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weight and performance calculations for the Short Bomber
Bomber with 4-bladed propeller.
Short Bomber
role : medium-weight bomber
importance : ***
first flight : operational : November 1916
country : United-Kingdom
design :
production : 83 aircraft
general information :
In 1915 a bomber competition was held in the UK. Shorts made a landplane adaption of the famous 184 seaplane. Only 83 airplanes were built , receiving no official name, but known as the “Short Bomber” and delivery started early spring 1916 to No.3 wing RNAS. But they did not become operational until October, because 15 Short Bombers were transferred to the RFC for the Somme battle. First real action took place on 15 November 1916 when Bombers from no.7 sq. RNAS Coudekerque, made a night raid on Oostende each dropping four 65-lb bombs. The Bomber was underpowered. The RNAS operated the bomber until April 1917 when it was replaced by Handley Page O/100’s. The last actions were raids on the Zeebrugge Mole in April 1917.
users : RNAS, RFC
crew : 2
armament : 1 movable 7.70 [mm] (0.303 in) Lewis machine-gun for the observer
engine : 1 Rolls Royce Eagle III liquid-cooled 12 -cylinder V-engine 250 [hp](183.9 KW)
dimensions :
wingspan : 25.61 [m], length : 13.72 [m], height : 4.57[m]
wing area : 80.9 [m^2]
weights :
max.take-off weight : 3084 [kg]
empty weight operational : 2273 [kg] bombload : 417 [kg]
performance :
maximum speed : 125 [km/u] op 1981 [m]
service ceiling : 2896 [m]
endurance : 6.0 [hours]
estimated action radius : 338 [km]
description :
3-bay biplane with fixed landing gear with nosewheel and tail strut
upper wingtips supported by slanted flying wires
two spar upper and lower wing
engines, landing gear, fuel and bombs in or attached to the fuselage
airscrew :
fixed pitch 2 -bladed tractor airscrew with max. efficiency :0.66 [ ]
estimated diameter airscrew 3.33 [m]
angle of attack prop : 9.42 [ ]
fine pitch
reduction : 1.00 [ ]
airscrew revs : 1600 [r.p.m.]
pitch at Max speed 1.30 [m]
blade-tip speed at Vmax and max revs. : 281 [m/s]
calculation : *1* (dimensions)
mean wing chord : 1.75 [m]
calculated wing chord (rounded tips): 1.86 [m]
wing aspect ratio : 14.59 []
estimated gap : 2.04 [m]
gap/chord : 1.16 [ ]
seize (span*length*height) : 1606 [m^3]
calculation : *2* (fuel consumption)
oil consumption : 2.8 [kg/hr]
fuel consumption(cruise speed) : 48.3 [kg/hr] (65.9 [litre/hr]) at 67 [%] power
distance flown for 1 kg fuel : 2.33 [km/kg]
estimated total fuel capacity : 449 [litre] (329 [kg])
calculation : *3* (weight)
weight engine(s) dry : 379.0 [kg] = 2.06 [kg/KW]
weight 27 litre oil tank : 3.4 [kg]
oil tank filled with 1.4 litre oil : 1.2 [kg]
oil in engine 10 litre oil : 9.2 [kg]
fuel in engine 1 litre fuel : 0.9 [kg]
weight 28 litre gravity patrol tank(s) : 2.7 [kg]
weight radiator : 29.4 [kg]
weight exhaust pipes & fuel lines 23.5 [kg]
weight self-starter : 4.5 [kg]
weight cowling 7.4 [kg]
weight airscrew(s) (wood) incl. boss & bolts : 27.6 [kg]
total weight propulsion system : 485 [kg](15.7 [%])
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fuselage skeleton (wood gauge : 11.61 [cm]): 473 [kg]
bracing : 45.8 [kg]
fuselage covering ( 35.6 [m2] doped linen fabric) : 11.4 [kg]
weight controls + indicators: 9.5 [kg]
weight seats : 6.0 [kg]
weight other details, lighting set, etc. : 5.1 [kg]
weight bomb storage : 29.2 [kg]
weight 421 [litre] main fuel tank empty : 40.4 [kg]
weight 1 fire extinguisher : 3 [kg]
weight engine mounts & firewalls : 9 [kg]
total weight fuselage : 633 [kg](20.5 [%])
***************************************************************
weight wing covering (doped linen fabric) : 52 [kg]
total weight ribs (144 ribs) : 183 [kg]
load on front upper spar (clmax) per running metre : 987.7 [N]
load on rear upper spar (vmax) per running metre : 329.9 [N]
total weight 8 spars : 371 [kg]
weight wings : 606 [kg]
weight wing/square meter : 7.49 [kg]
weight 12 interplane struts & cabane : 79.0 [kg]
weight cables (120 [m]) : 70.3 [kg] (= 585 [gram] per metre)
diameter cable : 9.8 [mm]
weight fin & rudder (7.6 [m2]) : 58.2 [kg]
weight stabilizer & elevator (9.1 [m2]): 68.8 [kg]
total weight wing surfaces & bracing : 883 [kg] (28.6 [%])
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weight machine-gun(s) : 12.7 [kg]
weight Scarff ring mounting mg :6.9 [kg]
weight armament : 20 [kg]
********************************************************************
wheel pressure : 1357.0 [kg]
weight 4 wheels (850 [mm] by 131 [mm]) : 74.8 [kg]
weight tailskid : 7.9 [kg]
