The Short Empire Flying Boat Of American Aircraft

In the late 1930s, Imperial Airways, then Britain's national airline, saw their outlook lying with air mail and the flying-boat. Their requirement was met by the Short Bros. Empire Flying-Boat. Forty-two 'boats were built at Rochester, upon the River Medway. The aircraft obvious the watershed between the heavy British leviathan airliners, like the Handley Page H.P.42s, and the graceful power of the Douglas DC-4 and other American aircraft, which later conquered the post-war years. 

This was a episode when air mail held the British Empire together and comfortable air travel was for the privileged few. Every journey was a venture for both passengers and team. The spirit of Boy's Own Paper accompanied aviation's golden age across the last days of the great British Empire.

Finally, the sun did set and a generous standard of service, never since surpassed, was snuffed out following the beginning of hostilities in 1939. Many of the 'boats were forced into military service, seeing action in Europe and the Far East. These famous aircraft formed the main backbone of the British national airline, Imperial Airways, it's successor B.O.A.C. and its partners Qantas Empire Airways and TEAL from the mid ‘thirties and through World War Two. The aircraft that survived the war were replaced by more contemporary aircraft in 1946-47.

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