User:BillCJ/Sandbox/Short 330

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This is a sandbox for the updated Short 330 article.
Short 330 (SD3-30)
C-23 Sherpa

A Short 330 of Mississippi Valley Airlines at Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport in 1985

Type transport aircraft
Manufacturer Bombardier Aerospace
Designed by Short Brothers
Maiden flight 22 August 1974
Introduced 1976
Primary users Air Cargo Carriers
Royal Thai Army
United Arab Emirates Air Force
Corporate Air
Number built 136
Developed from Short Skyvan
Variants C-23 Sherpa
Short 360

The Short 330 (also SD3-30) is a small transport aircraft created by Short Brothers. It seats up to 30 people and was relatively inexpensive and cheap to operate at the time of its introduction in 1976. The 330 was based on the SC.7 Skyvan.

Contents

[edit] Development

The Short 330 was developed by Short Brothers of Belfast from Short's earlier Short Skyvan STOL utility transport. The 330 had a longer wingspan and fuselage than the Skyvan, while retaining the Skyvan's square shaped fuselage cross section, allowing it to carry up to 30 passengers while retaining good short field characteristics [1]. The first prototype of the 330 flew on 22 August 1974 [2]. It entered service with Time Air (a Canadian Airline) in 1976.

While the basic Short 330 was a passenger aircraft intended as a short range regional and commuter airliner, and had been designed to take advantage of US regulations which allowed commuter airlines to use aircraft carrying up to 30 passengers [3], thereby replacing smaller commuter airliners such as the Beech 99 and the Twin Otter, Shorts also planned two freight versions. The first of these, the Short 330-UTT (standing for Utility Tactical Transport) was a military transport version fitted with a strengthened cabin floor, and paratroop doors [2], which was sold in small numbers, primarily to Thailand, who purchased four. The Short Sherpa was a freighter fitted with a full width rear cargo door/ramp. This version first flew on 23 December 1982 [2], with the first order, for 18 aircraft as the C-23A Sherpa, being placed by the United States Air Force in March 1983.[2]

Production ended in 1992 with a total of approximately 136 being built (including freighter and military versions)[4]. As of 1998, approximately 35 were still in service. The 330's design was refined and heavily modified, resulting in the Shorts 360.

[edit] Variants

Short 330-UTT (standing for Utility Tactical Transport) was a military transport version fitted with a strengthened cabin floor, and paratroop doors

[edit] Operators

[edit] Civilian operators

In August 2006 a total of 28 Short 330 aircraft (all variants) remain in airline service, with Deraya Air Taxi (2), Freedom Air (2), Emerald Airways (1), Air Cargo Carriers (12), Arctic Circle Air Service (1), Corporate Air (3), Jim Hankins Air Service (1), McNeely Charter Service (1), Mountain Air Cargo (2) and Skyway Enterprises (1).[5]

[edit] Military Operators

Flag of Thailand Thailand 
Flag of the United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates 

[edit] Specifications (330-200)

Data from Jane's All the World's Aircraft, 1988-1989 [2]

General characteristics

  • Crew: Three (Two pilots plus one cabin crew)
  • Capacity: 30 passengers
  • Length: 17.69 m (58 ft 0½ in)
  • Wingspan: 22.76 m (74 ft 8 in)
  • Height: 4.95 m (16 ft 3 in)
  • Wing area: 42.1 m² (453 ft²)
  • Airfoil: NACA 63 series (modified)
  • Empty weight: 6,680 kg (14,727 lb)
  • Max takeoff weight: 10,387 kg (22,900 lb)
  • Powerplant:Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-45-R turboprop, 893 kW (1,198 hp) each

Performance

[edit] References

  1. ^ Donald, David (Editor) (1997). The Encyclopedia of World Aircraft. Aerospace Publishing. ISBN 1-85605-375-X. 
  2. ^ a b c d e Taylor, JWR (Editor) (1988). Jane's All the World's Aircraft, 1988-1989. Jane's Information Group. ISBN 0 7106-0867-5. 
  3. ^ Donald, David (Editor) (1999). The Encyclopedia of Civil Aircraft. London: Aurum Press, p.709-714. ISBN 1-85410-642-2. 
  4. ^ Airliners.net: Short 330. Retrieved on 2007-06-18.
  5. ^ Flight International, 3-9 October 2006
  6. ^ Thai Armed Forces - Aircraft Order of Battle. Scramble on the Web. Retrieved on 2007-06-18.
  7. ^ United Arab Emirates Air Force Order of Battle. Scramble on the Web. Retrieved on 2007-06-18.

[edit] External links

[edit] See also

Related development

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