Short Seamew

SB.6 Seamew
A Seamew landing on HMS Bulwark (R08), 1955
General information
TypeAnti-submarine aircraft
ManufacturerShort Brothers
Primary usersRoyal Navy Fleet Air Arm
Number built26
History
First flight23 August 1953[1]
Retired1957

The Short SB.6 Seamew was a British aircraft designed in 1951 by David Keith-Lucas of Shorts as a lightweight anti-submarine platform to replace the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm (FAA)'s Grumman Avenger AS 4 with the Reserve branch of the service. It first flew on 23 August 1953, but, due to poor performance coupled with shifting defence doctrine, it never reached service and only 24 production aircraft had flown before the project was cancelled. It has been described as a "camel amongst race-horses".[2]

  1. ^ Green and Pollinger 1956, p. 260.
  2. ^ Winchester 2005, p. 46.