NEW FREIGHT PLANE

Press, Volume C, Issue 29479, 4 April 1961, Page 12

NEW FREIGHT PLANE

Construction In Belfast

An order worth about EI7J million has been placed with the Belfast aircraft manufacturing firm of Short Bros, and Harland by the Royal Air Force for ten giant military air freighters designed and developed in Belfast, according to the publication “Ulster Commentary.” “Till now the plane has been known as the Britannic but it has been renamed Belfast,” says the publication Short Bros, and Harland have already done a great deal of preparatory work on the project and it is expected that the Belfast will have its flying tests early next year. It should be ready for service with the Royal Air Force (Transport Command) in 1964. The Belfast is designed to carry 85,0001 b (about 38 tons) of freight for more than 1150 miles at 350 miles an hour, or 25.0001 b for more than 5050 miles at the same speed As a troop carrier it will hold more than 200 troops and as a civilian aircraft its capacity will be 249 passengers. An advanced civil version of the aircraft is also planned by the manufacturers and plans are in hand for a tactical version of the plane for the military field. Jigs for construction of the aircraft are among the largest ever to be set up in the United Kingdom. The aircraft will carry extremely expensive equipment, including automatic landing devices.