G-AEUA. Short S-23C Empire Class Flying Boat. c/n S.843.
This was the twentieth Empire boat completed and flown by Short Bros at Rochester, Kent The order was placed by Imperial Airways, London - September 02, 1935 Completed as a S-23 Empire Class boat having 920 h.p. Bristol Pegasus Xc engines The standard fuel capacity was 650 gallons It had an all-up weight of 40,500 lbs (18,380 kg) which was later increased to 53,000 lbs (24,200 kg) The cruising speed was 164 m.p.h. with a standard range of 760 miles / 1,245 km First flown as G-AEUA - August 27, 1937 Certificate of Registration Issued - August 27, 1937 Delivered to Imperial Airways, London - August 28, 1937 The aircraft was named 'Calypso' Commenced regular services Alexandria - Habbaniyah - Sharjah - Karachi - October 1937 Operated the inaugural Southampton - Sydney EAMS service (Captain E. H. Attwood) - July 28, 1938 It was requesitioned by the R.A.A.F. in exchange for the Qantas aircraft VH-ABD - September 22, 1939 Entered onto the Australian Military Aircraft Register as A18-11 It was destroyed when hull the collapsed during a heavy landing at Daru, Papua New Guinea - August 8, 1942 |
G-AEUA. Imperial Airways - 'Calypso' in the all-metal livery at Southampton, June 1938. (R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 2545-246.) |
A18-11. Royal Australian Air Force - in the all-metal livery at an unknkown location, January 1940. (R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 2545-247.) |