Shorts 330

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Short C-23 Sherpa

The Shorts 330 is a small transport aircraft created by Short Brothers. It seats up to 30 people and was relatively inexpensive and cheap to operate at the time of its introduction in 1976. The 330 was based on the SC.7 Skyvan.

The first prototype of the 330 flew on August 22, 1974. It entered service with Time Air (a Canadian Airline) in 1976.

The Shorts 330-UTT was an military transport version.

Production ended in 1992 with a total of approximately 125 being built (including freighter and military versions). As of 1998, approximately 35 were still in service. The 330's design was refined and heavily modified, resulting in the Shorts 360.

In US military service, the 330 was designated the C-23A Sherpa. The Shorts 360 derivative was modified to become C-23B and C-23C variants. The C-23 replaced the V-18 Twin Otter.

1 Specifications (330-200)
- 1.1 General characteristics
- 1.2 Performance
2 Civilian operators
3 Military Operators
4 References
5 Related content

[edit] Specifications (330-200)

[edit] General characteristics

Crew: three
Capacity: 30 passengers
Length: 58 ft 0 in (17.69 m)
Wingspan: 74 ft 9 in (22.78 m)
Height: 16 ft 3 in (4.95 m)
Wing area: 543 ft² (42.1 m²)
Empty: 14,200 lb (6,440 kg)
Loaded: 22,900 lb (10,387 kg)
Maximum takeoff: lb ( kg)
Powerplant: 2x Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-45R turboprops, 1,198 shp (894 kW) each

[edit] Performance

Maximum speed: 218 mph (352 km/h)
Range: 770 miles (1,239 km)
Service ceiling: 11,500 ft (3,500 m)
Rate of climb: 2,100 ft/min (640 m/min)
Wing loading: 15 lb/ft² (75 kg/m²)
Power/mass:

[edit] Civilian operators

In August 2006 a total of 28 Shorts 330 aircraft (all variants) remain in airline service, with Deraya Air Taxi (2), Freedom Air (2), Emerald Airways (1), Air Cargo Carriers (14), Arctic Circle Air Service (1), Corporate Air (3), Jim Hankins Air Service (1), McNeely Charter Service (1), Mountain Air Cargo (2) and Skyway Enterprises (1).^[1]