Short S.32
title: "Short S.32" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1930s-british-airliners", "short-brothers-aircraft", "abandoned-civil-aircraft-projects-of-the-united-kingdom", "mid-wing-aircraft", "four-engined-tractor-aircraft", "four-engined-piston-aircraft"] topic_path: "geography/united-kingdom" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Short_S.32" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::data[format=table title="Infobox aircraft"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Short S.32 |
| aircraft_type | Long-range transport monoplane |
| national_origin | United Kingdom |
| manufacturer | Short Brothers (Rochester and Bedford) Limited |
| designer | Arthur Gouge |
| number_built | 3 (not completed) |
| :: |
| name = Short S.32 | logo = | logo_size = | image = | alt = | caption = | long_caption = | other_names = | aircraft_type = Long-range transport monoplane | aim = | outcome = | related = | national_origin = United Kingdom | manufacturer = Short Brothers (Rochester and Bedford) Limited | design_group = | designer = Arthur Gouge | builder = | issuer = | status = | owners = | primary_user = | more_users = | service = | major_applications = | proposals = | prototypes = | number_built = 3 (not completed) | construction_number = | civil_registration = | military_serial = | radio_code = | requirement = | aircraft_carried = | flights = | total_hours = | total_distance = | construction_date = | introduction = | retired = | first_flight = | initiated = | in_service = | last_flight = | expected = | developed_from = | variants = | developed_into = | preservation = | fate = | predecessors = | successors = | concluded =
The Short S.32 was a British four-engined all-metal long-range transport monoplane designed by Short Brothers to Air Ministry Specification 14/38. The project was abandoned in May 1940. If produced, it would have been one of the first British pressurised airliners.
Development
In 1938 the British Air Ministry issued two specifications (14/38 and 15/38) for large transport aircraft comparable in size with the Junkers Ju 90 and Focke-Wulf Fw 200, with Specification 14/38 being for use on Empire routes and 15/38 for European routes. The Ministry placed a contract with Shorts for three prototypes designated the Short S.32 against specification 14/38 and a production order for 14 Fairey FC1s against specification 15/38.
The S.32 was a four-engined mid-wing monoplane powered by Bristol Hercules radials. The S.32 had a tailwheel landing gear to overcome problems with a nose wheel retracting into a pressurised fuselage. The build of three prototypes for the Air Ministry was started at Rochester but due to the urgent need for the factory to build the Short Stirling construction was abandoned.
Specifications
|ref= |prime units?=imp General characteristics
|genhide=
|crew= |capacity=16 day passengers or 14 night passengers with alternate high density layout for 24 passengers |length m= |length ft=89 |length in=0 |span m= |span ft=127 |span in=0 |height m= |height ft= |height in= |wing area sqm= |wing area sqft=2020 |wing area note= |empty weight kg= |empty weight lb=39050 |gross weight kg= |gross weight lb=71000 |fuel capacity=3200 impgal Powerplant
|eng1 number=4 |eng1 name=Bristol Hercules |eng1 type=radial engines |eng1 kw= |eng1 hp=1250 |eng1 shp= |eng1 kn=
|prop blade number= |prop name= |prop dia m= |prop dia ft= |prop dia in=
Performance
|perfhide=
|max speed kmh= |max speed mph=275 |max speed kts= |max speed note=(unpressurised) |cruise speed kmh= |cruise speed mph=246 |cruise speed kts= |range km= |range miles=3420 |range nmi= |ceiling m= |ceiling ft= |climb rate ms= |climb rate ftmin= |more performance=
|avionics=
References
References
- Barnes, Christopher Henry, James, Derek N.. (1989). "Shorts Aircraft Since 1900". Naval Institute Press.
- Barnes 1967, p. 341.
- Brookes ''Flight'' 9 May 1958, p. 632.
- Jackson 1988, page 442
- Barnes 1967, p. 344.
- Barnes 1967, p. 343.
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