Short SC.7 Skyvan

In 1958, Short was approached by F.G. Miles Ltd (successor company to Miles Aircraft) which was seeking backing to produce a development of the Hurel-Dubois Miles HDM.106 Caravan design with a high aspect ratio wing similar to that of the Hurel-Dubois HD.31. Short acquired the design and data gathered from trials of the Miles Aerovan based HDM.105 prototype. After evaluating the Miles proposal, Short rejected the Caravan.{{Harvnb|Barnes|1990|pp=477–478}} They developed their own design for a utility all-metal aircraft which was called the Short SC.7 Skyvan. The Skyvan is a twin-engined all-metal, high-wing monoplane, with a braced, high aspect ratio wing, and an unpressurised, square-section fuselage with twin fins and rudders.{{Harvnb|Barnes|1990|pp=478–481}} It was popular with freight operators compared to other small aircraft because of its large rear door for loading and unloading freight. Its fuselage resembles the shape of a railroad boxcar for simplicity and efficiency.

File:Short 360, Short Skyvan and Short 330 at 1982 Farnborough Airshow.jpg

Construction started at Sydenham Airport in 1960, and the first prototype first flew on 17 January 1963, powered by two Continental piston engines.{{Harvnb|Barnes|1990|p=481}} Later in 1963, the prototype was re-engined with the intended Turbomeca Astazou II turboprop engines of {{cvt|520|shp|kW}};{{harvnb|Barnes|1990| p=482}} the second prototype (the first Series 2 Skyvan) was initially fitted with Turbomeca Astazou X turboprop engines of {{cvt|666|shp|kW}} but subsequently the initial production version was powered by Turbomeca Astazou XII turboprop engines of {{cvt|690|shp|kW}}. In 1967, it was found that the Astazou XII was temperature limited at high altitudes.{{Harvnb|Barnes|1990|pp=486–487}} Consequently, in 1968, production switched to the Skyvan Series 3 aircraft, which replaced the Astazou engines with Garrett AiResearch TPE331 turboprops of {{cvt|715|shp|kW}}. A total of 149 Skyvans (including the two prototypes){{Harvnb|Barnes|1990|pp=531–533}} were produced before production ended in 1986.

File:Short SC.7 Skyvan C-FQSL TOR 27.07.75 edited-2.jpg

Skyvans served widely in both military and civilian operations, and the type remained in service in 2009 with a number of civilian operators, and in military service in Guyana and Oman.

Skyvans continue to be used in limited numbers for air-to-air photography and for skydiving operations. In 1970, Questor Surveys of Toronto Canada converted the first of two Skyvan 3s for aerial geological survey work. The Collier Mosquito Control District uses Skyvans for aerial spraying.{{Cite web|url=https://www.winknews.com/events/collier-mosquito-control-district-2019-open-house/|title = Collier Mosquito Control District 2019 Open House}} NASA operated a single Skyvan at Wallops Island Flight Facility between 1979 and 1995, which was used to perform aerial recovery of parachute-borne payloads ejected from high-altitude balloons.

Skyvan G-BEOL appeared in the film Kingsmen: The Secret Service as the aircraft trainee kingsmen skydived from.

File:G-ASCN Shorts SC1 Skyvan (proto) LPL 28APR64 (6925479033).jpg engines, 28 APR 1964]]

File:Shorts SC.7 Skyvan.jpg in 2005 ]]

;Skyvan 1: prototype, one built. 2 × Continental GTSIO-520 engines.

;Skyvan 1A: re-engined 1st prototype. 2 × 388 kW (520 hp) Turbomeca Astazou II engines.

;Skyvan 2: Turbomeca Astazou powered production. 8 Series 2 produced (including the second prototype).

;{{visible anchor|Skyvan 3}}: Garrett TPE331 powered production. 140 produced (of all Series 3 versions) plus 2 Series 2 were converted.{{sfn|Barnes|1990|p=488}}

;Skyvan 3A: higher gross weight version (MTOW 6,214 kg, 13,700 lb).{{cite web |title=Aircraft Register Search 'G-BAIT' |url=https://www.caa.co.uk/aircraft-register/g-info/search-g-info/ |website=caa.co,uk |access-date=11 August 2024}}

