94-614: The Short Belfast (or Shorts Belfast ) is a heavy lift turboprop freighter that was built by British manufacturer Short Brothers at Belfast . Only 10 aircraft were constructed, all of which entered service with the Royal Air Force (RAF), who operated it under the designation Short Belfast C.1 . Upon its entry into service, the Belfast was the largest aircraft that the British military had ever operated up to that time. It
188-613: A fuel and oxidizer mixed in select proportions with the grain size and burn chamber determining the rate and time of burn. Larger missiles might use liquid-propellant rockets where propulsion is provided by a single or combination of liquid fuels. A hybrid system uses solid rocket fuel with a liquid oxidizer. Jet engines are generally used in cruise missiles , most commonly of the turbojet type, because of their relative simplicity and low frontal area while turbofans and ramjets can also be theoretically used. Long-range missiles have multiple engine stages and might use similar type or
282-429: A head-up display , and radio altimeter . The cargo deck, 84 ft long (26 m) in a circular-section pressurized fuselage over 16 ft in diameter (4.9 m) (roomy enough for two single-deck buses ), was reached through a "beaver tail" with rear loading doors and integral ramp. It was large enough that forklift trucks could work within the cargo hold. The main undercarriage was two eight-wheel bogies and
376-423: A ballistic trajectory. Most anti-tank and anti-ship missiles are part of surface-to-surface missile systems. An anti-satellite weapon (ASAT) is a space weapon designed to incapacitate or destroy satellites for strategic or tactical purposes. Although no ASAT system has yet been utilized in warfare , a few countries have successfully shot down their own satellites to demonstrate their ASAT capabilities in
470-406: A constant-speed propeller increase their pitch as aircraft speed increases. Another benefit of this type of propeller is that it can also be used to generate reverse thrust to reduce stopping distance on the runway. Additionally, in the event of an engine failure, the propeller can be feathered , thus minimizing the drag of the non-functioning propeller. While the power turbine may be integral with
564-488: A high-mounted wing, which carried four Rolls-Royce Tyne turboprop engines. According to aerospace publication Flight International , the design of the assemblies of the surfaces of both the tail and wing of the Belfast had been derived from the Bristol Britannia . One of the major changes to the wing was its conversion to a wet wing , which was performed by Canadair . There are few other common elements between
658-675: A higher standoff distance engaging targets from far away and out of range of low range air defenses. A surface-to-air missile (SAM) is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft , other missiles or flying objects. It is a type of anti-aircraft system and missiles have replaced most other forms of anti-aircraft weapons due to the increased range and accuracy. Anti-aircraft guns are being used only for specialized close-in firing roles. Missiles can be mounted in clusters on vehicles or towed on trailers and can be hand operated by infantry. SAMs frequently use solid-propellants and may be guided by radar or infrared sensors or by
752-689: A human operator may operate it manually or a support or launch system will transmit commands by using either optic fiber or radio to guide the missile. The flight system uses the data from the targeting or guidance system to maneuver the missile in flight which might be accomplished using vectored thrust of engines or aerodynamic maneuvering using flight control surfaces such as wings , fins and canards . Missiles are powered by propellants igniting to produce thrust and might employ types of rocket or jet engines . Rockets might be fueled by solid-propellants which are comparatively easier to maintain and enables faster deployment. These propellants contain
846-565: A human operator using optical tracking. A surface-to-surface missile (SSM) is a missile designed to be launched from the ground or the sea and strike targets on land. They may be fired from hand-held or vehicle mounted devices, from fixed installations or from a ship. They are often powered by a rocket engine or sometimes fired by an explosive charge, since the launching platform is typically stationary or moving slowly. They usually have fins and/or wings for lift and stability, although hyper-velocity or short-ranged missiles may use body lift or fly
940-416: A large amount of air by a small degree than a small amount of air by a large degree, a low disc loading (thrust per unit disc area) increases the aircraft's energy efficiency , and this reduces the fuel use. Propellers work well until the flight speed of the aircraft is high enough that the airflow past the blade tips reaches the speed of sound. Beyond that speed, the proportion of the power that drives
1034-518: A large double-deck short-haul passenger version of the Belfast. Additional military versions of the Belfast were proposed. The SC5/35 model was intended to be a strategic freighter capable of conducting very long range missions, while the SC5/15 was an envisioned tactical transport configuration, the latter of which was claimed to have required very little modification from the existing aircraft. A more advanced tactical airlifter, designated as SC5/21 ,
