Short Solent

S.45A Solent
The Aquila Airways Solent III, G-AKNU Sydney, taking-off from Funchal
General information
Typepassenger flying boat
ManufacturerShort Brothers and Harland
Primary usersBOAC
Number built16 (and 7 converted S.45 Seafords)
History
First flight11 November 1946
Developed fromShort Seaford

The Short Solent is a passenger flying boat that was produced by Short Brothers in the late 1940s. It was developed from the Short Seaford, itself a development of the Short Sunderland military flying boat design.

The first Solent flew in 1946. New Solents were used by BOAC and TEAL, production ending in 1949. Second-hand aircraft were operated until 1958 by a number of small airlines such as Aquila Airways.