The Short Belfast was Britain's largest military transport, yet only ten were ever built.

Countries & Cities · Published 15 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Designed to haul massive military loads, the Short Belfast was a technological pioneer in automatic landing systems. Despite its ambition, the fleet was retired by the RAF after just a decade of service, leading to a strange afterlife as a commercial freighter and a victim of tropical cyclones.

The Short Belfast emerged from mid-1950s studies by Short Brothers to create a heavy-lift turboprop freighter for the Royal Air Force. Initially conceived as the Britannic to leverage components from the Bristol Britannia, the design evolved significantly as requirements grew. By the time the contract for ten aircraft was signed in December 1960, the Belfast had become a distinct, large-scale machine. It featured a circular, pressurized fuselage capable of carrying bulky military equipment, including radar units, missiles, and up to 150 troops.

Technologically, the Belfast was ahead of its time. It was the first aircraft designed from the outset to feature a full 'blind landing' automatic system, utilizing the ASR 518 autopilot. Its maiden flight occurred in January 1964, and it entered RAF service in 1966. However, the aircraft faced performance challenges, including drag issues that required a redesigned rear fairing to improve cruising speeds. Despite its capabilities, the RAF retired the entire fleet by the end of 1976 following a reorganization of transport assets.

The aircraft's post-military life was marked by irony. Five were purchased by the cargo airline HeavyLift, which occasionally chartered them back to the RAF for tasks the smaller Hercules fleet could not handle. Some reports suggest these charters cost more than simply retaining the aircraft in service. The final chapter for the type has been turbulent; one aircraft was restored for service in Australia only to be flooded by Cyclone Jasper in 2023, while the final production model, named Enceladus, remains preserved at the Royal Air Force Museum Midlands.

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