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#17327802314241128-415: A limited strike in a smaller area and might carry conventional or nuclear warheads. Strategic missiles are long-range weapons used to target beyond the immediate vicinity and are mostly designed to carry nuclear warheads though other warheads can also be fitted. Strategic weapons are often classified into cruise and ballistic missiles . Ballistic missiles are powered by rockets during launch and follow
1222-437: A mix of engine types. Some missiles may have additional propulsion from another source at launch such as a catapult , cannon or tank gun . Missiles have one or more explosive warheads , although other weapon types may also be used. The warheads of a missile provide its primary destructive power which might cause secondary destruction due to the kinetic energy of the weapon and unused fuel. Warheads are most commonly of
1316-484: A pair of Westland Wessex helicopters, or up to four Westland Whirlwind helicopters, or up to six Westland Wasp or Westland Scout helicopters, or a pair of Polaris submarine-launched ballistic missiles . On 20 January 1966, the Belfast C.1 entered service with No. 53 Squadron when XR367 (the sixth production aircraft) was delivered to RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire . Four months later, No. 53 Squadron
1410-409: A single soldier, to larger tripod-mounted or vehicle and aircraft mounted missile systems. Earlier man-portable anti-tank weapons like anti-tank rifles and magnetic anti-tank mines had a short range but sophisticated antitank missiles can be directed to a longer target by several different guidance systems, including laser guiding, television camera, or wire guiding . An air-to-air missile (AAM)
1504-591: A test-bed not intended for production. It first flew on 20 September 1945. From their experience with the Trent, Rolls-Royce developed the Rolls-Royce Clyde , the first turboprop engine to receive a type certificate for military and civil use, and the Dart , which became one of the most reliable turboprop engines ever built. Dart production continued for more than fifty years. The Dart-powered Vickers Viscount
1598-516: A trajectory that arches upwards before descending to reach its intended target while cruise missiles are continuously powered by jet engines and travel at a flatter trajectory. A ballistic missile is powered by single or multiple rockets in stages initially before following an unpowered trajectory that arches upwards before descending to reach its intended target. It can carry both nuclear and conventional warheads. A ballistic missile might reach supersonic or hypersonic speed and often travel out of
1692-493: A two-wheel nose. The Belfast was capable of a maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) of over 220,500 lb (100 tonnes ) – less than the contemporaneous 250-tonne Antonov An-22 and the 128-tonne Douglas C-133 Cargomaster , but more than the Lockheed C-130 Hercules . It could carry 150 troops with full equipment or various vehicles, such as a single Chieftain tank , or up to three Alvis Saladin armoured cars , or
1786-399: Is a standoff anti-submarine weapon variant of anti-ship missiles used to deliver an explosive warhead aimed directly at a submarine , a depth charge , or a homing torpedo . An anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) is a guided missile primarily designed to hit and destroy heavily armored military vehicles . ATGMs range in size from shoulder-launched weapons, which can be transported by
1880-429: Is a turbine engine that drives an aircraft propeller . A turboprop consists of an intake , reduction gearbox , compressor , combustor , turbine , and a propelling nozzle . Air enters the intake and is compressed by the compressor. Fuel is then added to the compressed air in the combustor, where the fuel-air mixture then combusts . The hot combustion gases expand through the turbine stages, generating power at
1974-591: Is a critical factor for its effectiveness. The missile guidance system accomplishes this by four steps: tracking the target, computing the directions using tracking information, directing the computed inputs to steering control and steering the missile by directing inputs to motors or flight control surfaces. The guidance system consists of three sections: launch, mid-course and terminal with same or different systems employed across sections. The guidance and homing systems are generally classified broadly into active , semi-active and passive . In active homing systems,
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#17327802314242068-523: Is a missile fired from a fighter aircraft for the purpose of destroying another aircraft. AAMs are typically powered by one or more rocket motors , usually solid fueled but sometimes liquid fueled . A radar or heat emission based homing system is generally used and sometimes can use a combination. Short range missiles used to engage opposing aircraft at ranges of less than 16 km often use infrared guidance while long range missiles mostly rely upon radar guidance. An air-to-surface missile (ASM)
2162-496: Is a missile fired from an attack aircraft , strike fighter or an attack helicopter for the purpose of destroying land based targets. Missiles are typically guided and unguided glide bombs not considered missiles. The most common propulsion systems are rocket motor for short range and jet engines for long-range but ramjets are also used. Missile guidance is typically via laser , infrared homing, optical or satellite . Air-to-surface missiles for ground attack by aircraft provide
