Short Satellite

Satellite
Role	two-seat monoplane
Manufacturer	Short Brothers
First flight	1924
Introduction	1924
Retired	1926
Primary user	Short Brothers
Number built	1

The Short S.4 Satellite was a British small two-seater sporting monoplane, produced in 1924 to take part in the Air Ministry's Two-Seater Light Aeroplane competition on 27 September of that year.

Contents 1 Design 2 History 3 Specifications 4 Notes 5 References

Design

Design began in July, with only weeks available before the competition, so the monocoque fuselage was of conventional design, with wooden box spars; the ribs however were of duralumin, as were the tailplane, elevators, fin and rudder. The cantilever wings had a span of 34 ft (10.3 m) and they, the tail and the fuselage were fabric-covered. The Satellite was fitted initially with an ungeared Bristol Cherub engine, with which it had a top speed of 70 mph (110 km/h) without a passenger.

History

The aircraft was initially fitted with an ungeared Bristol Cherub engine. At the Air Ministry's Two-Seater Light Aeroplane competition at Lympne in 1924, where the Satellite was flown by the company's Chief Test Pilot J. Lankester Parker.^[1] The engine delivered insufficient power to fly with a passenger, so the Satellite, along with 9 of the other 18 entrants, failed to meet the competition's success criteria. It was fitted with a tuned version of the Cherub within the week and on 4 October took part in the Grosvenor Cup race, completing the course and finishing in seventh place. It was later fitted with a geared Cherub II, later still with a ABC Motors Scorpion Mk. II engine, both of which greatly improved its performance. As a result of violent wing flutter experienced at 90 mph (140 km/h), the wingspan was reduced by 2 ft (0.61 m); this solved the problem and no flutter was experienced even at dives of up to 120 mph.^[2]

The Satellite was sometimes irreverently referred to as "Parker's Tin Kettle" because he frequently flew the aircraft.^[3]

Specifications

Data from ^[4]

General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Capacity: 1
• Length: 23 ft 9 in (7.24 m)
• Wingspan: 34 ft (10.3 m)
• Height: ()
• Wing area: 168 ft² (15.6 m²)
• Empty weight: 640 lb (290 kg)
• Loaded weight: 1,060 lb (481 kg)
• Powerplant: 1 × Bristol Cherub, 33 hp. (25 kW)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 72 mph
• Wing loading: lb/ft² (kg/m²)

Notes

References

• Barnes C.H. & James D.N. Shorts Aircraft since 1900. London (1989): Putnam. p. 560. ISBN 0-85177-819-4. 
• "The Guild of Aircraft Pilots and Navigators of London 1929 - 2004"
• "The Short Satellite". "Shorts Quarterly Review" (Short Brothers and Harland Limited) 2 (3): 24. Autumn 1953. 

Aircraft produced by Short Brothers Manufacturer designations Dunne D.5 • 330 • 360 Improved S.27 L.17 N.1 • N.2A • N.2B • N.3 S.1 • S.3 • S.4 • S.5 • S.6 • S.7 • S.8/S.8/8 • S.10 • S.11 • S.12 • S.14 • S.15 • S.16 • S.17 • S.18 • S.19 • S.20 • S.21 • S.22 • S.23 • S.25 • S.26 • S.27 • S.29 • S.30 • S.31 • S.32 • S.33 • S.35 • S.38 • S.39 • S.40 • S.41 • S.45 • S.45 Seaford/S.45 Solent • S.47 • S.90 SA1 • SA2 • SA4 • SA5 • SA6 • SA9 SB1 • SB2 • SB3 • SB4 • SB5 • SB6 • SB7 SC1 • SC2 • SC5 • SC7 • SC9 SD1 By name (alphabetical) 330 • 360 • Belfast • Biplane No .1 • Biplane No .2 • Biplane No .3 • Bomber • Calcutta • Chamois • Cockle • Cromarty • Crusader • Empire • 'Folder' • G-Class • Gurnard • Improved S.27 • Kent • KF1 • Knuckleduster • Mercury • Maia • Mussel • Nimbus • Pusher Biplane • R31 • R32 • R38 • Rangoon • S.27 • S.32 • S.38 • S.41 • S.45 • SA5 • SA9 • Sandringham • Sarafand • Satellite • SB1 • SB5 • SC1 • Scion Senior • Scion • Scylla • Seaford • Sealand • Seamew • Sherpa (C-23) • Sherpa (SB4) • Shetland • Shirl • Silver Streak • Singapore • Skyvan • Solent • Sperrin • Sporting Type • Springbok • Stirling • Sturgeon S.6 (biplane) • Sturgeon • Sunderland • Tandem-Twin • Triple-Tractor • Tucano • Type 3 • Type 42 • Type 74 • Type 81 • Type 135 • Type 136 • Type 166 • Type 184 • Type 310 • Type 320 • Type 827 • Type 830 • Valetta by type Bomber: Bomber • Stirling Experimental and prototypes: Cromarty • S.27 • Improved S.27 • S.38 • SB1 • SB4 Sherpa • SB5 • SC1 • SC9 Canberra • Shetland • Sperrin Maritime patrol: Kent • Rangoon • Sarafand • Sunderland • Seaford Training: S.27 • Improved S.27 • S.38 Transport: 330 • 360 • Belfast • Short-Mayo Composite • Sandringham • Scion • Scion Senior • Solent  • Sherpa • Skyvan Under licence Bristol Britannia • English Electric Canberra • Felixstowe F.3 • Felixstowe F.5

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