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Posted by Tom Kwiatkowski Sr. - 309C
on 11/4/2009, 6:55 pm
74.44.81.74
The Rangoon, like the Calcutta, was able to take off on just two of it three Bristol Jupiter engines. The five-man Rangoon first entered Royal Air Force service in April 1931 with No. 203 Squadron in Iraq whee the aircraft were used to deter gun-running and any activities counter to Britain's interests in the Persian Gulf. It was aircraft from this unit that made the long flight from Iraq to Australia in September 1934 for the country's 150th Anniversary celebrations. These well-publicized, long-distance flight were carried out to prove the aircraft and show the world that British aircraft could and would reach all corners if required. The aircraft left Iraq in mid-1935 and were transferred to Gibraltar where they served until July 1936 when they returned to Britain to be retired, although one was dematerialized and passed to Imperial Airways for use as a trainer. Only six Rangoons were supplied to the RAF but the type left an impression well out of proportion to its limited production numbers.
In 1924, a Calcutta had been bough by the French company Breguet who developed a military version of their own for French Navy use. This aircraft was designated the Breguet S.8/2 and was very similar to the Rangoon. Four examples were built for the Aeronvale, and was an improved version known as the Breguet 521 Bizerte.
Shorts also built a military version of the Calcutta for the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) - the Short S.15K.F.1. This was delivered delivered by sea to Japan in 1931 and Kawanishi went on to build four further examples which they designated the H3K. In IJN service the type was known as the Navy Type 90 Model 2 Flying Boat. The H3k gave Kawanishi valuable experience in the production of all-metal flying boats - this expertise translated directly into the company's later aircraft like the H6K and H8K that the Allies faced during World War II.
Short Rangoon
First flight: 24 September 1930 (prototype).
Power: Three Bristol 540 hp. Jupiter XIF radial piston engines.
Armament: Three 0.303 machine-guns in bow, and midships positions and up to 1,000 lb. of bombs.
Size: Wingspan - 93 ft.
Length - 66 ft. 9 in.
Height - 23 ft. 7 in.
Wing area - 1,828 sq. ft.
Weights: Empty - 14,000 lb.
Maximum take-off - 24,000 lb.
Performance: Maximum speed - 115 mph
Ceiling - 12,000 ft.
Range - 650 miles
Climb - 550 ft. per minute
NEXT: SHORT SUNDERLAND
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