Shorts 330
Short Brothers · United Kingdom · first flew 1974 · airliner
The Shorts 330 is a 30-seat Belfast-built twin-turboprop commuter airliner with a braced high wing, twin fins and a characteristically boxy square-section fuselage, direct ancestor of the stretched Shorts 360.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 2 × turboprop, wing-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Shorter boxy fuselage seating 30 passengers versus the 36-seat stretched Shorts 360 — predecessor to the 360 |
| T — Tail | Twin fin |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Shorter boxy fuselage seating 30 passengers versus the 36-seat stretched Shorts 360 — predecessor to the 360
- Twin vertical fins on a high straight braced wing — the defining Shorts family recognition feature
- Fixed slab-sided undercarriage with prominent fairings; rectangular windows on a rectangular cross-section fuselage
Shorter than the 360 with fewer fuselage window bays — the 330 seats 30 versus 36, and the rear fuselage ends more abruptly. Twin fins and braced high wing are shared with the 360; the 330 is the squatter, stubby sibling.
Specifications
- The Shorts 330 has a length of 17.69 m (58 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 22.76 m (75 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 352 km/h (219 mph).
- Typical crew: 2.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Short Brothers developed the SD3-30 (later Shorts 330) from the Skyvan utility aircraft, scaling up its twin-boom concept into a pressurised airliner that first flew on 22 August 1974. It entered service with Time Air of Canada in 1976 and proved popular in the US commuter market. Around 136 were built before the 360 superseded it.
Variants
The Shorts 330 baseline (originally SD3-30) led to the 330-200 with uprated Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-45 engines and greater weights. Military utility and freight versions including the C-23 Sherpa for the US Army became the most numerous variant by total production.
Where you'll see it
Air UK and several UK independent carriers flew the 330 on domestic commuter routes in the early 1980s. Its boxy, utilitarian nature suited freight and quick-change operations, and cargo conversions kept many airframes flying long after the 360 displaced them on passenger work.
Related aircraft
- Shorts 360
- Short C-23 Sherpa
- Short Belfast
- Short Belfast C.1
- Douglas DC-9-50
- Swearingen SA226-TC Metro II
- Boeing 747SP
- de Havilland Canada DHC-7 Dash 7
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