2256-669: Is no longer flying; it was often visible parked on the General Aviation side of Cairns International Airport in Queensland , in company with one or two of the company's Boeing 727s. Now registered RP-C8020 , it was moved to the general aviation (western) side of the Cairns airport on 19 August 2011, after spending the best part of a year sitting on the Cairns International apron where it had been moved prior to
2350-482: Is normally a constant-speed (variable pitch) propeller type similar to that used with larger aircraft reciprocating engines , except that the propeller-control requirements are very different. Due to the turbine engine's slow response to power inputs, particularly at low speeds, the propeller has a greater range of selected travel in order to make rapid thrust changes, notably for taxi, reverse, and other ground operations. The propeller has 2 modes, Alpha and Beta. Alpha
2444-571: Is often self-guided. It flies at lower speeds (often subsonic or supersonic ) and close to the surface of the Earth, which expends more fuel but makes it difficult to detect. Missiles might be also be classified basis launch platform and target into surface-to-air , surface-to-surface , air-to-air , air-to-surface , anti-ship and anti-tank . An anti-ship missile (AShM) is designed for use against large boats and ships such as destroyers and aircraft carriers . Most anti-ship missiles are of
2538-494: Is sacrificed in favor of shaft power, which is obtained by extracting additional power (beyond that necessary to drive the compressor) from turbine expansion. Owing to the additional expansion in the turbine system, the residual energy in the exhaust jet is low. Consequently, the exhaust jet produces about 10% of the total thrust. A higher proportion of the thrust comes from the propeller at low speeds and less at higher speeds. Turboprops have bypass ratios of 50–100, although
2632-404: Is the mode for all flight operations including takeoff. Beta, a mode typically consisting of zero to negative thrust, is used for all ground operations aside from takeoff. The Beta mode is further broken down into 2 additional modes, Beta for taxi and Beta plus power. Beta for taxi as the name implies is used for taxi operations and consists of all pitch ranges from the lowest alpha range pitch, all
2726-505: The Earth's atmosphere before re-entry. It usually has three stages of flight: Ballistic missiles are categorized based on range as: A cruise missile is a guided missile that remains in the atmosphere and flies the major portion of its flight at a constant speed. It is designed to deliver a large warhead over long distances with high precision and are propelled by jet engines. A cruise missile can be launched from multiple platforms and
2820-551: The Napoleonic Wars . In the early 20th century, American Robert Goddard and German Hermann Oberth developed early rockets propelled by jet engines. In the 1920s, Soviet Union developed solid fuel rockets at the Gas Dynamics Laboratory . Later, the first missiles to be used operationally were a series of rocket based missiles developed by Nazi Germany during World War II including
2914-634: The P-3 Orion , and the C-130 Hercules military transport aircraft. The first turbine-powered, shaft-driven helicopter was the Kaman K-225 , a development of Charles Kaman 's K-125 synchropter , which used a Boeing T50 turboshaft engine to power it on 11 December 1951. December 1963 saw the first delivery of Pratt & Whitney Canada's PT6 turboprop engine for the then Beechcraft 87, soon to become Beechcraft King Air . 1964 saw
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3008-841: The Piper Meridian , Socata TBM , Pilatus PC-12 , Piaggio P.180 Avanti , Beechcraft King Air and Super King Air . In April 2017, there were 14,311 business turboprops in the worldwide fleet. Between 2012 and 2016, the ATSB observed 417 events with turboprop aircraft, 83 per year, over 1.4 million flight hours: 2.2 per 10,000 hours. Three were "high risk" involving engine malfunction and unplanned landing in single‑engine Cessna 208 Caravans , four "medium risk" and 96% "low risk". Two occurrences resulted in minor injuries due to engine malfunction and terrain collision in agricultural aircraft and five accidents involved aerial work: four in agriculture and one in an air ambulance . Jane's All
3102-614: The Tupolev Tu-114 can reach 470 kn (870 km/h; 540 mph). Large military aircraft , like the Tupolev Tu-95 , and civil aircraft , such as the Lockheed L-188 Electra , were also turboprop powered. The Airbus A400M is powered by four Europrop TP400 engines, which are the second most powerful turboprop engines ever produced, after the 11 MW (15,000 hp) Kuznetsov NK-12 . In 2017,
3196-518: The V-1 flying bomb and V-2 rocket which used mechanical autopilot to keep the missile flying along a pre-chosen route. Less well known were a series of anti-ship and anti-aircraft missiles, typically based on a simple radio control ( command guidance ) system directed by the operator. However, these early systems in World War ;II were only built in small numbers. After World War II,
3290-635: The cargo airline TAC HeavyLift . These civilian aircraft were used for the charter transport of various goods, including to the RAF. One Belfast is on display at the RAF Museum Cosford . A Belfast formerly operated by Heavylift Cargo is lying abandoned at Cairns Airport in Australia and was the subject of a legal dispute for fees between the airport and the owner of the aircraft, Flying Tigers . In August 2023, this former Flying Tigers aircraft
