Short Empire

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The BOAC Short 'C' Class flying boat G-AFBL Cooee, at Rod El Faray, Egypt, c1942.

The Short Empire or S.23 was a passenger and mail carrying flying boat, of the 1930s and 1940s, which flew between Britain and British colonies in Africa, Asia and Australia. It was manufactured by Short Brothers and was the precursor to the more famous Short Sunderland of World War II.

The Empire was officially known as the C-class and each aircraft was christened with a name beginning with C. The first aircraft, G-ADHL 'Canopus', was completed in June 1936 and launched on 2 July. A total of 42 Empires were built, all at Short's Rochester factory.

Names of the Short S23 seaplanes include: Cavalier, Caledonia, Calpurnia, Cameronian, Canopus, Capella, Caribou, Cassiopeia, Castor, Centaurus, Corinna, Coogee, Coriolanus, and Corsair.

Imperial Airways (and its successor BOAC), Qantas and TEAL operated the Short Empire.

The Short Empire could carry 5 crew, 17 passengers, and 4,480 lb / 2035 kg of cargo. It had four Bristol Pegasus engines, each generating 910 hp / 680 kW. Its wing span was 114 ft / 35 metres and its length was 88 ft / 27 metres. It weighed 24,500 lb / 11 tonnes empty and 40,500 lb / 18 tonnes loaded. Its maximum speed was 174 knots / 320 km per hour.

List of aircraft

Registration	Name	Operator
S.23
G-ADHL	Canopus	IAL/BOAC
G-ADHM	Caledonia	IAL/BOAC
G-ADUV	Cambria	IAL/BOAC
G-ADUW	Castor	IAL/BOAC
G-ADUX	Cassiopea	IAL/BOAC
G-ADVB	Corsair	IAL/BOAC
G-AETV	Coriolanus	IAL/BOAC
G-AETX	Ceres	IAL/BOAC
G-AETY	Clio	IAL/BOAC - to RAF as AX659 9/7/40
G-AETZ	Circe	IAL/BOAC
G-AEUB	Camilla	IAL/BOAC - to QANTAS as VH-ADU 8/42
G-AEUC	Corinna	IAL/BOAC
G-AEUD	Cordelia	IAL/BOAC - to RAF as AX660 9/7/40 returned to BOAC and previous identity - 19/9/41
G-AEUE	Cameronian	IAL/BOAC
G-AEUF	Corinthian	IAL/BOAC
VH-ABA	Carpentaria	QANTAS - to BOAC as G-AFBJ 8/42
VH-ABD	Corio	QANTAS - to IAL/BOAC as G-AEUH 9/39
VH-ABE	Coorong	QANTAS - to IAL/BOAC as G-AEUI 9/39
VH-ABF	Cooee	QANTAS - to BOAC as G-AFBL 8/42
S.30
G-AFCT	Champion	IAL/BOAC
G-AFCX	Clyde	IAL/BOAC
G-AFCY	Captain Cook	QANTAS - to TEAL as ZK-AMC Awarua 3/40
G-AFCZ	Clare	IAL/BOAC
G-AFDA	Aotearoa	to TEAL as ZK-AMA 3/40
G-AFKZ	Cathay	IAL/BOAC
S.33
G-AFPZ	Clifton	IAL/BOAC - to QANTAS as VH-ACD 8/42
G-AFRA	Cleopatra	IAL/BOAC

Military Operators

• Australia, United Kingdom.

References

• BOAC At War - Part 2 - Aeroplane Monthly - August 1975

External links

• [T.E.A.L. Airline]

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