Short S.C.1 стал первым самолетом с вертикальным взлетом и посадкой, построенным в Великобритании. Он отличался наличием отдельных подъемных и маршевого двигателей.

Британский СВВП SC.1

Shorts designed and built two prototypes - XG900 and XG905 - of the S.C.1 experimental jet-powered vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft, fitted with four vertical-lift engines and one horizontally mounted for conventional flight. Both had completed transitional flights from vertical to horizontal flight by the end of 1960.
The first SC.1 prototype, XG900, being flown by Tom Brooke-Smith at the SBAC show at Farnborough in 1961. It was in this machine that French pilots got their first experience of VTOL flight.

Only two SC.1s were built, the second, XG905, crashing in October 1963, killing its pilot J.R. Green. It was rebuilt, however, and both aircraft undertook trials until 1971, XG900 going to the Science Museum and XG905 to the Ulster Folk & Transport Museum in Northern Ireland. Both remain on display today

XG900 out in the sunshine for the first time in many years.

In April 1961 XG900 was handed over by Short Bros to the Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE) at Bedford, where it was used the following July by the French team to get “hands-on” experience of VTOL operations. Both SC.1s remained in bare-metal, although Dayglo orange panels were added to the wingtips and rudder of both.

Short SC.1 research aircraft (five Rolls-Royce RB.108 turbojet engines) fitted with new autostabilisation and control system

S.C.1, XG905 demonstrating transition from hover to level flight to the press at RAE Bedford on May 31, 1960. Tom Brooke-Smith had made the first complete transitional flight there on April 6.

Short SC.1 (25 October 1958).

Tom Brooke-Smith flying XG900 at RAE Bedford in April 1960 during transitional flight trials.

Апрель - октябрь 1960г. 6 апреля свой первый полет совершил Short SC.1 - реактивный самолет вертикального взлета и посадки (VTOL). Это произошло на базе британских ВВС в Бедфорде. Машина была оснащена четырьмя турбореактивными двигателями Rolls-Royce RB.108. Short выполнил переходы от горизонтального полета на высоте 30 м к вертикальному снижению до высоты 6 м и обратный вертикальный подъем на прежнюю высоту.
A view from beneath showing the underside of the four vertically mounted RB 108 lift jets.

Short SC.1. На СВВП SC.1 стояло пять двигателей Rolls-Royce RB.108. Четыре из них использовались для создания вертикальной тяги, один, установленный в корне киля, только для создания пропульсивной тяги. Подъемные двигатели поворачивались в небольших пределах, облегчая переход из режима вертикального взлета в режим горизонтального полета и от режима горизонтального полета в режим вертикальной посадки. Устойчивость аппарата на режиме висения обеспечивали небольшие сопла, установленные в носовой и хвостовой частях фюзеляжа, а также на законцовках крыла.

Short SC.1 XG905 in 1964.

Британский экспериментальный аппарат ВВП: самолет SC-1 фирмы "Шорт"

The second SC.1 XG905, in flight.

S.C.1 XG905 being flown by Tom Brooke-Smith at the 1960 Farnborough show.

Sequence of images showing SC.1 XG905 making the transition.

Two of the V/STOL research aircraft operated at Bedford, the Short SC.1 XG905 and Rolls-Royce thrust measuring rig or Flying Bedstead, as it was better known, serialled XJ314. The second Flying Bedstead, XK426, was allocated to Bedford on November 22, 1957, to assess the effects of atmospheric turbulence. Five days later, during tethered flight at Hucknall, the rig crashed killing the CO of Bedford. It had completed 156 tethered flights, totalling 13 hours, and four free flights amounting to 21 mins.

Shorts' SC. I, of which two were built in the 1955 to 1956 period, developed to study the low speed end of a British research programme into VTOL. The basic propulsive layout adopted by Shorts can be seen in the ground view of the ill-fated second machine, XG 905. It consisted of a single, rear-mounted 2,130lb s.t. Rolls-Royce RB 108 for forward flight and four more RB 108s mounted vertically in the central fuselage to provide vertical lift. As was fast becoming the practice, puffer jets were used for attitude control while operating at low speed or in the hover. First flown conventionally on 2 April 1957, XG 905 hovered for the first time just over a year later, on 28 May 1958, which in turn led to the first full transitional flight on 6 April 1960. Sadly, XG 905 was to crash on 2 October 1963, fatally injuring its RAE test pilot. J. R. Green.

A scene at RAE Bedford, foreground left to right: the second SC.1 XG905; SC.1 test-pilot Tom Brooke-Smith; the Rolls-Royce 'Flying Bedstead'. Background; left to right: Vickers Varsity; Shorts SB.5; Hunter F.6 WW598; Lightning F.l from the development batch.

The SC.1 nose-on - the excellent view from the cockpit is apparent.

Rear view of XG900.

Following the Nene-powered Flying Bedstead, development of the concept continued with the Short SC.1. Powered by Rolls-Royce RB.108 lift engines, the SC.1 was the first true aircraft prototype to use V/STOL technology.

Short SC.1 VTOL research aircraft of 1957, powered by five Rolls-Royce RB.108 turbojet engines (four mounted vertically and one horizontally).

A particularly fitting photograph of Thomas W. 'Tom' Brooke-Smith with the Short SC. I as backdrop. As Shorts' Chief Test Pilot, Tom Brooke-Smith had nurtured this 'flat riser' with some potentially lethal handling aspects from inception through and beyond completion of the makers' testing phase. Indeed, it was during a later delivery flight that he was to bring the aircraft safely to rest, following the simultaneous bursting of several tyres at around 178mph during a conventional take-off. 'Tom' Brooke-Smith was one of the few who came to test flying via a non-military route, by gaining a pre-World War II civilian pilot's licence and wartime ferry flying with Britain's Air Transport Auxiliary.

