Category:Singapore Flying Boats (Short)

1928: Short S.5 Singapore (Mk. I) Flying Boat. Note the lack of rear-facing engines on this early version [image info]

1931:Singamore II, now with four engines, but apparently still with the single tail [image info]

The Dinky Toys model of the Singapore III [image info]

The Singapore Flying Boat was a distinctive-looking biplane flying boat introduced after WW1 with four engines mounted on two pods: two engines facing forwards, and two facing backwards. The aircraft went into proper production in 1933, and were primarily intended to service routes linking destinations in the British Empire, but were also tested on transatlantic flights.

The aircraft saw a lot of service in the 1930 as a long-range seagoing patrol aircraft.

Variants

• The Singapore I (Short S.5) had a single tailfin, and initially just two engines (1926, experimental, one built).
• The Singapore II (Short S.12) gained a triple tailfin and had four engines (~1930, experimental, one built).
• The Singapore III also had the same distinctive triple-tailfin and 2+2 engine configuration, and was the model that actually went into general production, in 1933.

Because the experimental Mk1 and Mk2 versions would have been reasonably well-known to aircraft enthusiasts over the years before a final production design was available, this can lead to some confusing moments when looking at photos of planes that are identified as "Singapore Flying Boats" but have the "wrong" number of engines or tailfins.