Shorts Belfast

✈️ Shorts Belfast – Heavy Lift Transport Aircraft

The Shorts Belfast was a large, four-engine turboprop military heavy-lift cargo aircraft developed and built by Short Brothers (Shorts) in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It was designed for the Royal Air Force (RAF) and operated primarily in the 1960s–70s.

Only 10 aircraft were built, making it a rare but significant transport aircraft due to its size, load capacity, and specialized design for oversized military cargo.

🛠️ Key Specifications

📦 Design Features

🚛 High-Capacity Cargo Hold

Huge internal volume for transporting military vehicles, helicopters, and palletized loads
Roll-on/roll-off capability via a rear-loading ramp and clamshell doors

💪 Heavy-Lift Focus

Designed to supplement and replace the aging Handley Page Hastings
Built to carry bulky and oversized cargo—rare for its time

✈️ High-Wing, T-tail Design

Offered better ground clearance and unobstructed cargo access
Wing design provided stability and high lift for heavy loads

⚙️ Advanced Avionics (for the era)

Navigation and autopilot systems were suited for long-range, high-capacity missions

🪖 Operational History

Entered RAF service in 1965 with No. 53 Squadron, RAF Brize Norton
Used primarily for strategic airlift, transporting large equipment like: Vehicles Helicopters (including Wessex and Puma) Troop deployments Missiles and radar systems
- Vehicles
- Helicopters (including Wessex and Puma)
- Troop deployments
- Missiles and radar systems
Served alongside the Lockheed C-130 Hercules, but offered greater internal volume
Retired from the RAF by 1976

🧳 Post-RAF Civilian Use

After military retirement:

6 Belfasts were sold to commercial operators, including Heavylift Cargo Airlines
Modified and used for oversized air freight (similar to the Antonov An-124 or Airbus Beluga)
Occasionally seen transporting oil rig parts, large machinery, and relief aid

🔍 Notable Facts

Only 10 built, making it a rare aircraft
Was at the time of its introduction one of the largest aircraft in the Western world
Nicknamed “The Mighty Belfast” due to its size and capability
Supported strategic missions during the Cold War, especially in Europe and the Middle East
Shared some design lineage and engine type with the Vickers Vanguard and Lockheed Electra

📉 Why It Didn’t Last

✖ High operating costs ✖ Limited production run (only 10 units) ✖ Superseded by newer aircraft like the C-130 Hercules, C-17 Globemaster III, and Airbus A400M ✖ Lack of global export success

🏛️ Legacy and Preservation

A few examples have been preserved or displayed in museums
Represents a critical step in British heavy-lift aircraft development
Its design influenced later heavy transport and cargo aircraft concepts

Feature	Specification
Crew	5 (2 pilots, 1 flight engineer, 2 loadmasters)
Length	136 ft 9 in (41.7 m)
Wingspan	157 ft (47.85 m)
Height	43 ft (13.1 m)
Max Takeoff Weight	~223,000 lbs (101,150 kg)
Payload Capacity	~78,000 lbs (35,400 kg)
Powerplant	4 × Rolls-Royce Tyne RTy.12 turboprop engines (~6,100 hp each)
Max Speed	~370 mph (595 km/h)
Range (with max payload)	~2,300 miles (3,700 km)
Service Ceiling	~30,000 ft (9,145 m)
Cargo Hold Dimensions	84 ft long, 13 ft wide, 12 ft high

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