Tom Brooke-Smith astride the Short S.C.1. XG905 in September 1957.

A contemporary illustration of the cockpit and pilot’s position of the SC.1, the forward end of which incorporated extensive glazing, offering the pilot a good view forward and downwards. Instrumentation and controls were laid out with everything close to hand, although Bigand and Pinier noted that shorter pilots may find some of the controls, especially the lift-engine throttles, hard to reach.

Two views of the cockpit of Short S.C.1 XG900, taken on June 6, 1986 at the Science Museum's store at Hayes, Middlesex. The conventional control column was used for attitude control in all phases of flight. The four vertical engines were controlled in unison by a lift lever, similar to a helicopter's collective pitch control, mounted on the port side of the cockpit. To control the rearward-pointing propulsion engine the pilot could use a normal throttle (forward flight) or a twist-grip on the lift lever (transition flight). A feature of the S.C.1’s cockpit in the early days was an extra airspeed indicator which showed the aircraft's speed in backward as well as forward flight.

Views to the port, centre and starboard sides of a mock-up of the SC.1 cockpit. The late John Farley, who flew both the P.1127 and SC.1 at Bedford, recalled of the SC.1: “The pilot was essentially operating a five-engined aircraft solo; one which incorporated none of the benefits of automation that would be available today, leaving the pilot with five of most things to deal with when it came to [flying the machine]”.

Built as a research aircraft which could take off by jet-lift alone and convert to forward flight, the first Short S.C.1, XG900, made its first conventional flight, minus its four Rolls-Royce RB108 lift engines, at Boscombe Down on April 2, 1957. A single RB108 provided the thrust. The second S.C.1, XG905, made its first tethered hover flight on May 23 the next year. On October 25, 1958, XG905 made the first free hovering flight. Tom Brooke-Smith made the first transitional flight at Bedford on April 6, 1960, and from then on both aircraft were used in the test programme, which ended May 1973.

Four-seat SC.8 project from November 1960.

Internal arrangement of the PD.11.

A French illustration of the pit concept preferred by the Dassault/CEV team for its greater ease of operation, the alternative raised-platform concept increasing hazard and workload for the pilot. Here the SC.1 is positioned over the duct; the hot gases from the engines were then channeled rearwards and exhausted aft of the airframe.

Another of the French SC.1 illustrations, this time showing the aircraft’s various propulsion and stabilisation elements. The key runs as follows: 1) lift-engine intakes; 2) auxiliary air intake and “daisy” (i.e. petal-style) louvre-doors for the lift engines; 3) propulsion engine air intake; 4) pitch and yaw stabiliser nozzles; 5) roll stabiliser nozzles.

Alternative PD.11 design fitted with lift engines only; February 1954.

Short and Harland PD.11 (SC.1) as first proposed; February 1954.

The leading particulars and three-view of the Short SC.1 as provided in the French report on the type in 1962. The profile and head-on views show the aircraft in forward-flight configuration, and the plan view the hovering/slow
flight configuration.

SHORT S.C.1. One of the fascinations for the student of aeronautical design is the diversity of approaches to the development of the theme. The V.T.O.L. (Vertical Take-off and Landing) project entrusted by the Ministry of Supply to Short Brothers and Harland Ltd . of Belfast, N. Ireland, is an excellent example of this observation.
At the present time no one can be absolutely certain that the form of V.T.O.L. as conceived by Short Brothers will take its place as accepted design practice or whether it will give ground to the Jet Flap. The Jet Flap was first conceived by Dr. B. Stratford in 1952 at the National Gas Turbine Establishment at Pyestock .
The Short S.C.1 owes its origin to the pioneering work undertaken by Rolls-Royce with the Nene-powered "Flying Bedstead", officially described as the Thrust Measuring Rig. But unlike the Rolls-Royce T.M.R. the Short S.C.I gives the appearance of being a "conventional" delta wing aircraft . A closer examination of the accompanying provisional three-view will indicate some of the unconventional attributes of the S.C.1.
At this early date no data has been made available for publication but the adoption of a small, lightweight ejector seat of the type installed in the Folland Gnat jet fighter has been mentioned.
Revealed for the first time, too, is the existence of the Rolls-Royce RB.10B turbojet which may be related to the RB.93 Soar of 1952. The Soar is an axial turbojet developing some 1,810-Ib. s.t. with the low power/weight ratio of 6.77:1.
The Short S.C.1 is said to have five RB.10Bs - four amidships for V.T.O.L. and a fifth in the conventional tail position. There are four additional outlets, fore and aft and under each wingtip to permit lateral and longitudinal control during critical slow-speed manoeuvring. Examination of the single photograph released on 18th December indicates that the nosewheel-type undercarriage is non-retracting.
Many months may pass before the Short S.C.1 is permitted anything more than tentative ground cushion hovering. Controlled free flight is obviously intended and sufficient wing area is provided to allow for gliding flight . There is so much new territory to be explored and the advances may be slow because the concept is revolutionary. One thing is certain . Without adequate silencing it is unlikely that commercial developments of this theme will be popular with the residents and neighbours of our airports .

SHORT S.C.1: As we close for press it is hoped that this interesting V.T.O.L. aircraft will be flown over from Bedford to demonstrate its capabilities, although a transition had not been effected at the time of writing. The S.C.1 has five 1,810-lb. s.t. Rolls-Royce R.B.108 turbojets, and overall dimensions are: Span. 23 ft. 6 in.; length 24 ft. 5 in., (including pitot head) 29 ft. 10in.

Short SC.1.