3384-540: The high explosive type, often employing shaped charges to exploit the accuracy of a guided weapon to destroy hardened targets. Warhead might carry conventional , incendiary , nuclear , chemical , biological or radiological weapons . Missiles can be classified into categories by various parameters such as type, launch platform and target, range, propulsion and guidance system. Missiles are generally categorized into strategic or tactical missile systems. Tactical missile systems are short-range systems used to carry out
3478-561: The sea skimming variety, and many use a combination of inertial guidance and active radar homing . A large number of other anti-ship missiles use infrared homing to follow the heat that is emitted by a ship; it is also possible for anti-ship missiles to be guided by radio command all the way. Many anti-ship missiles can be launched from a variety of weapons systems including surface warships , submarines , fighter aircraft , maritime patrol aircraft , helicopters , shore batteries , land vehicles and by infantry . Anti-submarine missile
3572-477: The Belfast and the Britannia, although there had been a much greater proportion intended during initial designs for the aircraft. The fuselage of the Belfast was a relatively conservatively stressed cylinder of a conventional design. It was developed with a target safe-life of 15,000 pressure cycles, which was fatigued tested using a complete fuselage immersed in a water tank. Fail-safe principles were used in
3666-605: The RAF issued an increased payload/range demand of 30,000 lb being carried over a distance of 3,600 n.m, greater than the Service had originally been considering. To meet with the stated requirements, Shorts proceeded to develop their original proposal for the Britannic, which was basically stretched into the Britannic III A . As the design of the proposed aircraft was repeatedly revised, it had less and less in common with
3760-451: The Short's project formally commenced, known by the internal designation SC.5/10 . On 21 December 1960, a contract for a total of 10 freighters, designated Belfast C.1, was signed. On 5 January 1964, the prototype Belfast had its maiden flight from Sydenham Airport , Belfast ; chief test pilot Denis Taylor and a crew of six flew for 55 minutes. Following that flight, Taylor stated "It was
3854-533: The Soviet Union had the technology to create the airframe for a jet-powered strategic bomber comparable to Boeing's B-52 Stratofortress , they instead produced the Tupolev Tu-95 Bear, powered with four Kuznetsov NK-12 turboprops, mated to eight contra-rotating propellers (two per nacelle) with supersonic tip speeds to achieve maximum cruise speeds in excess of 575 mph, faster than many of
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3948-1081: The World's Aircraft . 2005–2006. Guided missiles A missile is an airborne ranged weapon capable of self-propelled flight aided usually by a propellant , jet engine or rocket motor . Historically, 'missile' referred to any projectile that is thrown, shot or propelled towards a target; this usage is still recognized today with any unguided jet- or rocket-propelled weapons generally described as rocket artillery . Airborne explosive devices without propulsion are referred to as shells if fired by an artillery piece and bombs if dropped by an aircraft. Missiles are also generally guided towards specific targets termed as guided missiles or guided rockets . Missile systems usually have five system components: targeting , guidance system , flight system, engine , and warhead . Missiles are primarily classified into different types based on firing source and target such as surface-to-surface , air-to-surface , surface-to-air and air-to-air missiles . Rockets were
4042-1021: The advent of the Cold War and development of nuclear weapons necessitated faster, accurate and versatile missiles with longer range and missile development was pursued by multiple countries. Various attempts have been made to control the spread of long range missiles capable of carrying weapons of mass destruction , such as the Missile Technology Control Regime (1987) and the International Code of Conduct against Ballistic Missile Proliferation (2002). These were voluntary and not international treaties . Though not legally binding, more than 140 countries have been part of these agreements, and provide prior information on missile programs, expected launches, and tests. The gradual introduction of missile launched hypersonic glide vehicles since 2019, anti-satellite missiles , and
4136-510: The aircraft in RAF service until the 1990s. HeavyLift's Belfasts were again contracted to support the RAF during the first Gulf War , transporting vehicles and helicopters too large to be carried by the Hercules fleet. After being retired from TAC HeavyLift service, several were parked at Southend Airport for a number of years. One aircraft was refurbished and flown to Australia in 2003, operated by HeavyLift Cargo Airlines . This aircraft
4230-425: The aircraft using production jigs . Multiple derivatives of the Belfast were proposed by Short. Two principal civil versions of the aircraft, designated as SC5/10A and SC5/31 , were mooted during the early 1960s. The SC5/10A was to have been a commercial freighter derived directly from the Belfast C.1, retaining much of its design such as its large rear loading doors for access to the main freight hold. The payload
