Editing Short Seamew (section)

==Design and development==
The Short Seamew was selected to fulfill [[British Admiralty|Admiralty]] Specification M.123D for a simple, lightweight anti-submarine aircraft capable of unassisted operation from any of the [[Royal Navy]]'s [[aircraft carrier]]s in all but the worst of conditions, in particular escort carriers which the UK still had in considerable numbers from the Second World War.<ref>[http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1953/1953%20-%201660.html "For Escort Carriers."] ''Flight'', 18 December 1953, p. 814.</ref> Although specifically designed for naval operations, the Seamew was also intended for land-based use by the RAF.<ref>Flintham, Vic. [http://www.vicflintham.co.uk/post-war-research-aircraft-and-prototypes/Cancelled.html "Short Seamew".] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080929195433/http://www.vicflintham.co.uk/post-war-research-aircraft-and-prototypes/Cancelled.html |date=29 September 2008 }}  ''Cancelled Types'', 2007. Retrieved: 12 August 2008.</ref> It was to be suitable for mass production and operation by the Air Branch of the [[Royal Naval Reserve|Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (RNVR)]]. This specification was in response to the alarming increase in capabilities of the [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] submarine forces following the [[World War II|Second World War]].
[[File:Short Seamew landing at Farnborough.jpg|thumb|right|Seamew prototype XA209, natural metal finish, landing at Farnborough SBAC Show in September 1953]]

Three prototypes were ordered in April 1952 and the first flight (''XA209''), piloted by test pilot [[Squadron leader|Sqn. Ldr.]] Walter J. "Wally" Runciman,<ref>Sqdn.Ldr. [[W.J. Runciman]], A.F.C, D.F.M</ref> took place on 23 August 1953. This same aircraft, also piloted by Runciman, took part in the 1953 [[Farnborough Airshow]] three weeks later. In 1954 both ''XA209'' and the second prototype ''XA213'' took part at Farnborough, where the following year both prototypes and two production AS Mk 1 models (''XE171'' and ''XE172'') gave a formation display.<ref>Barnes and James 1989, pp. 450–453.</ref>

The fourth Seamew prototype (''XE175'') was flown by Runciman for a series of sales tours in 1956 to Italy (March), Yugoslavia (April) and West Germany (May). It was this same aircraft in which Runciman was killed when it crashed during the Sydenham (Belfast) Air Display on 9 June 1956, when he attempted a loop.<ref>Hamilton-Paterson J (2010). "Empire of the Clouds: When Britain's Aircraft Ruled the World", p.129 Faber & Faber, London. {{ISBN|9780571247950}}.</ref> Rumours that the crash had been caused by a material failure were current at the time, but the accident investigation board did not confirm them.{{#tag:ref|John T. Davis, an Irish filmmaker, included film of the crash in his own film, ''The Uncle Jack'' (1996).<ref>[http://www.culturenorthernireland.org/article/22/john-t-davis "John T. Davis: The life and times of a punk rock film-maker."] ''CultureNorthernIreland,'' 2 December 2008. Retrieved: 10 December 2010.</ref>|group=N}}

The MR Mark 2 for use by Coastal Command was similar in every respect to the AS Mk 1 except that it was optimised for land-based use from hastily prepared airstrips. Naval equipment was deleted although manual wing folding was retained. Slightly heavier than the naval version, the MR Mk 2 had oversize low pressure tyres and could carry a higher weapons load.

===Design===
[[File:Short SB6 Seamew XA209 first flight.JPG|thumb|right|alt=A pilot stands on the wing of an aircraft as he prepares to enter the cockpit|Wally Runciman climbs into the cockpit for the first flight of the Seamew ''XA209'' prototype]]
[[File:Short Seamew prototype side view 1953.jpg|thumb|Prototype ''XA209'', without [[radome]], 1953.]]
[[File:Seamew folded.jpg|thumb|Prototype ''XA209'' with wings folded]]

The pilot and observer were located in tandem cockpits located high up in the front of the deep, narrow fuselage, creating a decidedly "curious" profile.<ref name= "Winchester p. 47."/> They sat atop the [[Armstrong Siddeley Mamba]] [[turboprop]] in front and the weapons bay to the rear of them. The design had originally called for the tried and tested [[Rolls-Royce Merlin]] piston engine but the Royal Navy had made it policy to phase out piston engines, in order that supplies of highly flammable high [[octane]] [[aviation fuel]] need not be carried in large quantities on ships. The turboprop engine also caused less airframe vibration so that the pilot could be sat directly over it with the absence of a piston engine ignition system which would have interfered with the radar scanner mounted below the engine housing.<ref name="Flightp81">Keith-Lucas 1956, p. 81.</ref>

For simplicity, and so that a nosewheel would not obscure the forward field of the radar scanner, a fixed tailwheel undercarriage was used. The long stroke necessary on the main undercarriage to allow for heavy deck landings while giving the radar scanner and propeller adequate clearance from the ground resulted in an alarming attitude on the ground and the cockpits mounted at a seemingly perilous height. For landing the tailwheel extended so it could land at a more level attitude.<ref name="Flightp81"/>

The pilot and observer sat very far forward in order for the pilot to have a reasonable field of downward vision for takeoff and landing and so that both he and the observer had a good field of view for spotting surface vessels even when in level flight.

The large, broad-chord wings featured power-folding and [[Aircraft pylon|pylon]]s for the carriage of [[rocket]]s, [[depth charge]]s, [[flares]] and [[bomb|small bombs]]. The large, slab-like tailplane was mounted high on the vertical stabiliser, requiring the rudder to be split into upper and lower sections. The fixed undercarriage legs could be jettisoned in the event of ditching.<ref name= "Winchester p. 47.">Winchester 2005, p. 47.</ref>

The weapons bay was 14&nbsp;ft long and 3&nbsp;ft wide. By omitting the rotating radar scanner, it could be extended to 17&nbsp;ft in order to carry longer weapons.

===Handling characteristics===
The handling characteristics of the Seamew were poor. The prototypes were heavily modified with fixed leading-edge slats, slots added in the trailing-edge flaps, alterations to the [[aileron]]s and slats added to the tailplane roots. Although something of an improvement over the initial models, the handling was never wholly satisfactory. Arthur Pearcy wrote "only Short Brothers' test pilot Wally Runciman seemed able to outwit its vicious tendencies and exploit its latent manoeuvrability to the limit."<ref name= "Winchester p. 46."/><ref name= "Pearcy 1990">Pearcy 1990</ref>

The stall speed of the Seamew was 50 [[knot (unit)|knot]]s and it required only 50% of engine power to maintain flight. Runciman said "take off and landing are simple and straightforward", "it is, in fact, impossible to bounce the Seamew", and that its performance in crosswinds was "outstanding".<ref>Keith-Lucas 1956, p. 86.</ref>