Here, finally, are the pics of my finished Short 184. But first a little potted history of this aircraft:
The Short 184 was the first aircraft designed specifically to carry and deliver a torpedo. The prototype, (no 184 strangely enough!) was put aboard HMS
Riviera on May 3rd 1915, then joined HMS
Ben-my-Chree on May 21st. No. 842 was the second production machine and joined HMS
Ben-my-Chree on August 10th, in the Aegean Sea.
On August 12th at 0455hrs, Flight Commander CHK Edmonds took off in 842, without an observer, and with only 45 minutes fuel - all he could carry to get the aircraft airborne with an 810lb torpedo! He got up to the dizzying height of 1,500 feet and crossed over to the Sea of Marmora. His target was spotted near the north shore, where an earlier reconnaissance flight had reported it to be, and he dropped to 15 feet, launching his torpedo at a range of about 800 yards. The ship was struck abreast the mainmast. It was later discovered that this particular ship had earlier been torpedoed by a submarine, which was given credit for its sinking.
However, on August 17th, both 184, flown by Flight Commander GB Dacre, and 842, again flown by Flt Cmdr CHK Edmonds, launched to attack enemy ships at Ak Bashi Liman, on the Gallipoli Peninsula. Edmonds torpedoed the middle of 3 ships which caught fire and was later taken to Constantinople. Dacre had engine trouble and landed in the straits. His engine recovered enough for him to taxi towards False Bay where he fired his torpedo at a large steam tug, which he hit and sank. He then taxied 2 miles before managing to get 184 airborne again, crossed Bulair at around 200 feet, and was within gliding distance of
Ben-my-Chree in Xeros Bay when his engine finally failed completely!
This made 842 the first aircraft ever to torpedo a ship....the rest, as they say, is history.......
This build is in tribute to those brave and relatively unknown fliers, who faced challenges that modern pilots would deem ridiculous - and succeeded!
Thanks to all for your support and constructive criticism throughout the build!
Ian
