Short 330 and 360 - The Feederliners

[@robg5958]

Excellent presentation. I am a former Short Brothers Airframe Fitter, (apprentice intake, 1980)and I worked on the 330/360 and Sherpa production lines. All three aircraft had an amazing amount of interchangeable parts and they certainly were good value for money. When the first Sherpa was handed over to the US military, no expense was spared for a huge presentation ceremony in the aircraft assembly building at Sydenham known as A.A.B. A massive stars and stripes flag was ordered, but before delivery it somehow became stained by dirty rainwater. During the presentation, the first Sherpa was positioned in front of the water damaged flag so that the cameramen present would only be able to take photos of the clean section of the flag draped behind the aircraft. It worked out well in the end. I have many happy memories of my time at Shorts. Great aviation company with a great heritage. I have always been proud to say that I was a Shorts Apprentice.

[@daszieher]

Thank you for sharing!

[@sg_simulations6344]

Fantastic personal account. Thanks for sharing it.

[@robg5958]

@@daszieher I am not sure if you are writing from Germany, but after I left Short Brothers in 1988, I ended up working at MBB Lemwerder near Bremen for almost six years. Lemwerder is now closed, but it was one of the best places I have ever worked at. Top quality and fantastic German efficiency!

[@daszieher]

@@robg5958 indeed, I am German and even work and live in Hamburg. Very nice to see that you appreciated "our" aero industry. 👍. Our in quotation marks because it, while very often depending on national support (tax money), it is "made" by the actual individuals working there. Through one of my customers I have (lose!) connections to Finkenwerder (Airbus). My first knowledge of the Short Brothers as an aircraft manufacturing company was through a book on WWII aircraft that I received as a present in sixth grade. It also featured the Short Sunderland, very impressive!

[@robg5958]

@@daszieher I have happy memories of Hamburg as well. I stayed in hotel Schumann, Langenhorner Chaussee, for nine months in 1993 whilst working at Lufthansa. It's a pity that ASL Lemwerder closed as the expertise it possessed cannot be easily replaced. Unfortunately, the airlines seek only profit and they care nothing about quality. They see repairs and maintenance as a drag on their profit margins. Thankfully, I am retired now. I'm hoping to visit Germany later this year.

[@priceyA320]

The Irish Concorde. A fine machine.

[@daszieher]

😂 Irish Concorde, I love it! 😂

[@TimSmyth23]

Offensive. It’s British, NOT Irish.

[@priceyA320]

@@TimSmyth23 Belfast is in Ireland is it not?

[@PriddhasPengu]

@@priceyA320 It's indeed in a part (or a decent chunk) of Ireland that just so happens to fall under full British control.

[@Mgaffo222]

Still Ireland@@PriddhasPengu

[@IndaloMan]

20 years ago I recall flying from London City to Leeds Bradford on a Shorts aircraft. It was leased to British Midland from a Caribbean airline, the forward bulkhead was decorated with palm trees, sandy beaches and beach bars. #goodolddays

[@cellpat2686]

11:33 - The little sherpa in camo. Very cute.

[@daigriffiths399]

Yup - the Flying Shed. I worked in Shorts during the Millenium Bug panic in the I.T. team. Even though it had been part of Bombardier for years, it was still known as 'Shorts' in Northern Ireland. I had been fascinated by the Flying Shed for years and with the help of the Training Department I developed a full study-level simulation based on what was then Microsoft's Flight Simulator 2000. I was utterly amazed by the number of Shed pilots who used it for systems familiarisation - I had emails from (literally) all around the world! As I type this, the row of manuals that the Training Department helped 'liberate' for that exercise are on the shelf behind me. I also finished that Millenium Bug contract in legal possession of a set of rudder pedals, two control wheels, one control column and two cockpit seats from an SD-360-300.

[@mikearakelian6368]

Good flying box...excellent for freight operations and turbine engines

[@arthurmee]

I was always fascinated by the quirky but ultimately utilitarian appearance of the 360s flying in and out of Exeter airport. Miss them now.

