Short Type 184

Short Type 184. The Short Type 184 was a pioneering British twin-float seaplane designed and manufactured by Short Brothers during the First World War. Primarily operated by the Royal Naval Air Service and later the Royal Air Force, it gained fame as the first aircraft in history to sink an enemy ship with an air-launched torpedo. Serving extensively in roles including reconnaissance, bombing, and anti-submarine patrols across multiple theatres of war, the robust and versatile Type 184 became one of the most produced British seaplanes of the conflict.

Design and development

The aircraft was conceived by Oswald Short in response to Admiralty requirements for a seaplane capable of carrying the new Whitehead torpedo. Its design featured a conventional biplane configuration with a wooden structure, fabric covering, and twin main floats supplemented by a tail float. The initial powerplant was the potent 225 hp Sunbeam Mohawk water-cooled engine, driving a four-bladed propeller, though many later variants used other engines like the Rolls-Royce Eagle. A key innovation was the installation of a Wimperis course-setting bomb sight for improved bombing accuracy. The crew of two, a pilot and an observer/gunner, were positioned in separate open cockpits, with the observer operating a single Lewis Gun on a Scarff ring mounting for defense. The aircraft's sturdy construction allowed it to operate from the often-challenging sea conditions around the British Isles and in the Mediterranean Sea.

Operational history

The Type 184 entered service with the Royal Naval Air Service in mid-1915 and achieved a historic milestone on August 12, 1915, when Flight Commander Charles Edmonds, flying from HMS Ben-my-Chree in the Sea of Marmara, sank an Ottoman supply ship—the first successful aerial torpedo attack. Aircraft from HMS Engadine also performed reconnaissance during the Battle of Jutland. They served widely with coastal patrol squadrons, hunting U-boats in the North Sea and English Channel, and were deployed to stations from Felixstowe and Great Yarmouth to the Aegean Sea and the Dardanelles campaign. Although later outclassed by newer landplanes and seaplanes, its reliability ensured it remained in secondary roles like training and communication duties with the postwar Royal Air Force into the early 1920s, seeing use in conflicts such as the Russian Civil War.

Variants

Numerous variants were produced, often distinguished by their engine fit. The initial production model was the Type 184, powered by the Sunbeam Mohawk. The Type 184B introduced a 240 hp Renault engine, while the Type 184C was fitted with a 260 hp Sunbeam Maori. The Type 184D and 184E variants were experimental conversions, one testing a triplane wing configuration. Postwar, several aircraft were converted for civilian use, including the Short S.1 Cockle, a single-seat racing floatplane, and the Short Silver Streak, an experimental all-metal landplane version that informed the later Short Singapore. Manufacturing was also undertaken by other British firms like Brush Electrical, Mann Egerton, and Westland.

Operators

The primary military operator was the Royal Naval Air Service, which used the type throughout the war. Upon its formation in 1918, the Royal Air Force inherited many aircraft, using them for coastal reconnaissance. The Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Canadian Navy also operated a small number. Postwar, the Imperial Japanese Navy acquired several Type 184s for evaluation, and the Greek Navy used them during the early 1920s. A single example was operated by the Estonian Air Force. In the civilian sector, the Seaplane Experimental Station at Felixstowe used them for research, and one was famously flown by Sir Arthur Whitten Brown on a survey flight prior to his transatlantic crossing with John Alcock.

Specifications (Short Type 184)

* **Crew:** 2 * **Length:** 40 ft 7.5 in (12.38 m) * **Wingspan:** 63 ft 6.5 in (19.37 m) * **Height:** 13 ft 6 in (4.11 m) * **Wing area:** 688 sq ft (63.9 m²) * **Empty weight:** 3,703 lb (1,680 kg) * **Gross weight:** 5,363 lb (2,433 kg) * **Powerplant:** 1 × Sunbeam Mohawk V-12 water-cooled piston engine, 225 hp (168 kW) * **Maximum speed:** 88.5 mph (142.5 km/h, 77 kn) * **Endurance:** 2.75 hours * **Service ceiling:** 9,000 ft (2,700 m) * **Armament:** * 1 × 0.303 in (7.7 mm) Lewis Gun on Scarff ring * 1 × 14 in (360 mm) Whitehead torpedo **or** up to 520 lb (236 kg) of bombs

Category:1910s British military reconnaissance aircraft Category:Seaplanes and flying boats Category:Torpedo bombers Category:Aircraft first flown in 1915 Category:Short Brothers aircraft