Short Skyvan in Royal Australian Marines serviceThe Short SC.7 Skyvan (nicknamed the "Flying Shoebox") is a British 19-seat twin-turboprop aircraft manufactured by Short Brothers of Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is today used mainly for short-haul freight and skydiving.
The Skyvan is a high wing, twin-engined all-metal monoplane with a mid-mounted tailplane and twin rudders. The first flight of the Skyvan, the Skyvan 1, was on 17 January 1963. It is called "the shed" by pilots and crew.
In 1958, Shorts was approached by F.G. Miles Ltd (successor company to Miles Aircraft) which was seeking backing to produce a development of the H.D.M.106 Caravan design with a high aspect ratio wing similar to that of the Hurel-Dubois HD.31. Shorts acquired the design and data gathered from trials of the Miles Aerovan based H.D.M.105 prototype. After evaluating the Miles proposal, Shorts rejected the Caravan. They developed their own design for a utility all-metal aircraft which was called the Short SC.7 Skyvan. 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 railway boxcar for simplicity and efficiency.
Construction started at Sydenham Airport in 1960, and the 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 turboprop engines. The Skyvan is an all-metal, high-wing monoplane, with a braced, high aspect ratio wing, and an unpressurised, square-section fuselage. In 1968, production switched to the Skyvan Series 3 aircraft, which replaced the Astazou engines with Garrett AiResearch TPE331 turboprops. A total of 153 Skyvans (plus the prototype) was produced before production ended in 1986.
In 1980, the Royal Australian Marines became interested in the concept of a small, light transport aircraft to support their Special Boat Squadron (SBS). Modelled on the Royal Marines' Special Boat Squadron, the SBS was the Marines' equivalent of the Special Air Service (SAS). They were intended to undertake long range reconnaissance, sabotage and other special missions. Employing small inflatable boats, canoes and frogmen, they were the premier experts in marine small unit operations. What the RAMC SBS lacked was a means to transport their men long distances, quickly and insert them surreptitiously behind the enemy's lines. During WWII, their predecessors, the Commandos had used submarines, however while their approach was largely undetectable, it took extended periods of time and it was felt in the faster moving strategic environment that a better means was required.
When Ansett Airlines acquired two Skyvans for use in Papua-New Guinea the RAMC took an interest and “borrowed” one for secret trials. The recommendation from the trials was that the aircraft was exactly what they were looking for. 16 aircraft were acquired directly from Shorts in a modified, austere military version, equipped with folding seats often with floats, to enable it to operate from the water.
Landing and taking off from small inlets, rivers and lakes and swamps, the “Shed” was able infiltrate or exfiltrate a platoon of Marines in a few minutes. Carefully camouflaged, they were difficult to detect and with their small turbine engines which were quiet made them speedy and manoeuvrable.
The model represents a “Shed” from 4 Marine Flying Boat Squadron in 1993, when it was repainted in “Tiger Stripe” camouflage, of alternating stripes of dark green and brown on a lighter green background. Found to be effective at camouflaging the outline, this camouflage has become standardised in the PNG Theatre. When the “troubles” broke out between the Communist Indonesian Government and the Government of New Guinea over West New Guinea, Australia was called upon to help bolster the PNG Defence Forces which were operating to prevent the incursions of the TNI forces into PNG Territory, chasing the Free West Papua Movement fighters, hiding in PNG territory. The RAMC under orders from the Australian Government dispatched its squadron of “Sheds” to PNG and they operated along the north and south coasts of West New Guinea, much to the consternation of the TNI forces. Credited with stopping the coastal movement of the TNI forces, the RAMC continues to operate in support of the PNG Defence Forces.
The ModelThe model is a combination of the 1/72 Revell Twin Otter (for the floats) and the 1/72 Airfix Skyvan. It has been painted with a hairy stick with Vallejo paints.
