Short Type 184
role : torpedo bomber
first flight : start of 1915 operational : August 1915
country : United-Kingdom
design : Horace Short
production : 900 aircraft
general information :
On 28 July 1914 for the first time a torpedo was launched succesfully with a Short float-plane. On 12 August 1915 a Turkish merchantship was sunk by a torpedo launched from a Short 184 seaplane flown by Charles H.K. Edmonds. It was the first ship ever destroyed by a torpedo launched from an aircraft. Edmonds and his Short 184 operated from the seaplane-carrier HMS Ben-My-Chree in the sea of Xerox. The Ben-My-Chree was sent to the Dardanelles with the purpose of destroying the German cruisers Goeben and Breslau. Edmonds flew without observer because with the weight of the torpedo and fuel for 45 minutes the Short 184 could not climb above 180 metres ! Edmonds cruised over the Bulair (Bolayir) peninsula when he discovered the 5000 ton Turkish merchant ship anchored at the yard of Injeh Burnu in the Sea of Marmara. Edmonds approached the merchant form a height of 4.5 metres above the water and launched his torpedo at a distance of 275 metre. The torpedo hit the ship and it sank. Later it was claimed that the ship was put out of action 4 days earlier by submarine E.14. On 17 August 1915 Edmonds also sank an Turkish ammunition ship near Ak Bashi Liman. The same day Captain G.B.Dacre sank a big Turkish tugboat in the Bay of False. He taxied towards the tugboat because loaden with the Whitehead torpedo the Short 184 could not take-off from the water due to engine problems.
HMS Ben-my-Chree (“Woman of my Heart”) built in 1907 as packet steamer, she was chartered by the RN begin 1915 and converted to seaplane carrier
The 184 could loaded with a torpedo just take-off from the water and it was difficult to fly. Soon it was not used for torpedo attacks anymore and only for reconnaissance, ASW and as bomber. It was equipped with a receiver-transmitter to keep contact with ships. The electrical power was provided by a retractable wind-driven generator. The 184 remained in service till 1918 !
A Short 184 s/n 8359 took part in the battle of Jutland as the only British aircraft.
users : RNAS
crew : 2
armament : 1 movable 7.70 [mm] (0.303 in) Lewis machine-gun for the observer
engine : 1 Sunbeam Mohawk liquid-cooled 12 -cylinder V-engine 225 [hp](165.5 KW)
dimensions :
wingspan : 19.36 [m], length : 12.38 [m], height : 4.11[m]
wing area : 63.9 [m^2]
weights :
max.take-off weight : 2433 [kg]
empty weight operational : 1680 [kg] bombload : 370 [kg]
performance :
maximum speed : 137 [km/u] op 610 [m]
service ceiling : 2743 [m]
endurance : 2.75 [hours]
estimated action radius : 170 [km]
description :
3-bay two float biplane with tail float
2 (aid) tipfloats
two spar upper and lower wing
engines, landing gear, fuel and bombs in or attached to the fuselage
airscrew :
fixed pitch 2 -bladed tractor airscrew with max. efficiency :0.66 [ ]
estimated diameter airscrew 3.29 [m]
angle of attack prop : 11.52 [ ]
reduction : 0.61 [ ]
airscrew revs : 1445 [r.p.m.]
pitch at Max speed 1.58 [m]
blade-tip speed at Vmax and max revs. : 252 [m/s]
calculation : *1* (dimensions)
mean wing chord : 1.65 [m]
calculated wing chord (rounded tips): 1.76 [m]
wing aspect ratio : 11.73 []
estimated gap : 1.78 [m]
gap/chord : 1.08 [ ]
seize (span*length*height) : 985 [m^3]
calculation : *2* (fuel consumption)
oil consumption : 4.1 [kg/hr]
fuel consumption(cruise speed) : 39.3 [kg/hr] (53.6 [litre/hr]) at 72 [%] power
distance flown for 1 kg fuel : 3.14 [km/kg]
estimated total fuel capacity : 167 [litre] (123 [kg])
calculation : *3* (weight)
weight engine(s) dry : 347.5 [kg] = 2.10 [kg/KW]
weight reduction gear : 8.3 [kg]
weight 19 litre oil tank : 1.6 [kg]
oil tank filled with 1.2 litre oil : 1.1 [kg]
oil in engine 9 litre oil : 8.3 [kg]
fuel in engine 1 litre fuel : 0.8 [kg]
weight 23 litre gravity patrol tank(s) : 3.4 [kg]
weight radiator : 26.5 [kg]
weight exhaust pipes & fuel lines 19.8 [kg]
weight self-starter : 4.1 [kg]
weight cowling 6.6 [kg]
weight airscrew(s) (wood) incl. boss & bolts : 24.8 [kg]
total weight propulsion system : 459 [kg](18.9 [%])
***************************************************************
fuselage skeleton (wood gauge : 9.63 [cm]): 259 [kg]
bracing : 19.9 [kg]
fuselage covering ( 22.4 [m2] doped linen fabric) : 7.2 [kg]
weight controls + indicators: 7.9 [kg]
weight seats : 6.0 [kg]
weight other details, lighting set, etc. : 5.1 [kg]
weight bomb storage : 25.9 [kg]
weight 145 [litre] main fuel tank empty : 11.6 [kg]
weight engine mounts & firewalls : 8 [kg]
total weight fuselage : 351 [kg](14.4 [%])
***************************************************************
weight wing covering (doped linen fabric) : 41 [kg]
total weight ribs (120 ribs) : 145 [kg]
load on front upper spar (clmax) per running metre : 919.4 [N]
load on rear upper spar (vmax) per running metre : 351.6 [N]
total weight 8 spars : 197 [kg]
weight wings : 383 [kg]
weight wing/square meter : 5.99 [kg]