weight undercarriage with axle 130.7 [kg]
total weight landing gear : 213.4 [kg] (6.9 [%]
*******************************************************************
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calculated empty weight : 2234 [kg](72.4 [%])
weight oil for 7.2 hours flying : 19.9 [kg]
weight cooling fluids : 37.9 [kg]
weight 5 drums empty : 1.0 [kg]
weight ammunition (235 rounds) : 7.5 [kg]
weight Very pistol with cartridges : 3.6 [kg]
weight automatic pistol with spare magazines : 1.2 [kg]
*******************************************************************
calculated operational weight empty : 2304 [kg] (74.7 [%])
published operational weight empty : 2273 [kg] (73.7 [%])
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weight crew : 162 [kg]
weight fuel for 2.0 hours flying : 97 [kg]
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operational weight : 2562 [kg](83.1 [%])
bomb load : 417 [kg]
operational weight bombing mission : 2979 [kg]
fuel reserve : 105 [kg] enough for 2.16 [hours] flying
operational weight fully loaded : 3084 [kg] with fuel tank filled for 61 [%]
published maximum take-off weight : 3084 [kg] (100.0 [%])
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calculation : * 4 * (engine power)
power loading (Take-off) : 16.77 [kg/kW]
total power : 183.9 [kW] at 1600 [r.p.m]
calculation : *5* (loads)
manoeuvre load : 1.0 [g] at 1000 [m]
limit load : 3.0 [g] ultimate load : 4.5 [g] load factor : 2.2 [g]
design flight time : 4.20 [hours]
design cycles : 464 sorties, design hours : 1950 [hours]
wing loading (MTOW) : 374 [N/m^2]
wing stress (3 g) during operation : 145 [N/kg] at 3g emergency manoeuvre
calculation : *6* (angles of attack)
angle of attack zero lift : -1.25 ["]
max. angle of attack (stalling angle) : 9.18 ["]
angle of attack at max. speed : 4.09 ["]
calculation : *7* (lift & drag ratios
lift coefficient at angle of attack 0° :0.12 [ ]
lift coefficient at max. angle of attack : 1.00 [ ]
lift coefficient at max. speed : 0.51 [ ]
induced drag coefficient at max. speed : 0.0076 [ ]
drag coefficient at max. speed : 0.0530 [ ]
drag coefficient (zero lift) : 0.0454 [ ]
calculation : *8* (speeds
stalling speed at sea-level (OW): 81 [km/u]
landing speed at sea-level (OW without bombload): 97 [km/hr]
min. drag speed (max endurance) : 98 [km/hr] at 1981 [m](power :46 [%])
min. power speed (max range) : 98 [km/hr] at 1981 [m] (power:46 [%])
cruising speed : 112 [km/hr] op 1981 [m] (power:58 [%])
design speed prop : 119 [km/hr]
maximum speed : 125 [km/hr] op 1981 [m] (power:74 [%])
climbing speed at sea-level (without bombload) : 161 [m/min]
calculation : *9* (regarding various performances)
take-off distance at sea-level : 184 [m]
lift/drag ratio : 13.76 [ ]
max. practical ceiling : 4200 [m] with flying weight :2397 [kg]
practical ceiling (operational weight) : 3825 [m] with flying weight :2562 [kg] line 3385
practical ceiling fully loaded (mtow- 1 hour fuel) : 2825 [m] with flying weight :3036 [kg]
published ceiling (2896 [m]
climb to 1500m (without bombload) : 10.53 [min]
max. dive speed : 368.7 [km/hr] at 1825 [m] height
load factor at max. angle turn 1.64 ["g"]
turn radius at 500m: 80 [m]
time needed for 360* turn 15.7 [seconds] at 500m
calculation *10* (action radius & endurance)
operational endurance : 4.16 [hours] with 2 crew and 417 [kg] bombload and 61.2 [%] fuel
published endurance : 6.00 [hours] with 2 crew and possible useful (bomb) load : 328 [kg] and 88.1 [%] fuel
action radius : 696 [km] with 2 crew and 20[kg] photo camera or bombload
max range theoretically with additional fuel tanks for total 971 [litre] fuel : 1657 [km]
useful load with action-radius 250km : 403 [kg]
production : 45.39 [tonkm/hour]
oil and fuel consumption per tonkm : 1.13 [kg]
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Literature :
Praktisch handboek vliegtuigen deel 1 page 186
Bombers 1914-19 page 69,148
Warplanes WWI page 60f,61,62
Armament of British aircraft 1909-1939 page 309
DISCLAIMER Above calculations are based on published data, they must be
regarded as indication not as facts.
Calculated performance and weight may not correspond with actual weights
and performances and are assumptions for which no responsibility can be taken.
Calculations are as accurate as possible, they can be fine-tuned when more data
is available, you are welcome to give suggestions and additional information
so we can improve our program. For copyright on drawings/photographs/
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(c) B van der Zalm 23 March 2020 contact : info.aircraftinvestigation@gmail.com python 3.7.4