ps #5: 11/43 article: well found!

sw: you would need to delve into MoS Specs. 10/46 (for BSAAC) and R.36/46 (for RAF MR). I believe them to be intended as a common base.

Short had been funded 1940, jointly with Saro (wing) for S.35 Shetland, flown 12/44 as Mk.I for MR. Saro had failed on Lerwick. Short was nationalised in disgrace (dilatory Stirling production), 3/43; Vice Chairman Arthur Gouge became V/Chairman and Chief Executive of Saro and attended to restoring their reputation (they were shadow source for Supermarine Walrus/Sea Otter, and were Sister Firm to Catalina and Coronado).

First Brabazon Committee in March,1943 defined Types (in the Flight article: “the Development Programme”), with a landplane (to be Bristol T.167 Brabazon I) as the Transatlantic to match gargantuan Convair XC-99/Douglas XC-74/Lockheed XRO-6. There was no need to fund a marine Type, because MAP redefined Shetland No.2 prototype as a transport, and MAP owned, thus wholly-funded, Short’s, producing transport variants of Sunderland/Seaford, which would match any civil Coronado/Mars/Mariner.

In March,1945 UK (coalition) Govt. issued policy paper British Air Transport, to set up parastatal Br.S.American, and Br.Overseas Airways Corpns. (trading from 1/8/46). Funding and fleet procurement would be by the Ministry of Civil Aviation, with Ministry of Supply as Agent. In this period: Saro’s ads. on Flight’s front cover: like ps’ article, these were pitches by (now, Sir) Arthur for little Saro to be favoured over big boys like Vickers, Denny/Blackburn, or the customer’s captive, Short. And they succeeded, in May,1946 with funding, to Spec.10/46, for R&D +3, later assigned to BSAAC. 4 were added in 1948 for BOAC. Spec.R.36/46 was deferred, re-issued 12/11/48 as R.2/48, won as Saro P.104. Specs and more info in Buttler/BSP 2004,P.143.