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Aviation History
1932
1932 - 0714.PDF
FLIGHT, JULY 15, 1932 THE SHORT R.6/28 FLYING BOAT " PRESENTED " ON Monday last representatives of the Press, the air craft industry and many other friends of Short Brothers had been invited to view the new six- engined flying boat launched recently. The party boarded a paddle steamer at Strood and were taken down the Medway towards Kingsnorth, where the machine was moored. As soon as the party arrived, the crew began to start the six Rolls-Royce " Buzzard " engines, accomplishing the task in about four minutes by hand turning! Mr. Lankester Parker was at the controls, and next to him was Maj. Brackley, of Imperial Airways. After warming up the engines Mr. Parker took off right alongside the steamer, and thus gave everyone a perfect view of the clean be haviour of the boat on the water. For the next half-hour or so Mr. Parker showed the new boat's paces, and then alighted alongside the steamer again, the " amerissage " being as clean as the take-off. The new boat, at present known as Flying Boat R.6/28, is of extremely pleasing lines, and the tandem arrange ment of the six engines results in a very low frontal area. The machine is entirely of metal, with the exception of the wing covering, which is fabric doped with Cellon. The machine has a wing span of 120 ft., and the total loaded weight is approximately 70,000 lb. The six engines are Rolls-Royce " Buzzards," type III MS. The airscrew gearing has a ratio of 0.477:1, and the normal power is 820 b.h.p. at 2,000 r.p.m. at sea level. The maximum power is 930 b.h.p. at 2,300 r.p.m. at sea level. Mr. Parker's masterly handling of the machine was greatly admired, and after the demonstration he had to come aboard the steamer and be photographed, filmed and " talkied." Even this did not seem to disturb him. We wonder what would give Parker stage fright! As the new machine is a military type, no performance figures may be given, but the boat is certainly very fast, and we understand it will have a very useful range. When we need the really large commercial flying boat, the R.6/28 Short should provide a useful basis to work from. (See Photograph on p. 643.) 666
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