;Skyvan 3M-100, -200, -400: military transport versions with higher gross weights; 3M-200 (MTOW 6,804 kg, 15,000 lb); 3M-400 as per Skyvan 3A.{{cite web |title=Aircraft Register Search 'G-BCFJ' (to Ghana AF) |url=https://www.caa.co.uk/aircraft-register/g-info/search-g-info/ |website=caa.co,uk |access-date=11 August 2024}} Used for supply dropping, assault transport, dropping paratroops, troop transport, cargo transport, casualty evacuation, plus search and rescue missions.{{cite web |title=Short SC7 Skyvan |url=https://aircraftrecognitionguide.com/short-sc7-skyvan |website=aircraftrecognitionguide |access-date=9 August 2024}}

;Skyliner 3A-100: deluxe all-passenger version, large cargo door removed, cabin accessed through standard size side door.

;Seavan: Maritime patrol version, single example (serial '915', SH.1942) used by the Sultan of Oman's Air Force / Royal Air Force of Oman (SOAF / RAFO) (conversion from basic 3M-400){{cite web |title=Oman AF SC.7 Skyvan '915' |url=https://www.airhistory.net/photo/428146/915 |website=airhistory.net |access-date=12 August 2024}}

File:SX-BBO SC.7 Skyvan 400 Olympic Aws MYK 07JUN75 (6779362200).jpg at Mykonos ca 1975]]

File:A Short Skyvan at Barra Airport (geograph 4932878).jpg (Scottish Division) Short Skyvan on the beach (Barra Airport) ca 1974]]

• BEA / British Airways (Scottish Division) - operated three 1971-74
• Busy Bee / Air Executive Norway A/S - operated three 1974-84
• Gulf Aviation / Gulf Air - operated a total of six 1971-1983{{cite book |last1=Bucher |first1=F.E. |last2=Klee |first2=Ueli |title=JP Airline-Fleets |date=1977 |publisher=Editions JP |location=Zurich Airport |page=10}}
• Loganair - operated one 1969-74{{cite web |title=Loganair - BBC article dated 27 Dec 2022 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-63505252 |website=bbc.co.uk |access-date=4 August 2024}}
• Olympic Airways - operated two 1970-93{{cite web |title=SX-BBN (read photo caption) |url=https://www.airliners.net/photo/Olympic/Short-SC-7-Skyvan-3-400/1445806 |website=airliners.net |access-date=4 August 2024}}
• Papuan Airlines (PNG) - operated two 1968-73{{cite web |title=Papuan Airlines - Photo showing two Skyvans at Port Moresby, PNG |url=https://www.airhistory.net/photo/152580/VH-PNJ |website=airhistory.net |access-date=4 August 2024}}
• Wien Consolidated (Alaska) - operated four 1967-74

File:Short Skyvan (8705610372).jpg launch platform]]

Skyvans still active in 2022–2024 include{{cite web |title=SC.7 Skyvan photos, date ordered |url=https://www.airhistory.net/pub/show.php?type_basic_id=1164&sort_by=sort_date_desc |website=airhistory.net |access-date=6 August 2024}}

• Collier Mosquito Control District (FL): N642M, N643M, N644M {{cite web |title=Collier Mosquito Control District adds new airplane and helicopter to fleet |url=https://cmcd.org/collier-mosquito-control-district-adds-new-airplane-and-helicopter-to-fleet/ |publisher=Collier Mosquito Control District |access-date=18 March 2025 |date=October 21, 2022}}
• Perris Skydive (CA): SH.1859, 1885, 1907, 1911,
• Pink Aviation (Austria): SH.1881, 1932, 1964
• Skydive Deland (FL): SH.1842
• Skyforce (Poland): SP-HOP (SH.1906), (sister ship SP-HIP SH.1962 written off 3 Sept 2022),{{cite web |title=SP-HIP accident 3 September 2022 |url=https://asn.flightsafety.org/wikibase/318767 |website=Aviation Safety Network |access-date=6 August 2024}} Ayit Aviation (Israel) 4X-AGP / SH.1893,{{cite web |title=Short Skyvan 4X-AGP |url=https://www.jetphotos.com/photo/11326979 |website=jetphotos.com |access-date=12 August 2024}}
• Win Aviation (USA): Up to nine Skyvans{{cite web |title=Win Aviation Fleet details |url=https://winaviation.com/our-fleet/ |website=Win Aviation |access-date=12 August 2024}}{{cite web |title=SC-7 Skyvan Specifications & Capability Statement (pdf) |url=https://winaviation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/SC-7_Skyvan_Capability_Statement_05-2024.pdf |website=Win Aviation |access-date=12 August 2024}}

