The Short Empire was a medium-range four-engined monoplane flying boat, designed and developed by Short Brothers during the 1930s to meet the requirements of the growing commercial airline sector, with a particular emphasis upon its usefulness upon the core routes that served the United Kingdom. It was developed and manufactured in parallel with the Short Sunderland maritime patrol bomber, which went on to serve in the Second World War; a further derivative that was later developed was the piggy-back Short Mayo Composite.
Short Empire
Captain Arthur Wilcockson, who was in charge of the notable flight of the flying boat Caledonia from Ireland to Canada, signs an autograph, 8 July 1937
Short S.23 Empire G-ADHM, named Caledonia, on its beaching gear at Felixstowe, Suffolk, England, September 1936
S.23 Empire G-AETV, named Coriolanus, moored at Pinkenba on the Brisbane River, 1939
A flying boat is a type of fixed-winged seaplane with a hull, allowing it to land on water. It differs from a floatplane in having a fuselage that is purpose-designed for flotation, while floatplanes rely on fuselage-mounted floats for buoyancy.
Short S23 "C" Class or "Empire" flying boat
A PBM Mariner takes off in 1942
Dornier X in 1932
Gabriel Voisin, air pioneer, next to Henry Farman (left), in 1908