aérea Mexicana) is the primary aerial warfare service branch of the Mexican Armed Forces. It is a component of the Mexican Army and depends on the National Defense Secretariat (SEDENA). The objective of t ...
;
*
Nepalese Army
The Nepali Army ( ne, नेपाली सेना, translit=Nēpālī Sēnā), technically the Gorkhali Army ( ne, गोरखाली सेना, translit=Gōrakhālī Sēnā, label=none; see ''Gorkhas''), is the land service branch ...
**
Nepalese Army Air Service
The Nepalese Army Air Service ( ne, नेपाली सैनिक विमान सेवा, Nēpālī sainika vimāna sēvā) is the army aviation branch of the Nepali Army, also known as the Nepal Army Air Wing (formerly Royal Nepalese ...
;
*
Yemen Arab Republic Air Force: operated two Skyvans as of 1984
;
*
Panamanian Public Forces
The Panamanian Public Forces ( es, Fuerza Pública de la República de Panamá) are the national security forces of Panama. Panama is the second country in Latin America (the other being Costa Rica) to permanently abolish standing armies, with Pa ...
;
*
Republic of Singapore Air Force
The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) is the aerial service branch of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) responsible for controlling and defending the airspace of the country, and providing air support to the Army and Navy. It was establish ...
**
121 Squadron, Republic of Singapore Air Force operated the Skyvan 3M for Utility transport and Search-and-locate duties from 1973 to 1993.
;
*
Royal Thai Police
The Royal Thai Police (RTP) ( th, สำนักงานตำรวจแห่งชาติ; ) is the national police force of Thailand. The RTP employs between 210,700 and 230,000 officers, roughly 17 percent of all civil servants (excludi ...
**Thai
Border Patrol Police
The Border Patrol Police ( th, ตำรวจตระเวนชายแดน); (BPP) is a Thai paramilitary police under the jurisdiction of the Royal Thai Police, responsible for border security and counterinsurgency.
History
The Thai Bo ...
;
*
United Arab Emirates Air Force
The United Arab Emirates Air Force (UAEAF) ( ar, القوات الجوية والدفاع الجوي الاماراتي, al-Quwwāt al-Jawiyah wa al-Defa' al-Jawiy al-ʾImārāty) is the air force of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), part of the U ...
;
*
Yemen Air Force
The Yemeni Air Force ( ar, القوات الجوية اليمنية, al-Quwwat al-Jawwiya al-Yamaniya) is the air operations branch of the Yemeni Armed Forces. Numbers of aircraft can not be confirmed but serviceability of these aircraft is low. ...
Specification (Skyvan 3)
See also
References
Citations
Bibliography
*
*
*
*
*
*
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Short SC.7 Skyvan
1960s British cargo aircraft
1960s British airliners
Aircraft first flown in 1963
High-wing aircraft
Short Brothers aircraft
Twin-turboprop tractor aircraft
Twin-tail aircraft