JF Ptak Science Books  Quick Post

These oblique cross-section and cutaways have been near-and-dear imagery for a long time, and I’ve probably made 50+ posts on this blog sharing them. This drawing is by S.W. Clatgworthy and appears in Popular Mechanics for March, 1928– it depicts the not-identified and brand-new “Short S.8 Calcutta”, which made its first flight the month before.  The airplane was designed for the Mediterranean leg of the London-India service of British Imperial Airways (1924-1939 when it merged into BOAC and then in 1974 became British Airways) and was the first stressed skinned metal hulled flying boat, and was constructed by Shorts¹. Its three Bristol Jupiter engines pulled the aircraft along at about a 100 mph cruising speed, which no doubt made for an exciting and relatively fast (by 1928 standards) trip to the East.  The aircraft was pretty large for the day: 66′ long with a wingspan of 93′ and a height of 23′. It was probably noisy but relatively comfortable, the passengers being served food and drinks by a steward. Far less comfy were the pilot and navigator, who as you can see were in an open cockpit. 

Notes:

1. Shorts was the firm started by the Short brothers in Battersea in 1908 and which was the first aircraft manufacturing company to make production airplanes.