Short C-23 Sherpa

A Brief History of the C-23 Sherpa

The Short Brothers Group (sometimes abbreviated "Shorts") was established in 1908 with offices in London (later moved to Belfast, Ireland). The company was best known as a manufacturer of seaplanes and airships during the First World War.

During the 1920s and 1930s, they became known for their line of airships, which were in extensive service during World War II and the subsequent Cold War. Today, the Short Group operates as a manufacturer of aircraft, aerospace parts and systems, despite its sale to Bombardier in 1989.

Building on this long history, Short developed the Short 330 in the early 1970s, and the genre was eventually used in community service starting in 1976. The 330 is a further development of the SC. 7 Skyvan, but with a longer body and a larger overall size. Originally named SD3-30, the 330 was marketed as a low-maintenance product and retained the former's high-mounted wings, deep-plank side fuselage, and significantly raised tail.

The aircraft is designed to be a fairly compact, transport-oriented twin-engine fuselage with good STOL (short takeoff and landing) characteristics, allowing it to operate at shorter airports than other aircraft in its class. The first 330 flew for the first time on August 22, 1974.

The U.S. Air Force took notice of this type and in March 1983 ordered 18 units to be deployed primarily to U.S. bases in Europe as part of the Military Airlift Command (MAC). These models, designated C-23A "Sherpas", have no fuselage windows, and are also equipped with a transfer system and hydraulically actuated stern cargo doors, as well as port cargo doors. This variant of the Sherpa is powered by 2 Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-45-R series turboprop engines, each delivering 1,200 horsepower, with a top speed of 280 mph and a cruising speed of 255 mph. Range is approximately 770 miles, with service capped at 27,000 feet.

The first C-23A entered service with the U.S. Air Force in 1985. USAF Sherpas until 1990.

Sherpas consist of three crew members, including two pilots and a cabin manager. The hull can be arranged to accommodate 30 passengers in the traditional sense, or 18 medical stretchers with associated staff when serving as a medical evacuation.

In addition, the cabin is also set up to accommodate cargo of different sizes. The Sherpa certainly exhibits a unique profile and retains much of the look of the previous Short 330 series, including its pointed, down-sloping nose, supportive shoulder-mounted wings, boxy fuselage design and lower Suspended engine nacelle.

The landing gear is fully retractable, albeit fairly short, allowing access to the cargo area from the rear without much height gain.

The C-23B designation is used to identify Sherpas transferred from the US Air Force to the Army National Guard. ANG also accepted 10 new units for a total of 16 examples. While largely similar to the previous C-23A, the Army National Guard version incorporates a rectangular window on the sides of the fuselage and is powered by two Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-65AR turboprop engines, each producing 1,425 hp.

These have been used in Iraq since the 2003 coalition invasion.

The U.S. Army procured approximately 28 used Short 360 models and quickly converted them to the new C-23B+/C-23C "Super Sherpa" standard for previous C-23As and C-23Bs. The U.S.

Army contracted the West Virginia Aviation Center to convert the fuselage from its original state with vertical tails to a C-23A/B-style twin-rudder configuration. The process also added power loading ramps from the previous brand, as well as modernized military avionics.

The conversion process lasted from 1994 to 1997.

Short C-23 Sherpa Spec

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