Summary The short Belfast, a durable propellor aircraft, flew under RAF and commercial cargo airlines until retirement. Rumors suggest one of ten manufactured examples could return to the skies with the Flying Tigers. Despite ongoing restoration efforts, doubts remain regarding future flight abilities.
Nearly 60 years ago, on January 5th, 1964, the Short Belfast first took to the skies. This unique heavy air freighter was powered by four turboprop engines and was among the largest propellor aircraft ever to enter service with the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force . Manufactured by Short Brothers and named for the Northern Irish capital in which it was built, Short Belfast first entered service in 1966.
For the first decade of its operational history, the aircraft was flown by the RAF, who retired the aircraft in 1976. However, the plane was not done roaming the skies and soon entered service with cargo airlines from the United Kingdom and Australia. Eventually, the aircraft was also retired from commercial operations.
However, surviving airframes can still be seen at Cairns International Airport (CNS) and the RAF Museum Cosford, and there are small whispers that an example could return to the skies in the future. Background and development Crew : Five (two pilots, engineer, navigator and loadmaster) Capacity : 150 troops (250 with removable upper floor installed) / 78,000 lb (35,380 kg) payload Max takeoff weight : 230,000 lb (104,326 kg) Powerplant : 4 × Rolls-Royce Mk.101 t.