4324-458: The basis that it would also enable a near-identical civil-orientated model to be produced for home and export use, designated as SC.5/41 . Detailed presentations on the SC.5/41 and SC.5/45 proposals were made to British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) and RAF respectively, but no military order was forthcoming. The Short Belfast was a large heavy-lift strategic transport aircraft. It featured
4418-417: The compressor intake is at the aft of the engine, and the exhaust is situated forward, reducing the distance between the turbine and the propeller. Unlike the small-diameter fans used in turbofan engines, the propeller has a large diameter that lets it accelerate a large volume of air. This permits a lower airstream velocity for a given amount of thrust. Since it is more efficient at low speeds to accelerate
4512-459: The control system. The turboprop system consists of 3 propeller governors , a governor, and overspeed governor, and a fuel-topping governor. The governor works in much the same way a reciprocating engine propeller governor works, though a turboprop governor may incorporate beta control valve or beta lift rod for beta operation and is typically located in the 12 o'clock position. There are also other governors that are included in addition depending on
4606-426: The deployment of dual use missiles capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear warheads are proliferation concerns. A missile is most often guided by a guidance system though there are missiles that are unguided during some phases of flight. Missile guidance refers to methods of guiding a missile to its intended target. Effective guidance is important because reaching the target position accurately and precisely
4700-518: The design of the large side door, rear ramp and door. Rolled Z-sections were used throughout the majority of the fuselage frames and stringers , while box beams are used where the exertion of heavier-than-average loads had been typically anticipated; the structure lacks any use of forgings or machined members. The flying controls of the Belfast incorporated numerous features developed by Bristol and Canadair, in addition to Shorts; all three companies had heavily collaborated on its development. It used
4794-599: The earlier Britannia, incorporating a greater proportion of all-new components, sections, and systems. Amongst the changes made were a new centre section to the wing which added around 16 ft 6 in (5.03 m) to the span and the adoption of the Rolls-Royce Tyne engine. In January 1959, the Ministry announced its selection of Short's design to meet the requirement. Accordingly, in February 1959, work on
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#17327802314244888-500: The easiest ride I have had for a very long time... The aircraft was an absolute joy to fly. She's a beauty." The first two aircraft produced were equipped with dedicated flight-test instrumentation and were used to complete development trials, which totalled roughly 850 flight hours; certification was conducted to both RAF and Air Registration Board (ARB) requirements. The first autolanding was performed after only 120 hours' test flying, less than originally estimated. On 5 October 1964,
4982-479: The end of 1976, the Belfast fleet had been retired and flown to RAF Kemble , Gloucestershire for long-term storage. TAC HeavyLift purchased five Belfasts for commercial use in 1977 and operated three of them from 1980 after being reworked to receive commercial certification . Ironically, some of them were later chartered during the Falklands war , with some sources suggesting that this cost more than keeping all
5076-499: The first jet aircraft and comparable to jet cruising speeds for most missions. The Bear would serve as their most successful long-range combat and surveillance aircraft and symbol of Soviet power projection through to the end of the 20th century. The USA used turboprop engines with contra-rotating propellers, such as the Allison T40 , on some experimental aircraft during the 1950s. The T40-powered Convair R3Y Tradewind flying-boat
5170-564: The first deliveries of the Garrett AiResearch TPE331 , (now owned by Honeywell Aerospace ) on the Mitsubishi MU-2 , making it the fastest turboprop aircraft for that year. In contrast to turbofans , turboprops are most efficient at flight speeds below 725 km/h (450 mph; 390 knots) because the jet velocity of the propeller (and exhaust) is relatively low. Modern turboprop airliners operate at nearly
5264-482: The first of three flying Belfasts departed Northern Ireland for Torrejón de Ardoz , the Community of Madrid , Spain , to participate in two weeks of performance trials; this was the first flight abroad performed by the type. According to Shorts Brothers Chairman, C. E Wrangham, the Belfast had a forecast break-even point of 30 aircraft. Despite the order for only ten aircraft, the decision had been made to assemble
5358-570: The gas generator section, many turboprops today feature a free power turbine on a separate coaxial shaft. This enables the propeller to rotate freely, independent of compressor speed. Alan Arnold Griffith had published a paper on compressor design in 1926. Subsequent work at the Royal Aircraft Establishment investigated axial compressor-based designs that would drive a propeller. From 1929, Frank Whittle began work on centrifugal compressor-based designs that would use all
