Short SB.5
Short Brothers · United Kingdom · first flew 1952 · light aircraft
The Short SB.5 was a British research aircraft with an adjustable wing, designed by Short Brothers to test wing sweep.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, variable |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × turbojet, fuselage-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Tailplane that could be mounted on the fin or below the fuselage |
| T — Tail | T-tail |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Adjustable-sweep high wing
- Tailplane that could be mounted on the fin or below the fuselage
- Single turbojet in the fuselage
A small research jet with a Rolls-Royce Derwent engine and a wing whose sweep could be changed on the ground.
Specifications
- The Short SB.5 has a length of 13.94 m (46 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 10.9 m (36 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 500 km/h (311 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
It was built to Air Ministry requirement ER.100 and first flew on 2 December 1952.
Variants
Only one was built. Its tailplane could be mounted on top of the fin as a T-tail or below the fuselage.
Where you'll see it
It tested the low-speed handling of the wing sweeps needed for the English Electric P.1 and confirmed the P.1 configuration. It was retired in 1967.
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