Short S.36
Short Brothers · United Kingdom · first flew 1912 · light aircraft
The Short S.36 was a British two-seat tractor biplane built by Short Brothers for Francis McClean in 1911. It was later developed into the Short S.41 and S.45.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Square-section fuselage mounted in the middle of the gap between the wings |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Unequal-span two-bay tractor biplane with ailerons on the top wing only
- Square-section fuselage mounted in the middle of the gap between the wings
- Front-mounted Gnome rotary engine, with skids extending forward to protect the propeller
An early tractor biplane with its fuselage set mid-gap, a rotary engine in a cowled nose and a rectangular rudder and tailplane.
Specifications
- The Short S.36 has a length of 10.82 m (35 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 14.15 m (46 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 97 km/h (60 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
The tractor biplane idea came from Cecil Grace, and McClean asked for one to be built with a 70 hp Gnome Gamma engine. McClean first flew it on 10 January 1912.
Variants
The Admiralty ordered two similar aircraft, which became the 100 hp Gnome Double Omega-powered S.41 and the 70 hp Gnome Lambda-powered S.45.
Where you'll see it
McClean lent it to the Naval Flying School at Eastchurch. On 11 March 1912 Lieutenant A. M. Longmore made a four-hour flight with a mechanic, winning the Mortimer Singer Prize.
Related aircraft
- Short S.38
- Short S.41
- Short S.45
- Short S.47 Triple Tractor
- ASL Viking
- Avro Type E (Avro 500)
- Avro Type F
- Avro Type G
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