[@paulw4310]

I flew the 330 from 1990-92 and the 360 from 1990-94. In fact two of them are pictured in this video: N896HA and N711PK. I always wondered what pax would think if they knew the fuel load was right above their heads...no wing tanks. It was a rugged workhorse, but was physically demanding on long 6 leg days. Great experience and great memories.

[@stephenjenkins10]

I used to enjoy my flights back from Belfast City airport up to Glasgow, with Logan Air, when I was a student at The University of Strathclyde. As the SD360 wasn’t pressurised they flew lower than other aircraft, usually at about 10,000 feet I think. This meant that when you crossed the Irish Sea to Scotland, the plane would turn left, up along the Firth of Clyde, along the Ayrshire coast to Glasgow. As we were so low, compared to pressurised aircraft, you got a great view along the coast up into Glasgow.

[@SimonWallwork]

That was me, that was.

[@mikearakelian6368]

I flew a Sherpa at KWA for ARMY, the shorts team came out to kWA to check out all ARMY contract pilots( Global assc) one of my best check rides! Great place to live n fly...

[@davidchant5550]

Wonderful presentation. I remember back as a trainee aircraft mechanic in the late cold Autumn of 1985, hopping aboard a 330 from Luton to Isle of Man night postal run, sitting on the mail bags. What a great utility and rugged aeroplane. Seriously easy to load and unload. Happy memories.

[@theoldar]

I flew in a Shorts from State College to Philadelphia in 1984. It was very loud, but the views from the low altitude cruising altitude were great!

[@jonrolfson1686]

Working in Thailand in the late eighties and early nineties often entailed travel to some of the kingdom’s smaller towns. Those journeys were usually by road, but the occasional need to swap out with a co-worker who was already in place meant air travel. Thai Airways Shorts 330 aircraft proved to be a great way to travel to those smaller towns. As an additional benefit, the small airliner’s generously sized windows provided a great view as the altitude-limited unpressurized craft crossed the countryside.

[@MrArgus11111]

I really enjoy this channel. I'm learning quite a lot about British and European aerospace and trains and cars from you, Ruairidh. Thank you! This information is hard to collate as an American and you do the job nicely.

[@arturo468]

I flew these for Gill Airways back in the 1990s. Great fun and also some challenging flights during winter over the north sea to Denmark.

[@KarmaFlight]

I flew the C-23 Sherpa in Iraq in 2006-07 with I Company, 185th TAC. Thanks for making the video.

[@jospi2]

One interesting detail is that the fuselage due to its shape generates part of the lift.

[@johnnunn8688]

I’m not going to Google it but yes, looks like it’s possible.

[@cellpat2686]

Ain't that something. 😄

[@TheHylianBatman]

That thing is so goofy! I love it a lot!

[@egpx]

Ah, the Shed! A curious beast, pootling about at 10,000ft or below. I controlled a few of them in my time, mainly Loganair examples heading to the Highlands and Islands. Flew in a few too. As a passenger it was quite a decent aircraft for the role it filled. Positively capacious compared with the competition. It will always be a Shed to me though because a) it looked like one and b)it flew like one!

[@paleoph6168]

So this is the aircraft James May got his pilot's lisence for - his shed. It's an inconspicuous one, I'll give you that.

[@cellpat2686]

a) 😄😄😄 b) 😄😄😄

[@AIRLINERVIDEOS]

Superb video! Loved the Shorts 360! I remember being sat watching British Midland Shorts 360s flying in and out of East Midlands Airport as a kid. Together with noisy DC-9s!

[@donalfinn4205]

‘I remember being sat?..

[@Mancozeb100]

Flew the Aer Lingus route Dublin-Liverpool in 360s. Taking off from Speke Airport, on the return journey, the ascent seemed so slow, it often looked to me, like we were going to slide backwards into the Mersey !

[@markparry63]

It's Liverpool Airport, Speke was the old RAF Speke station.

[@Mancozeb100]

@@markparry63 Is it not the same place ? - RAF Speke became Speke Airport became Liverpool Airport became Liverpool John Lennon Airport… ?? Speke is not that big surely?

[@markparry63]

@@Mancozeb100 same site yes, but like Manchester Airport isnt called Ringway anymore neither is Liverpool Airport called Speke.