5452-460: The gas power produced by the engine for jet thrust. The world's first turboprop was designed by the Hungarian mechanical engineer György Jendrassik . Jendrassik published a turboprop idea in 1928, and on 12 March 1929 he patented his invention. In 1938, he built a small-scale (100 Hp; 74.6 kW) experimental gas turbine. The larger Jendrassik Cs-1 , with a predicted output of 1,000 bhp,
5546-430: The missile carries the equipment needed to transmit the radiation needed to illuminate the target and receive the reflected energy. Once the homing is initiated, the missile directs independently towards the target. In semi-active systems, the source of the radiation is located outside the missile usually in the launch vehicle which might be an aircraft or a ship and the missile will receive the radiation to direct towards
5640-406: The model, such as an overspeed and fuel topping governor on a Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6 , and an under-speed governor on a Honeywell TPE331 . The turboprop is also distinguished from other kinds of turbine engine in that the fuel control unit is connected to the governor to help dictate power. To make the engine more compact, reverse airflow can be used. On a reverse-flow turboprop engine,
5734-671: The most widespread turboprop airliners in service were the ATR 42 / 72 (950 aircraft), Bombardier Q400 (506), De Havilland Canada Dash 8 -100/200/300 (374), Beechcraft 1900 (328), de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter (270), Saab 340 (225). Less widespread and older airliners include the BAe Jetstream 31 , Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia , Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner , Dornier 328 , Saab 2000 , Xian MA60 , MA600 and MA700 , Fokker 27 and 50 . Turboprop business aircraft include
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#17327802314245828-403: The near future, although Sir Matthew Slattery , chairman of Shorts, expressed his doubt of the practicality of such an aircraft. Slattery believed that developing such an aircraft from scratch would lack sufficient market prospects and instead encouraged the use of as many components and systems from the existing Bristol Britannia transport aircraft as would be reasonably possible, a measure that
5922-619: The payload and maximum takeoff weight would be considerably elevated above its predecessor. One proposed configuration for the SC5/31 was as a transatlantic airliner, carrying a maximum of 138 passengers on the top deck and up to 55,000 lb of palletised cargo on the lower deck; it was projected that it would be capable of flying a payload of 100,000 lb on the London - New York City route. During 1964, Short revealed that it had approached British European Airways (BEA) with its proposal for
6016-416: The pilot not being able to see out of the rear of the aircraft for backing and the amount of debris reverse stirs up, manufacturers will often limit the speeds beta plus power may be used and restrict its use on unimproved runways. Feathering of these propellers is performed by the propeller control lever. The constant-speed propeller is distinguished from the reciprocating engine constant-speed propeller by
6110-403: The point of exhaust. Some of the power generated by the turbine is used to drive the compressor and electric generator . The gases are then exhausted from the turbine. In contrast to a turbojet or turbofan , the engine's exhaust gases do not provide enough power to create significant thrust, since almost all of the engine's power is used to drive the propeller. Exhaust thrust in a turboprop
6204-438: The possibility for matching an arrangement of four Bristol Orion turboprop engines with an airframe that had been optimised for the purpose of transporting various military stores during the mid-1950s. It was decided to continue these studies as part of the firm's management believed that it was highly likely that there would likely be an Operational Requirement issued for the Royal Air Force (RAF) seeking such an aircraft in
6298-697: The precursor to modern missiles and the first rockets were used as propulsion systems for arrows as early as the 10th century in China . Usage of rockets as weapons before modern rocketry is attested to in China, Korea , India and Europe . In the 18th century, iron-cased rockets were used in India by the Kingdom of Mysore and Maratha Empire against the British which was developed into Congreve rocket and used in
6392-494: The propeller that is converted to propeller thrust falls dramatically. For this reason turboprop engines are not commonly used on aircraft that fly faster than 0.6–0.7 Mach , with some exceptions such as the Tupolev Tu-95 . However, propfan engines, which are very similar to turboprop engines, can cruise at flight speeds approaching 0.75 Mach. To maintain propeller efficiency across a wide range of airspeeds, turboprops use constant-speed (variable-pitch) propellers. The blades of
6486-485: The propeller. This allows for propeller strike or similar damage to occur without damaging the gas generator and allowing for only the power section (turbine and gearbox) to be removed and replaced in such an event, and also allows for less stress on the start during engine ground starts. Whereas a fixed shaft has the gearbox and gas generator connected, such as on the Honeywell TPE331 . The propeller itself
