Short SC.1
Short Brothers · United Kingdom · first flew 1957 · light aircraft
The Short SC.1 was the first British fixed-wing vertical take-off and landing jet, an experimental aircraft with five Rolls-Royce RB.108 turbojets.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Low-mounted, delta |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 5 × turbojet, fuselage-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 7.77 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | No tailplane |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Single-seat tailless delta with a low wing
- Four lift engines for vertical flight and one for forward flight
- Fixed tricycle undercarriage with twin castoring wheels on each leg
A tiny tailless delta on tall fixed legs, with no external stores or armament. Bleed-air nozzles at the nose, tail and wingtips provided low-speed control.
Specifications
- The Short SC.1 has a length of 7.77 m (25 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 7.16 m (23 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 396 km/h (246 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
It was built to a Ministry of Supply requirement for VTOL research, particularly the transition between vertical and horizontal flight. The first conventional flight was on 2 April 1957 and the first VTOL flight on 26 May 1958.
Variants
Only two prototypes were built. It was also the first VTOL aircraft with a fly-by-wire control system.
Where you'll see it
The two aircraft flew test programmes for the Royal Aircraft Establishment between 1957 and 1971. The research contributed to the Hawker Siddeley P.1127 and the Harrier.
Related aircraft
- Short SB.4 Sherpa
- Short SB.6 Seamew
- Short SB.5
- Short SC.7 Skyvan
- Adkisson SJ-1 Head Skinner
- Akaflieg Stuttgart fs24 Phönix
- Alexander Schleicher K 8
- Andrews A1
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