Short Mayo Composite Aircraft

Production Details

Design Company:

Short Brothers (Rochester & Bedford) Ltd

First Flight:

27 July 1937

Lower component (Maia):

1 - Shorts, Rochester

Upper component (Mercury):

1 - Shorts, Rochester

Type Specification

Applies to:

Shorts Mayo Composite

Type:

Composite aircraft to design of Major Mayo, comprising lightly loaded launch aircraft and highly loaded mailplane which was released at cruising height

Wing:

Both components - High wing cantilever monoplane of all metal construction

Hull:

Lower component - All metal hull with two step planing bottom Upper component - All metal fuselage

Tail Unit:

Both - Cantilever type tailplane with single fin and rudder

Landing Gear:

Lower - None Upper - Twin floats under inboard engines

Power Plant:

Lower - Four 900 hp Bristol Pegasus XC 9 cylinder radial air cooled engines on wing leading edge Upper - Four 365 hp Napier-Halford Rapier VI 16 cylinder air cooled engines on wing leading edge

Accommodation:

Lower - Flight crew of three. Cabin for up to 18 passengers Upper - Crew of two

Span:

Lower - 114 ft Upper - 73 ft

Length:

Lower - 84 ft 11 in Upper - 51 ft

Height:

Unknown

Wing Area:

Lower - 1,750 sq ft Upper - 611 sq ft

Empty:

Lower - 24,745 lb Upper - 10,163 lb

All-up:

Lower - 38,000 lb Upper - 26,800 lb

Max Speed:

Lower - 200 mph Upper - 212 mph

Ceiling:

Lower - 20,000 ft

Range:

Lower - 850 miles Upper - 6,100 miles (after composite launch)

Preserved in British Museums

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