Short Shamrock Transatlantic attempt

The picture reproduced below appears elsewhere on the forum as an aside. It depicts the Short Shamrock, a Shirl modified for an ultimately failed attempt at a transatlantic crossing. I know nothing about it other than that. Can anyone fill in the details? It has become a bone of contention with someone insisting that it is the Sopwith Atlantic, which it clearly is not.

Staged photo???

there appears to be no one in the cockpit

I suppose there could be a second cockpit , or the switches are so low down the pilot has temporarily disappeared from view.

Agree – nice thread.

Roger Smith.

Thank you gentlemen. That is just the information I needed to convince the doubter.

Sopwith Atlantic

Shall we do a bit on her as well Papa 😉 ,

We must try and get some of the other’s from the forum :rolleyes: , get more interested in some of the other different aspect’s of historical aircraft 🙂 .

There is just so much more than just Warbird’s 😉 .

G’ day again Pete

I see Papa, has done a pretty good job already, good one Papa mate 😉 .

Well nothing I have time to add at the moment :rolleyes: , but here is a shot of the Atlantic, I have used it on some of my quiz’s, but never been named I think, Doh, has now but!!!! 😀 .

Great thread!!! :cool:, we need more of this type of thread’s Lady’s and Gent’s, there is FAR more to Historic Aviation then just WARPLANE’S!!!! :rolleyes:

(p.s,If I told where I got the pic, I would have too kill you all :p :rolleyes: 😉 )

Short Brothers S.538

This was a specially built variant of the Shirl (as the Air Ministry refused to lend the 3rd prototype N112 for an Atlantic attempt). It had increased wing area and a large external fuel tank giving a still-air range of 3,200 miles, the total fuel tankage being 435 gallons of petrol.
It was completed at Rochester at the end of March 1919 and was powered by a RR Eagle VIII low compression engine. It was unregisteredbut was adorned with roundels and a Union Jack.
On 18 April 1919, named the Shamrock, it took off from Eastchurch to fly to The Curragh from where the Atlantic attempt was to start. 12 miles out to sea from Holyhead the engine stopped and the pilot Major J C P Wood turned back to try to glide to land, but had to ditch about a mile off Anglesey.
The Shamrock floated for 22 hours before being towed to Holyhead and beached.A quick overhaul was not possible however, and the prize was won by Alcock and Brown in July that year. The Shamrock was then abandoned.
(abbreviated version of text from “Shorts Aircraft since 1900” by C.H. Barnes)