weight 12 interplane struts & cabane : 44.0 [kg]
weight cables (114 [m]) : 35.6 [kg] (= 311 [gram] per metre)
diameter cable : 7.1 [mm]
weight fin & rudder (5.2 [m2]) : 32.1 [kg]
weight stabilizer & elevator (7.2 [m2]): 43.6 [kg]
total weight wing surfaces & bracing : 538 [kg] (22.1 [%])
*******************************************************************
weight machine-gun(s) : 12.7 [kg]
weight pivot mounting mg :5.0 [kg]
weight armament : 18 [kg]
********************************************************************
weight floats : 274 [kg] (11.2 [%])
*******************************************************************
********************************************************************
calculated empty weight : 1640 [kg](67.4 [%])
weight oil for 3.3 hours flying : 13.7 [kg]
weight cooling fluids : 35.7 [kg]
weight 5 drums empty : 1.0 [kg]
weight ammunition (235 rounds) : 9.0 [kg]
*******************************************************************
calculated operational weight empty : 1698 [kg] (69.8 [%])
published operational weight empty : 1680 [kg] (69.1 [%])
_____________
| | |o| | |
-------------
= =
weight crew : 162 [kg]
weight fuel for 2.0 hours flying : 79 [kg]
********************************************************************
operational weight : 1939 [kg](79.7 [%])
bomb load : 370 [kg]
operational weight bombing mission : 2309 [kg]
fuel reserve : 44 [kg] enough for 1.12 [hours] flying
possible additional useful load : 80 [kg]
operational weight fully loaded : 2433 [kg] with fuel tank filled for 100 [%]
published maximum take-off weight : 2433 [kg] (100.0 [%])
||
||
I||==|
||
||
calculation : * 4 * (engine power)
power loading (operational without bombload) : 11.72 [kg/kW]
total power : 165.5 [kW] at 2350 [r.p.m]
calculation : *5* (loads)
manoeuvre load : 1.8 [g] at 1000 [m]
limit load : 2.5 [g] ultimate load : 3.8 [g] loadfactor : 2.0 [g]
design flight time : 2.20 [hours]
design cycles : 705 sorties, design hours : 1550 [hours]
operational wing loading : 298 [N/m^2]
wing stress (3 g) during operation : 149 [N/kg] at 3g emergency manoeuvre
calculation : *6* (angles of attack)
angle of attack zero lift : -1.08 ["]
max.angle of attack (stalling angle) : 10.64 ["]
angle of attack at max.speed : 2.76 ["]
calculation : *7* (lift & drag ratios
lift coefficient at angle of attack 0° :0.10 [ ]
lift coefficient at max. angle of attack : 1.08 [ ]
lift coefficient at max.speed : 0.36 [ ]
induced drag coefficient at max.speed : 0.0061 [ ]
drag coefficient at max.speed : 0.0487 [ ]
drag coefficient (zero lift) : 0.0425 [ ]
calculation : *8* (speeds
stalling speed at sea-level (OW): 76 [km/u]
landing speed at sea-level (OW without bombload): 91 [km/hr]
min. drag speed (max endurance) : 90 [km/hr] at 1372 [m] (power:44 [%])
min. power speed (max range) : 102 [km/hr] at 1372 [m] (power:49 [%])
max.rate of climb speed : 85.8 [km/hr] at sea-level
cruising speed : 123 [km/hr] op 1372 [m] (power:67 [%])
design speed prop : 130 [km/hr]
maximum speed : 137 [km/hr] op 610 [m] (power:91 [%])
climbing speed at sea-level (without bombload) : 175 [m/min]
calculation : *9* (regarding various performances)
take-off distance at sea-level : 192 [m]
lift/drag ratio : 11.04 [ ]
max. practical ceiling : 3825 [m] with flying weight :1790 [kg]
practical ceiling (operational weight): 3425 [m] with flying weight :1939 [kg]
practical ceiling fully loaded (mtow- 1 hour fuel) : 2300 [m] with flying weight :2394 [kg]
published ceiling (2743 [m]
climb to 1500m (without bombload) : 10.00 [min]
max.dive speed : 332.6 [km/hr] at 1300 [m] height
load factor at max.angle turn 1.89 ["g"]
turn radius at 500m: 57 [m]
time needed for 360* turn 11.9 [seconds] at 500m
calculation *10* (action radius & endurance)
operational endurance : 3.12 [hours] with 2 crew and 450 [kg] bombload
published endurance : 2.75 [hours] with 2 crew and possible useful (bomb) load : 465
[kg] and 88.1 [%] fuel
action radius : 867 [km] with 2 crew and 20[kg] photo camera/radio transmitter or bombload
max range theoretically with additional fuel tanks for total 904 [litre] fuel : 2079 [km]
useful load with action-radius 250km : 503 [kg]
production : 62.08 [tonkm/hour]
oil and fuel consumption per tonkm : 0.70 [kg]
_
I_°°=/
====
Literature :
Bomber 14-39 page 47
Praktisch handboek vliegtuigen deel 1 page 186,187
Bombers 1914-19 page 147
Wikepedia
Warplanes WOI page 39,61
Jane’s FAWOI page 80
DISCLAIMER Above calculations are based on published data, they must be
regarded as indication not as facts.
Calculated performance and weight may not correspond with actual weights
and performances and are assumptions for which no responsibility can be
taken.
Calculations are as accurate as possible, they can be fine-tuned when more
data is available, you are welcome to give suggestions and additional information
so we can improve our program.
For copyright on drawings/photographs/content please mail to below mail address
(c) B van der Zalm 04 January 2019 contact : info.aircraftinvestigation@gmail.com python 3.7.2(32-bit)