; {{GUY}}

• Guyana Defence Force - Five acquired 1979-81, believed non-operational (2019). Two additional second-hand examples acquired in June, 2019.{{cite web |title=Guyana gets Skyvans (2019) |url=https://www.keymilitary.com/article/guyana-gets-skyvans |website=keymilitary.com |access-date=6 August 2024}}{{Harvnb|Hoyle|2013|p=38}}

; {{OMA}}

• Royal Air Force of Oman: Oman continues to operate five of its original 16 Skyvans as of December 2013.{{Harvnb|Hoyle|2013|p=43}}{{Harvnb|Taylor|1982|p=271}}

File:Museo Sitio de Memoria ESMA, Short Skyvan PA-51 Prefectura Naval Argentina.jpg Skyvan 'PA-51' on display at the Museo Sitio de Memoria ESMA in Buenos Aires, Argentina. This particular aircraft was used to carry out death flights during the Dirty War.]]

;{{ARG}}

• Argentine Coast Guard: Bought five in 1971; two written off during Falklands War, remaining three sold in 1995 following replacement by five CASA C-212 Aviocars. In 2023 one of these Skyvans returned to Argentina and is on display at ESMA, Buenos Aires as a memorial to those killed in the notorious Death Flights.{{cite web |title=Death Flight plane to return to Argentina |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/mar/24/argentina-dictatorship-death-flight-plane-return-from-us |website=theguardian.com |access-date=9 August 2024}}

File:SC-7-3M-400 Austria.JPG

;{{AUT}}

• Austrian Air Force 5S-TA & 5S-TB. 'TA now preserved at Militärluftfahrtmuseum, Zeltweg AB{{cite web |title=Skyvan 5S-TA at Zeltweg May 2024 |url=https://www.airhistory.net/photo/696102/5S-TA |website=airhistory.net |access-date=6 August 2024}}{{cite web |url=http://www.gotech.at/skyvan.htm/ |title=Short SC.7 SRS 3M "Skyvan" |access-date=2015-10-18 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160316004418/http://gotech.at/skyvan.htm |archive-date=16 March 2016 |df=dmy-all |language=de}}

;{{BOT}}

• Botswana Defence Force Air Wing

;{{flag|Ciskei}}

• Ciskei Defence Force

;{{ECU}}

• Ecuadorian Army

;{{flag|Gambia}}

• Military of Gambia

;{{GHA}}

• Ghana Air Force{{cite web |url=http://www.ghanaairforce.com/ |title=Ghana Air Force |access-date=2012-12-17 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090525115625/http://www.ghanaairforce.com/ |archive-date=25 May 2009 |df=dmy-all }}

;{{INA}}

• Indonesian Air Force

;{{JPN}}

• Japan Coast Guard

;{{LES}}

• Lesotho Defence Force – Air Squadron

;{{MWI}}

• Malawi Police Force Air Wing

;{{MRT}}

• Mauritania Islamic Air Force: bought two Skyvan 3Ms in 1975{{cite book |last1=Cooper |first1=Tom |last2=Grandolini |first2=Albert |title=Showdown in Western Sahara, Volume 1: Air Warfare Over the Last African Colony, 1945-1975 |date=2018 |publisher=Helion & Company Publishing |location=Warwick, UK |isbn=978-1-912390-35-9 |page=47}}

;{{MEX}}

• Mexican Air Force

;{{NEP}}

• Nepalese Army
• Nepalese Army Air Service

;{{PAN}}

• Panamanian Public Forces

;{{SGP}}

• Republic of Singapore Air Force
• 121 Squadron, Republic of Singapore Air Force operated the Skyvan 3M for Utility transport and Search-and-locate duties from 1973 to 1993.

