Short Shirl
Short Brothers · United Kingdom · first flew 1918 · bomber
The Short N.1B Shirl was a British single-seat biplane intended to carry heavy torpedoes from early aircraft carriers late in the First World War.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Rectangular plywood-covered fuselage for ditching |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Two-bay biplane with unstaggered equal-span fabric-covered wings
- Rectangular plywood-covered fuselage for ditching
- Honeycomb radiator immediately behind a two-blade propeller
A large single-seat biplane with a split-axle undercarriage on skids, designed to ditch at the end of its mission.
Specifications
- The Short Shirl has a length of 10.66 m (35 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 15.85 m (52 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 148 km/h (92 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
The Admiralty issued Specification N.1B in late 1917 for an aircraft able to carry the 1,423 lb Mark VIII torpedo, and Short Brothers built three prototypes with the 385 hp Rolls-Royce Eagle VIII. The first flew on 27 May 1918.
Variants
The first aircraft was given slight sweepback after flotation bags shifted the centre of gravity, and its undercarriage was changed to a split-axle design that could be jettisoned. The design was developed further for a transatlantic attempt that was not successful.
Where you'll see it
Trials showed that it could deliver the torpedo, and an order for 100 was placed. The Navy decided in early 1919 not to go ahead and ordered more Sopwith Cuckoos instead.
Related aircraft
- Felixstowe F.3
- Short N.2B
- Short Sporting Type
- Short Silver Streak
- AEG G.V
- AEG R.I
- Airco DH.10 Amiens
- Airco DH.9A
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