Note: This is a sub-section of Short Brothers.
The Short S.17 Kent was a British four-engined 15-seat biplane luxury flying boat airliner, designed and built by Short Brothers to meet a requirement from Imperial Airways for an aircraft with greater range than the Short Calcutta. The new aircraft was to have sufficient range to fly the stage from Mirabella, Crete, to Alexandria in Egypt without the need for refuelling stops in Italian colonial territory due to a political row which had led the Italian Government to ban British aircraft from its ports.
Three aircraft were built, each receiving its own name: Scipio (G-ABFA), Sylvanus (G-ABFB) and Satyrus (G-ABFC); they were referred to collectively within Imperial Airlines as the Scipio Class flying boats. Each had an aircrew of three (two pilots and a radio operator/navigator) and a steward to prepare meals and light refreshments for the passengers.
The second Kent Flying boat, G-ABFB - named Sylvanus (pictured), was launched on 31st March 1931. It was destroyed by fire at Brindisi on 9 November 1935, killing all on board.
General characteristics
- Crew: 4
- Capacity: 16
- Length: 78 ft 5 in (23.91 m)
- Wingspan: 113 ft 0 in (34.45 m)
- Height: 28 ft 0 in (8.51 m)
- Wing area: 2,640 ft² (245 m²)
- Empty weight: 20,460 lb (9,300 kg)
- Loaded weight: 32,000 lb (14,545 kg)
- Engines: 4 × Bristol Jupiter XFBM air-cooled radial piston engine, 555 hp (414 kW) each