6580-450: The propulsion airflow is less clearly defined for propellers than for fans. The propeller is coupled to the turbine through a reduction gear that converts the high RPM /low torque output to low RPM/high torque. This can be of two primary designs, free-turbine and fixed. A free-turbine turboshaft found on the Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6 , where the gas generator is not connected to
6674-406: The same manual servo-tab system as used on the Britannia, but had some advancements, especially in terms of lateral control via a simpler spoiler configuration. Other advancements include the linking of the port aileron to the rudder to counteract adverse rolling due to rudder deflection, and the elevator is linked to the flaps to cancel out trim changes caused by flap operations. The Belfast
6768-592: The same speed as small regional jet airliners but burn two-thirds of the fuel per passenger. Compared to piston engines, their greater power-to-weight ratio (which allows for shorter takeoffs) and reliability can offset their higher initial cost, maintenance and fuel consumption. As jet fuel can be easier to obtain than avgas in remote areas, turboprop-powered aircraft like the Cessna Caravan and Quest Kodiak are used as bush airplanes . Turboprop engines are generally used on small subsonic aircraft, but
6862-598: The scrapping of the remaining company Boeing 727 (RP-C8016) at the end of September 2010. The HeavyLift titles were painted over on 28 August 2011, but the registration RP-C8020 was still visible. The aircraft was photographed intact, but with no registration visible, at Cairns Airport on 7 August 2017. Following registration with the FAA as N1819S , the Cairns Belfast is apparently undergoing restoration to flight and return to service. A second Belfast, G-BEPS (SH1822),
6956-552: The tail and wings. Perhaps one of the most extensive proposed modifications of the basic Belfast design, designated as SC.5/40 , was to be done in partnership with the American aerospace firm Lockheed Corporation . For this variant, the fuselage of the Belfast would have been paired with the wing of the Lockheed C-141 Starlifter , which would have readily enabled the adoption of turbojet engines in place of
7050-407: The target, the target might required to be tracked continuously if it is in motion. A guidance system might use INS which consists of a gyroscope and accelerometer or might use satellite guidance (such as GPS ) to track the missile’s position relative to a known target. The missile computers will compute the flight path required to steer the missile towards the target. In command guidance ,
7144-429: The target. As the source is located outside, the launch vehicle needs to continue supporting the missile till it is guided to the intended target. In a passive system, the missile relies solely on the information from the target. The homing system might use light such as infrared , laser or visible light , radio waves or other electromagnetic radiation to illuminate the target. Once the guidance system identifies
7238-399: The turboprops. Speculated engines to power this variant included the Pratt & Whitney JT3D-3 (18,000 1b thrust) or JT3D-8 (21,000 1b), Rolls-Royce Conway 550 (21,825 1b) or Bristol Siddeley BS.100 (27,000 1b approximately). A broadly similar but improved proposal, designated as SC.5/45 , was heavily promoted by Shorts for Operational Requirement ASR.364 , partly on
7332-410: The way down to zero pitch, producing very little to zero-thrust and is typically accessed by moving the power lever to a beta for taxi range. Beta plus power is a reverse range and produces negative thrust, often used for landing on short runways where the aircraft would need to rapidly slow down, as well as backing operations and is accessed by moving the power lever below the beta for taxi range. Due to
7426-546: The wings themselves, along with the tail unit, engines, and major portions of the landing gear and various other systems were common to both types. The new circular cross-section fuselage was very large for the era, capable of accommodating a 12-ft-square load for the carriage of bulky loads such as radar units and the Blue Streak medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM); it also allows for troops to be carried across two separate decks. During 1957, it became clear that there
7520-449: Was a definite need within the RAF for a heavy freighter. Accordingly, the issuing of Operational Requirement ASR.371 soon occurred, which sought the procurement freighter capable of carrying a wide range of military payloads over long ranges. The envisioned aircraft was to be operated by Transport Command of the RAF. The military loads envisaged included artillery , more than 200 troops, helicopters , and guided missiles . In particular,
7614-436: Was also notable for being the first aircraft to be designed from the onset to be equipped with full 'blind landing' automatic landing system equipment. Following the formation of RAF Strike Command and a reorganisation of transport assets, the RAF decided to retire all of its Belfast transports by the end of 1976. Shortly after the type had been retired by the RAF, five Belfasts were sold and placed into civilian service with
7708-447: Was at the time perfecting the RAF's requirement for CAT 3 automated landings at RAE Bedford ), and a new rear fairing was developed, which had the result of raising the fleet's cruising speed by 40 mph. The reorganisation of the new RAF Strike Command was to have repercussions on the RAF's Belfast fleet and ushered in the retirement of a number of aircraft types, including the Bristol Britannia and de Havilland Comet in 1975. By
