Short Sperrin Gyron test bed (lower port engine) at Farnborough September 1955
Role
Experimental aircraft
Type of aircraft
Manufacturer
Short Brothers and Harland, Belfast
First flight
First prototype: 10 August 1951 Second prototype: 12 August 1952
Retired
First prototype: 1958 Second prototype: 1957
Status
Retired from experimental service
Primary user
Royal Air Force (intended)
Number built
2
The Short SA.4 Sperrin (named after the Sperrin Mountains) was a British jet bomber design of the early 1950s, built by Short Brothers and Harland of Belfast. It first flew in 1951. From the onset, the design had been viewed as a fall-back option in case the more advanced strategic bomber aircraft, then in development to equip the Royal Air Force's nuclear-armed V bomber force, experienced delays; the Sperrin was not put into production because these swept-wing designs, such as the Vickers Valiant, were by then available.
As their usefulness as an interim bomber aircraft did not emerge, a pair of flying prototypes were instead used to gather research data on large jet aircraft and to support the development of other technologies, such as several models of jet engines. The two aircraft completed were retired in the late 1950s and ultimately scrapped sometime thereafter.
The Short SA.4 Sperrin (named after the Sperrin Mountains) was a British jet bomber design of the early 1950s, built by Short Brothers and Harland of...
(1948) Short S.42 SA4 Sperrin (1951) Short S.43 SA5 (project only) Short S.48 SA9 (glider - project only) Short SB1 (1951) Short SB5 (1952) Short SB.4 Sherpa...
The Sperrins or Sperrin Mountains (Irish: Sliabh Speirín) are a mountain range in Northern Ireland. The range stretches from Strabane and Mullaghcarn...
Sperrin is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: Billy Sperrin (1922–2000), English footballer and coach Martyn Sperrin (born 1956), English...
The Short Stirling was a British four-engined heavy bomber of the Second World War. It has the distinction of being the first four-engined bomber to be...
comparable role, configuration, and era Avro Vulcan Boeing B-47 Stratojet ShortSperrin Tupolev Tu-16/Xian H-6 Vickers Valiant Related lists List of aircraft...
aircraft fitted with jet engines" Short submitted a conservative design to meet B.14/46, which became the S.A.4 Sperrin. Two prototypes were completed,...
result was an extremely conservative design with straight wings, the ShortSperrin, which was in practice little more than a jet-powered Lincoln. Meanwhile...
Halifaxes. Three advanced aircraft were developed from 1946, along with the ShortSperrin fall-back design. Multiple designs were tried out because no one could...
The Short Empire was a medium-range four-engined monoplane flying boat, designed and developed by Short Brothers during the 1930s to meet the requirements...
The Short 360 (also SD3-60; also Shorts 360) is a commuter aircraft that was built by UK manufacturer Short Brothers during the 1980s. The Short 360 seats...
The Short Shetland was a British high-speed, long-range, four-engined flying boat built by Short Brothers at Rochester, Kent for use in the Second World...
1918 Prototype 4 Short Singapore UK Maritime patrol flying boat 1926 Operational 37 ShortSperrin UK Heavy bomber 1951 Prototype 2 Short Stirling UK Heavy...
The Short SB.6 Seamew was a British aircraft designed in 1951 by David Keith-Lucas of Shorts as a lightweight anti-submarine platform to replace the Royal...
produced. The Short 360 was a development of the Short 330. The Short 330 was developed by Short Brothers of Belfast from Short's earlier Short Skyvan STOL...
Martyn Robin Sperrin (born 6 December 1956) is an English retired semi-professional footballer who made one appearance as a forward in the Football League...
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...
The Short Tucano is a two-seat turboprop basic trainer built by Short Brothers in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is a licence-built version of the Brazilian...
The Short Mayo Composite was a piggy-back long-range seaplane and flying boat combination produced by Short Brothers to provide a reliable long-range...
The Short Sturgeon was a planned British carrier-borne reconnaissance bomber whose development began during Second World War with the S.6/43 requirement...
The Short S.25 Sunderland is a British flying boat patrol bomber, developed and constructed by Short Brothers for the Royal Air Force (RAF). The aircraft...
The Short Type 827 was a 1910s British two-seat reconnaissance floatplane. It was also known as the Short Admiralty Type 827. The Short Type 827 was a...
Global Information