Short S.8 Calcutta / S.8/8 Rangoon

The 1928 15 passenger Calcutta biplane flying boat originated from an Imperial Airways requirement to service the Mediterranean legs of its services from and to India. The Calcutta itself was derived from the Short Singapore military flying boat. It was the first stressed skin, metal-hulled flying boat.

Imperial Airways operated five of the seven Calcuttas produced, and a single sale to the French government was followed by the French company Breguet licence-building four Calcuttas as the Bizerte. In 1931 Breguet secured a licence to build the Short Calcutta, and this was used as the basis for the company’s Bre.521 submission to meet a 1932 French Navy requirement for a long-range reconnaissance flying-boat.

From the Calcutta Short developed the Rangoon as a long-range reconnaissance type for the RAF. Six were produced and went into service in 1931. These were basically similar to the Calcutta, except that the pilots were accommodated in an enclosed cockpit, in the nose was an open cockpit with Scarff gun-ring and aft of the biplane wings were staggered cockpits for two gunners. Maximum level speed of the Rangoon was 185km/h.

Gallery

Engines: 3 x Bristol Jupiter XI F, 390kW
Wingspan: 28.3 m / 93 ft 10 in
Length: 20.4 m / 67 ft 11 in
Height: 7.2 m / 24 ft 7 in
Wing area: 171.0 sq.m / 1840.63 sq ft
Max take-off weight: 10200 kg / 22487 lb
Empty weight: 6280 kg / 13845 lb
Max. speed: 190 km/h / 118 mph
Cruise speed: 156 km/h / 97 mph
Ceiling: 4000 m / 13100 ft
Range w/max.fuel: 1040 km / 646 miles
Crew: 4-5
Passengers: 12-15