7802-403: Was destroyed in a bombing raid. In 1941, the engine was abandoned due to war, and the factory converted to conventional engine production. The first mention of turboprop engines in the general public press was in the February 1944 issue of the British aviation publication Flight , which included a detailed cutaway drawing of what a possible future turboprop engine could look like. The drawing
7896-476: Was equipped with a full automatic landing system , produced by Smiths Aerospace , the first aircraft in the world to be designed to feature such capability from the onset of development. The autopilot and flight control system, known as the ASR 518, was triplex in the roll and pitch channels, with duplex or emergency simplex ability. The instrument landing system comprised many functions, such as an autothrottle ,
7990-427: Was formulated to conform with the requirements of Operational Requirement OR.351 , which was to have STOL (short takeoff/landing) capabilities. It was intended to harness a boundary layer control system, to have been powered by a removable pack of three Rolls-Royce Limited turbocompressors installed in a hump above the fuselage, which would have discharged high pressure air over the flaps and control surfaces of
8084-714: Was operated by the U.S. Navy for a short time. The first American turboprop engine was the General Electric XT31 , first used in the experimental Consolidated Vultee XP-81 . The XP-81 first flew in December 1945, the first aircraft to use a combination of turboprop and turbojet power. The technology of Allison's earlier T38 design evolved into the Allison T56 , used to power the Lockheed Electra airliner, its military maritime patrol derivative
8178-647: Was produced and tested at the Ganz Works in Budapest between 1937 and 1941. It was of axial-flow design with 15 compressor and 7 turbine stages, annular combustion chamber. First run in 1940, combustion problems limited its output to 400 bhp. Two Jendrassik Cs-1s were the engines for the world's first turboprop aircraft – the Varga RMI-1 X/H . This was a Hungarian fighter-bomber of WWII which had one model completed, but before its first flight it
8272-408: Was re-registered on the FAA registry as N1819S, and local sources report work being done to return the aircraft to flight. Little is known about the new owners or the future plans for the aircraft, however rumours online say that the aircraft will be operating a cargo contract "Local" to Queensland, Australia. The Belfast has its origins in studies conducted by aircraft manufacturer Short Brothers into
8366-547: Was relocated to RAF Fairford , Gloucestershire , to make way for upgrades being performed at Brize Norton; they returned to RAF Brize Norton in 1967. Unusually for service aircraft, all the Belfasts were given names Following the type's entry into RAF service, it became apparent that a major drag problem was preventing the initial five aircraft from attaining Short's desired performance. Modifications and testing were subsequently carried out, particularly on aircraft SH1818 (which
8460-477: Was seen as logical and practical, acting to reduce development time and cost while improving reliability, with the downside of lesser performance. In March 1957, Shorts submitted its first brochure on their proposed transport aircraft, designated as the PD.18 and given the name Britannic to reflect its Britannia ancestry. The PD.18 only differed from the Britannia in terms of its fuselage and high-mounting of its wings;
8554-603: Was the first turboprop aircraft of any kind to go into production and sold in large numbers. It was also the first four-engined turboprop. Its first flight was on 16 July 1948. The world's first single engined turboprop aircraft was the Armstrong Siddeley Mamba -powered Boulton Paul Balliol , which first flew on 24 March 1948. The Soviet Union built on German World War II turboprop preliminary design work by Junkers Motorenwerke, while BMW, Heinkel-Hirth and Daimler-Benz also worked on projected designs. While
8648-414: Was to be increased to 85,000 lb (39 t); reportedly, up to 150 passengers could be seated on a single deck while up to 288 people could be seated across a double-deck configuration. The second civil variant to be offered, the SC5/31, was to have featured a swinging nose arrangement for loading purposes in place of the rear door layout used upon the RAF model of the aircraft. It was claimed that both
8742-749: Was to have joined her in Australia following refurbishment at Southend Airport, but was instead scrapped in October 2008. The last production Belfast ( Enceladus , XR371) is preserved at the RAF Museum Cosford. This aircraft was repainted before being displayed under cover at the National Cold War Exhibition. Data from Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1969–70 General characteristics Performance Avionics Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era Related lists Turboprop A turboprop
8836-488: Was very close to what the future Rolls-Royce Trent would look like. The first British turboprop engine was the Rolls-Royce RB.50 Trent , a converted Derwent II fitted with reduction gear and a Rotol 7 ft 11 in (2.41 m) five-bladed propeller. Two Trents were fitted to Gloster Meteor EE227 — the sole "Trent-Meteor" — which thus became the world's first turboprop-powered aircraft to fly, albeit as
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