[@Mancozeb100]

@@markparry63 Liverpool Airport is in Speke though - it’s the same location - maybe I should have said, the airport in Speke. It wasn’t called John Lennon Airport until the 2000s - it was in the early ‘90s when I flew there - and I’m sure it had a Speke Airport sign - if not indeed, Speke International Airport, over the entrance of the, then, new building ! I understand that the RAF had been there too. There was an older runway just to the east of the current runway - assuming that was one of the earlier RAF runways?

[@markparry63]

@@Mancozeb100 I grew up in Speke and it has never been called Speke International. Always Liverpool Airport since I was a lad in the late 60s. The older runway was the EAF one that airlines used until the new runway was built. Lots of Vickers Viscounts, Vanguards, Dan Air DH Comets, then the Logan Air and others with the Short aircraft. BA used to operate Jetstream aircraft to Belfast in the early 80s. When the new runway was built the old hangars to the west of the field were used for general aviation until the new facility by Dungeon Lane was built. Older people used to still say Speke but the airport hasn't used that name for many decades.

[@stevenr2463]

Very informtative, thank you. I frequently flew on Shorts to and from Guernsey, Channel Islands, in the 1980s and 90s. Never realised that they were not pressurised?

[@ManxAndy]

Shorts 330 & 360 were the mainstay of the main airline serving the Isle of Man 🇮🇲 back in the 80s, known as the flying skips …. Basic , crude but totally reliable…..they were superseded by a fleet of ATPs …which were limousine’s in comparison 👍🇮🇲😉

[@camclark7046]

Wonderful coverage of a unique and versatile aircraft. I had the opportunity to fly on a Short 330 with launch customer Time Air. I think it was 1979. As an aside there is a smalll but non-zero chance that an updated 360 will see a production run in the future. It all depends on demand and as noted, this plane filled a niche for short haul services into rugged airfields for a plane bigger than the DHC-6 Twin Otter.

[@flemmingsorensen5470]

Great video - as always 👍

[@Looter92]

The notorious Edmonton City Centre Airport!

[@one42chrisp]

YXD, gone but not forgotten!

[@blah7956]

The battle for control over the USAF/US Army sherpas was an interesting tale.

[@zanelindsay1267]

I had never heard of this airplane but it's an interesting story, Thanks for sharing! A minor trivial point at 10:04 - - Americans don't pronounce the second "c" in "Connecticut".

[@propman3523]

Excellent presentation. I enjoy seeing a daily Short 360, which operates KMKE-KMSN (my home)-KMEM and return.

[@michaelmorley7719]

I first saw a 330 around 1980 when my father took a trip on Allegheny Commuter out of Youngstown. For as small as it was, it made a lot of noise.

[@modelmanfrank]

There is a Short 360 at Sebring airport. It is here till it finds another owner

[@FastAsFunk]

Excellent video. Love Short bothers aircraft.

[@SimonWallwork]

It flew better than it looked. My first job in aviation was as an F/O with Loganair on the 3-60. She flew great. Edit to add- We had G-LEGS, G-WACK, G-ISLE, G-BVMY (a -300), G-BLGB (goes bang), G-BKMX & G-BMAR.

[@carlszymanski5812]

Commonly known as the ' Flying shed '

[@Yormsane]

Back in the 90s, these would operate out of Leeds Bradford Airport, in the service of Gill Airways. I think they flew from there to Edinburgh, but my memory may be a bit hazy by now.

[@williamerazo3921]

All over the Caribbean islands for American Eagle

[@threeparots1]

I dint realize Time Air launched a version of this. Rework done in Calgary too. The new Dehavilland Canada does some work around the Calgary, possibly converting Canadair 215 into turboprop either in or next to the old Field aviation building. shortly lives on building wings for the A220 in a very creative design. Neat stuff and nice review. These Shorts aircraft did get use out of YVR for quite some time.

[@nopenotme6369]

I always liked the astedics of the type even though I’ve heard it’s a challenge to land in crosswinds.

[@peterfinucane8122]

Did these have to fly at night to avoid teasing?

