While googling I can across the Classic and Vintage Aircraft site and was intrigued by the photo of a british prototype twin inline (merlins?) tail dragger being scrapped, shown half way down the page just under the “Featured at Classic Aircraft” banner?
http://www.classicaircraft.co.uk/
Anyone recognise it?
(almosy looks like a collaboration by DH and Bristol to replace the Mossie and Beaufighter smiles – but its “not” a Brigand?)
Regards
Mark Pilkington
By: pagen01 - 10th October 2010 at 12:31
RK 787 would be a good guess as this was the prototype as signified by the circled P.
As were ‘791, and ‘794 (which became the tug proto) which also wore ‘P’s
Some nice Sturgeon pics can be seen on Richard Ridings’ page,
By: Newforest - 10th October 2010 at 11:51
RK 787 would be a good guess as this was the prototype as signified by the circled P.
By: pagen01 - 10th October 2010 at 11:25
Hi Mark, the torpedo attack role was original idea of the SA.1 Sturgeon but it appeared at a time when the RN didn’t quite know what it wanted anymore.
The SA.2 was the Target Tug version (TT.2 and lesser TT.3) and the design was a useful high performance aircraft in that role.
The SB.3 was the two aircraft completed to an ASW requirement powered by two Mamba turbo-props and featuring the ASV radar and operators in the forward nose section. I have always assumed that this was a safeguard aircraft for GR.17/45 as the Gannet and YB.1 were well advanced by the time it came along.
The type did get progressively ugly though!
I think your’e right that it could be the same two aircraft pictured, the scrapped one dosen’t quite look like a Tug variant, though I cant read the serial which I would think is RK787, RK791, or RK794.
By: mark_pilkington - 10th October 2010 at 11:06
.
Thanks guys,
it would have made a great carrier aircraft for the Pacific, a twin engined Firefly? or a Gannet with its twin engines where they should be!
smiles effectively a carrier based Mossie/Beau!
I assume this is the same prototype in earlier times?
And they certainly mucked around with the design!
Hmmm – maybe in the ASV role the Gannet was a better outcome?
regards
Mark Pilkington
By: Zebedee - 10th October 2010 at 10:43
Looks as though the scrapper arrived by bicycle. 😀
Either that or its some form of bicycle assisted take off system the boffins were experimenting with….
😀
Zeb
By: Atcham Tower - 10th October 2010 at 09:20
Yes, a Sturgeon. The museum at Fort Perch, New Brighton, Wirral has the extreme nose section from a TT2. I believe it came from Shorts at Rochester and must be one of the last surviving pieces of this obscure aeroplane.
By: D1566 - 10th October 2010 at 08:26
I was thinking Vickers F7/41 or even Westland Welkin, but you are spot on with the Sturgeon TT3
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Short_Sturgeon.jpg
By: Newforest - 10th October 2010 at 08:22
Short Sturgeon seems to be the culprit. Looks as though the scrapper arrived by bicycle. 😀
By: Zebedee - 10th October 2010 at 08:12
Looks like a Short Sturgeon of some flavour… TT3…? Started out as a carrier based torpedo bomber and ended up as a target tug…
Zeb
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October 10, 2010 at 7:58 am