Short Sealand

Sealand
Short Sealand prototype and demonstrator G-AIVX at RNAS Stretton on 25 July 1953
Role	Amphibious flying boat Type of aircraft
Manufacturer	Short Brothers
Designer	C. T. P. Lipscomb
First flight	22 January 1948
Introduction	31 December 1950
Primary users	Indian Navy Christian & Missionary Alliance Royal Dutch Shell Yugoslav Air Force
Number built	25

The Short SA.6 Sealand was a light commercial amphibious aircraft designed and produced by Short Brothers. It was sized to accommodate between five and seven passengers as well as to suit the general overseas market in territories with suitable water access and/or runways. It could take off from and land on rivers, lakes and sheltered bays or prepared runways, and could be flown by either a single pilot or a pilot and navigator.

On 22 January 1948, the maiden flight of the Sealand took place; the first examples entered service roughly two years later. A total of two production variants of the type were produced, the SA.6 Sealand I and the SB.7 Sealand III, an extended version with longer wings, a deeper rudder and a strengthened hull. The proposed SB.2 Sealand II was intended as the type's second prototype, but was never completed as such, instead becoming the first of the batch of 4 pre-production aircraft G-AKLM to G-AKLP.^[1] The Sealand was flown by both civilian and military operators, the Indian Navy being a particularly prominent operator of the type. Its operational service included regular flights within various areas of the world, including Borneo, East Bengal, Norway and Venezuela.