[@terryboyer1342]

No. but the pilots often wear paper bags on their heads.

[@egpx]

I don’t think the aircraft was at all embarrassed about its looks! Incidentally, they flew a lot at night in the UK as they were utilised by the Post Office to move mail around the country.

[@michelbeauloye4269]

By the way, the venerable Skyvan is still extensively used in skydive paratroop operations in many parts of the world.

[@terryboyer1342]

My brother in laws first airline job was with American Eagle flying Short 360s.

[@borisbernal6475]

En Panama volaron Short 360 con la aerolinea regional.aeroperlas por muchos años

[@sg_simulations6344]

Reduced noise? Haha, easily the loudest aircraft I've ever flown on! 😂

[@DaveSCameron]

Same here! 😂

[@priceyA320]

You should ride in a Trislander. 330 positively whispers in comparison..

[@sg_simulations6344]

@@priceyA320 I would've loved a chance at a Trilander. A rare bird nowadays unfortunately.

[@benwilson6145]

Thankyou

[@peterskinner5076]

More commonly known in the UK as The Shed

[@Mancozeb100]

In Ireland, we referred to them as the Vomit Comet !

[@6yjjk]

Back in the 90s, the part of Aberdeen Airport where they spent the night was referred to as The Allotments!

[@nikoscosmos]

Shorts also proposed a successor aircraft called the FJX, a twin turbofan design that looks identical to the ERJ 175. Unfortunately the company was handed to Bombardier who had the CRJ in development and the FJX was binned.

[@johnnunn8688]

The Skyvan, for a few years now, has been used by the RAF, under contract and with RAF pilots, to chuck paras out of the back of, over the old airfield at RAF Little Rissington; a very sad state of affairs. It’s a very noisy aircraft, while in the climb. I worked on them at Oxford Airport.

[@michaeloreilly657]

Ahead of its time. Boeing and NASA will spend billions on similarly designed wings.

[@sg_simulations6344]

We all called them the Shoebox

[@neiloflongbeck5705]

I've heard them call Flying Sheds as well.

[@juliusnepos6013]

Yeah it is nicknamed the shoebox

[@sg_simulations6344]

@@neiloflongbeck5705 Ah that's a good name! I like it.

[@paleoph6168]

​@@neiloflongbeck5705 look what you've done to my bloody shed man!!

[@macjim]

Surly the EE Canberra was the first ‘British built’ after the Spitfire, Rhuairidh?

[@priceyA320]

Designed yes, however the B-57 as the American version was known was built in Maryland in the good ol’ US of A.

[@jb894]

I was on the 330. A flying box.

[@paleoph6168]

A related aircraft - the Shorts SC.7 Skyvan - was featured in the movie Rio (2011).

[@jedwardchorse-nr6um]

The Vomit Comet" Many hours in N896HA shown in video

[@alexandermathar7780]

Bombardier should bring them back as an electric plane.

[@Andrewjg_89]

Where these aircraft so reliable since they were built. And were they also designed to withstand any impact.

[@markparry63]

You said it was the first British aircraft to fly for the USAF since the Spitfire? What about the Canberra?

[@nopenotme6369]

The engineers converted the USAF airframes from “metric” to “standard”, maybe that makes it different enough to make Ruairidh’s statement true. 🤔😏

[@DrivermanO]

The Mosquito was also used by the USAAF. But he did say British built, not British - I think all the USAF Canberras were US built under licence by Martins.

[@markparry63]

@@DrivermanO I think he meant British designed as were an aircraft is assembled does not alter the fact it was a British concept. Just a slip of the tongue.

[@markparry63]

@@astafford8865 Shorts are in Northern Ireland therefore British.

[@macjim]

It’s a Short video this week 🥸

[@Suprahampton]

Get out.....>>>>>>

[@egpx]

🟥 Red Card…

[@richardwillson101]

🤣 love it!

[@ludwigtails]

Mannnnn you should’ve done the a video about the PEP.

[@artoismta]

Who else do you know uploads their videos at 8:00an sharp?

[@markbooth1117]

A shed with wings.

[@johnnunn8688]

I worked on the Skyvan and it had PT6 engines?

