Shorts 360

Short Brothers · United Kingdom · first flew 1981 · airliner

The Shorts 360 is a 36-seat twin-turboprop regional airliner with a distinctive braced high wing and boxy fuselage, a stretched development of the Shorts 330.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — WingsHigh-mounted, straight
E — Engines2 × turboprop, wing-mounted
F — FuselageBoxy square-section fuselage
T — TailTwin fin

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Unmistakable for its braced high wing, twin-fin tail, and a square box-like fuselage cross-section that gives it an almost utilitarian look.

Specifications

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

First flown in 1981 and in service from 1982, the 360 lengthened the 330's fuselage, increased capacity to 36 and revised the rear fuselage and tail. It was built by Short Brothers in Belfast, with around 165 produced before the line closed in 1991.

Variants

The baseline 360 was followed by the more powerful 360 Advanced and the 360-300 with uprated engines and six-blade propellers. Dedicated freighter conversions kept many airframes in cargo service.

Where you'll see it

A Belfast-built type, the Shorts 360 was a staple of UK regional aviation, flown by Loganair and Flybe-heritage operators and serving eastern and regional UK airports on commuter and feeder routes. Its rugged box-section cabin suited short Scottish and regional sectors.

Related aircraft

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