File:Royal Thai Police (15370674628).jpg

;{{THA}}

• Royal Thai Police
• Thai Border Patrol Police

;{{UAE}}

• United Arab Emirates Air Force{{Efn|The UAE is a federation of 7 Sheikdoms, each of which maintain a small army known as the Amiri Guard. One of which, the Emirate of Sharjah, purchased two Skyvan 3M's in the 1970's, and then sold them to the UAE air force in 1995.{{cite web |title=Air Force Magazine |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ong5vNzvuBwC&dq=%22Sharjah+Amiri+Guard%22&pg=RA3-PA72 |publisher=Air Force Association |access-date=25 January 2024 |language=en |date=July 1996}}}}
• Sharjah Amiri Guard

;{{YEM}}

• :The Yemen Arab Republic (North Yemen) Air Force operated two Skyvans as of 1984. These aircraft were subsequently absorbed into the Yemen Air Force in 1990 as a result of Yemeni unification.{{cite book |last1=Cooper |first1=Tom |title=Hot Skies Over Yemen, Volume 1: Aerial Warfare Over the South Arabian Peninsula, 1962-1994 |date=2017 |publisher=Helion & Company Publishing |location=Solihull, UK |isbn=978-1-912174-23-2 |page=42}}

{{Aircraft specs

|ref=Jane's Civil and Military Upgrades 1994-95{{Harvnb|Michell|1994|pp=228–229}}

|prime units?=met

|genhide=

|crew=1–2

|capacity=19 passengers

|length m=12.21

|length ft=

|length in=

|span m=19.79

|span ft=

|span in=

|height m=4.60

|height ft=

|height in=

|wing area sqm=35.12

|wing area sqft=

|empty weight kg=3331

|empty weight lb=

|gross weight kg=

|max takeoff weight kg=5670

|fuel capacity={{convert|1109|L|impgal USgal|abbr=on}}

|eng1 number=2

|eng1 name=Garrett AiResearch TPE-331-2-201A

|eng1 type=turboprops

|eng1 kw=

|eng1 shp=715

|prop blade number=3

|prop name=Hartzell HC-B3TN-5/T10282H variable-pitch propeller

|prop dia m=

|prop dia ft=

|prop dia in=

|perfhide=

|never exceed speed kmh=402

|never exceed speed note=EAS

|max speed kmh=324

|max speed mph=

|max speed kts=

|max speed note=max cruise at {{convert|3050|m|ft|abbr=on}}

|cruise speed kmh=278

|cruise speed mph=

|cruise speed note=econ cruise at {{convert|3050|m|ft|abbr=on}}

|stall speed kmh=111

|stall speed note=flaps down, EAS

|range km=1115

|range miles=

|range nmi=

|ceiling m=6858

|ceiling ft=

|climb rate ms=

|climb rate ftmin=1640

|more performance=*Takeoff run to 15 m (50 ft): {{convert|482|m|ft|abbr=on}} (STOL)

• Landing run from 15 m (50 ft): {{convert|567|m|ft|abbr=on}} (STOL)

|avionics=

}}

{{Portal|UK|Aviation}}

{{aircontent

|related=

• Short 330
• Short 360

|similar aircraft=

• Antonov An-28
• CASA C-212 Aviocar
• De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter
• Dornier 228
• GAF Nomad
• Harbin Y-12
• IAI Arava
• LET L-410
• PZL M28

|lists=

• List of civil aircraft
• List of STOL aircraft

|see also=

}}

{{notelist}}

{{Reflist}}

{{Refbegin}}

• {{cite book |ref={{harvid|Barnes|1990}}|last1=Barnes |first1=C. H. |last2=James |first2=Derek N. |title=Shorts Aircraft since 1900 |year=1990 |location=London |publisher=Putnam |isbn=0-85177-819-4 }}
• {{cite magazine |last=Hoyle |first=Craig |title=World Air Forces Directory |magazine=Flight International |date=13–19 December 2011 |pages=26–52 |issn=0015-3710 }}
• {{cite magazine |last=Hoyle |first=Craig |title=World Air Forces Directory |magazine=Flight International |date=10–16 December 2013 |volume=184 |issue=5419 |pages=24–51|issn=0015-3710 }}
• {{cite book |last=Jackson |first=A. J. |title=British Civil Aircraft Since 1919 |edition=2nd |year=1974 |location=London |publisher=Putnam |isbn=0-370-10014-X }}
• {{cite book |editor-last=Michell |editor-first=Simon |title=Jane's Civil and Military Upgrades 1994-95 |edition=Second |year=1994 |location=London|publisher=Jane's Information Group| isbn=0-7106-1208-7 }}
• {{cite book |editor-last=Taylor |editor-first=John W. R. |editor-link=John W. R. Taylor |year=1982 |title=Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1982–83 |location=London |publisher=Jane's Yearbooks |isbn=0-7106-0748-2 }}

{{Refend}}

• {{Commons category-inline|Short Skyvan}}

{{Short Brothers aircraft}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Short SC.7 Skyvan}}

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