[@mikearakelian6368]

No skyvan had Garrett 331 turboprop

[@johnnunn8688]

@ crikey, you took your sweet time answering! 😂🤣

[@user-gi3or8sc7q]

Hellfire Man, gobble, gobbble,gobble

[@21stcenturybohemian]

It almost seems like the wing is too small for the size of the aircraft. And then there is the airfoil shape of the fuselage... is it a lifting body?

[@Agwings1960]

The current problem with the operation of Shorts aircraft is the availability of parts, which is nonexistent

[@macjim]

Yes, the early skyvans fell Short in performance 🥸

[@DaraM73]

You forgot about the Argentinian Junta, (CIA backed) who dispatched suspected opposition individuals into the sea, from the cargo door of 330’s. So let’s remember “the disappeared”. One aircraft still exists, last based in Florida. I’d like to see it returned to Belfast as a memorial display in the Ulster Folk & Transport Museum.

[@charlesrousseau6837]

I wonder whether the voiceover is some sort of AI-generated tune as obviously all sentences are glued together into one giant blur.

[@Psycho9263]

Paint it orange and you have a flying school bus.

[@burntnougat5341]

Skyvan... Airbus I see which country was in charge of naming the European aerospace conglomerate. It certainly wasn't the French or Germans!

[@Patmac74]

Ah, the vomit comet..... Flying into LBA in the 80s and early 90s.....

[@cellpat2686]

One of the ugliest aircraft but that's where its charm lies. A company in Europe uses a small fleet of these for skydiving, All with funny big grins painted on them. A simple practical design which will fly on for a long time. Thanks Ruaridh, one good short on the Shorts' planes.

[@neilturner6749]

Very Confused here Ruairidh - what have the CAB got to do with US Feederliner size regulations? Did you just mean the FAA rather than the CAB or was that whole storyline a research error? Thanks

[@jaysmith1408]

CAB predates the FAA

[@Flaming-Sword-FS]

Who let the DHC-6 twin otter consume drugs💀

[@neiloflongbeck5705]

The Flying Boxcar was the Fairchild C-119. Where do you do your research?

[@flemmingsorensen5470]

No need to be rude.... How many fantastic videos have you produced so far?

[@neiloflongbeck5705]

@@flemmingsorensen5470 when some sets themselves up as an expect and then makes basic errors in their research as our presenter does in most videos then I have to question his abilities as a researcher. In the previous video he described a building as Grade Listed in his opening commentary. There is nothing in the UK called Grade Listed. There are grades of Listing such as I, II and II*. Either it's poor research or poor scripting. If this offends you, then I don't care.

[@smorris12]

@@neiloflongbeck5705 But, generically, buildings are regularly referred to as "listed" without specifying which level. If someone wants to call that "grade listed", that's their choice.

[@neiloflongbeck5705]

@@smorris12 except for the fact that it is wrong. As wrong as giving the wrong nickname to an aircraft. Which is the point I'm making.

[@flemmingsorensen5470]

@@neiloflongbeck5705 You do realize, that you dont have to watch these videos? You can indeed move on, to something that puts you back into your "happy place" ?

[@drstevenrey]

Unpressurized. Can we make perfectly clear that within Europe: Holland, Belgium, Denmark, Northern Germany, Northern France, Southern Italy (but you can't get there) and that was it. Everywhere else, please bugger off with this thing.

[@pavelavietor1]

AMERICA IS A CONTINENT NO A COUNTRY 😂😂 YOU CONFUSE THE USA FOR A CONTINENT NAMED BY THE KINGDOM OF SPAIN IN HONOR OF AMÉRICO VESPUCCI 😂😂. SALUDOS, I WORK ON THE 360 AT ATL. THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES ❤

[@andysedgley]

Why have you sped up your voice?

[@oxcart4172]

Shorts seemed incapable of building a good-looking aircraft!

[@maxant4285]

1973 all crisis

[@drstevenrey]

The SC.7 Skyvan is the only single aircraft from Short Bros. that is actually really useful. The rest is typical British overbearing and delusion.

[@nictamer]

Those have to be the ugliest planes ever built.