The Short Solent is a passenger flying boat produced by Short Brothers in the late 1940s. It was developed from the Short Seaford (Short Sunderland) military flying boat design.
The Solent is a high wing monoplane of aluminum construction. Power was provided by four Bristol hercules engines. This Solent III was flown by BOAC and could carry 34 passengers and 7 crew.
The aircraft, along with two sister ships were brought to North Field, in Oakland to be refitted to fly a South Pacific route. Nuclear testing at Christmas Island cancelled the route, and the aircraft eventually were purchased by Howard Hughes and moved to Richmond, CA.
In the early 1980s, the Grant brothers rescued the one remaining boat. With some assistance from the Richmond Redevelopment Authority, it was moved back to North Field. It was moved to the Oakland Aviation Museum in 1991.
| Wing Span: | 112 ft. 9 in. |
| Length: | 87 ft. 8 in. |
| Height: | 37 ft. 7 in. |
| Weight (empty): | 47,760lbs |
| Weight (full): | 75,000lbs |
| Fuel Capacity: | 3168 US gal. |
| Fuel Consumption: | 90 gals. per hour |
| Engines: | Four 1600 HP supercharged bristol hercules 637V 14 cylinder twin row radial sleeve valve |
| Propellers: | Dehavilland 4 blade -constant speed, full feathering 147” diameter |
| Flight Crew: | Captain, First Officer, Navigator, Radio Operator, Flight Engineer. Also: (3) cabin staff |
| Passengers: | 34 |
| Cruising Speed: | 220 mph |
| Range: | 2100 miles |
Additional Information:
Oakland Aviation Museum
SeaWings - The Flying Boat Website
Short Bros. S.45 Seaford Flying Boat (PDF format)
A Brief History Compiled by David H Clarke