The Short SC.7 Skyvan (nicknamed the "Flying Shoebox")[1] is a British 19-seat twin-turboprop aircraft first flown in 1963, that was manufactured by Short Brothers of Belfast, Northern Ireland. Featuring a basic rugged design and STOL capabilities, it was used in small numbers by airlines, and also by some smaller air forces. In more recent years the remaining examples were mostly used for short-haul freight and skydiving.
The Short 330 and Short 360 are regional airliners developed from the original SC.7.
In 1958, Short was approached by F.G. Miles Ltd (successor company to Miles Aircraft) which was seeking backing to produce a development of the Hurel-Dubois Miles HDM.106 Caravan design with a high aspect ratio wing similar to that of the Hurel-Dubois HD.31. Short acquired the design and data gathered from trials of the Miles Aerovan based HDM.105 prototype. After evaluating the Miles proposal, Short rejected the Caravan. They developed their own design for a utility all-metal aircraft which was called the Short SC.7 Skyvan. The Skyvan is a twin-engined all-metal, high-wing monoplane, with a braced, high aspect ratio wing, and an unpressurised, square-section fuselage with twin fins and rudders. It was popular with freight operators compared to other small aircraft because of its large rear door for loading and unloading freight. Its fuselage resembles the shape of a railroad boxcar for simplicity and efficiency.
Construction started at Sydenham Airport in 1960, and the first prototype first flew on 17 January 1963, powered by two Continental piston engines. Later in 1963, the prototype was re-engined with the intended Turbomeca Astazou II turboprop engines of ; the second prototype (the first Series 2 Skyvan) was initially fitted with Turbomeca Astazou X turboprop engines of but subsequently the initial production version was powered by Turbomeca Astazou XII turboprop engines of . In 1967, it was found that the Astazou XII was temperature limited at high altitudes. Consequently, in 1968, production switched to the Skyvan Series 3 aircraft, which replaced the Astazou engines with Garrett AiResearch TPE331 turboprops of . A total of 149 Skyvans (including the two prototypes) were produced before production ended in 1986.
Skyvans served widely in both military and civilian operations, and the type remained in service in 2009 with a number of civilian operators, and in military service in Guyana and Oman.
Skyvans continue to be used in limited numbers for air-to-air photography and for skydiving operations. In 1970, Questor Surveys of Toronto Canada converted the first of two Skyvan 3s for aerial geological survey work. The Collier Mosquito Control District uses Skyvans for aerial spraying.[2]
Skyvan G-BEOL starred in the film Kingsman Secret Service as the aircraft trainee kingsmen skydived from.
As of July 2009, a total of 39 Skyvan aircraft remained in airline or skydiving service, with Win Win Aviation (6), (Pink Aviation Services (4), Sonair (1), Swala Aviation (2), Transway Air Services (1), Deraya Air Taxi (3), Layang Layang Aerospace (1), Macair Airlines (1), Malaysia Air Charter (1), Olympic Airways (1), Pan Malaysian Air Transport (1), Wirakris Udara (1), CAE Aviation (1), Deltacraft (1), Invicta Aviation (2), Advanced Air (1), Allwest Freight (2), Era Alaska (3), GB Airlink (1), North Star Air Cargo (5), Skylift Taxi Aereo (1), Skydive Arizona (13), Skydive DeLand (1), Skydive Perris (5), Sydney Skydivers (2), SkyForce Piotrków Trybunalski (1), Skydive Pennsylvania and Summit Air (2), Eagle Air (2),[11] Sustut Air (1),[12] Ryan Air Services,[13] Nomad Air (2), Aalto University (Helsinki, Finland), Skykef (Israel)
As of April 2017, Skydive Spaceland no longer owns or operates Skyvans. As of January 2019 Era Alaska, Ryan Air Services and All West Freight no longer operate Skyvans. Sydney skydivers no longer own Skyvans. As of May 2019, Olympic Air (successor to Olympic Airways) no longer operates Skyvans. In 2019, Invicta Aviation sold their 2 Skyvans (G-PIGY, G-BEOL) to the Guyana Defence Force.
Skyvans still active in 2023-24[14] include; Perris Skydive (CA) SH.1859, 1885, 1907, 1911, Pink Aviation (Austria) SH.1881, 1932, 1964, Skydive Deland (FL) SH.1842, Skyforce (Poland) SP-HOP (SH.1906), (sister ship SP-HIP SH.1962 written off 3 Sept 2022),[15] Ayit Aviation (Israel) 4X-AGP / SH.1893,[16] and of course Win Aviation (USA) with up to nine Skyvans.[17] [18]
Bought five in 1971; two written off during Falklands War, remaining three sold in 1995 following replacement by five CASA C-212 Aviocars. In 2023 one of these Skyvans returned to Argentina and is on display at ESMA, Buenos Aires as a memorial to those killed in the notorious Death Flights.[20]
bought two Skyvan 3Ms in 1975[24]
The Yemen Arab Republic (North Yemen) Air Force operated two Skyvans as of 1984. These aircraft were subsequently absorbed into the Yemen Air Force in 1990 as a result of Yemeni unification.[25]
Gambia