Lovingly Known as Belsow
As a 15 year old cadet, I managed to get a b&w photograph of the first t/o on my parents box brownie from the nearby Holywood Rd. On the photo the aircraft is about 5mm long. Ten years later, as an ops assistant at RAF Kai Tak, I was THE vasf see off crew, seeing a Belsow out of slot 10. Very amusing of the LH driver to stick his head out the window as if reversing a very large truck (which, in essence, it was)
Two things to note.
1. In conversation in later life I was told that Shorts had offered a swept wing, jet engined design (C141 style) but that the MoD or whoever said that there were spare main spars (Britannia?) and turbo props available and were to be used in order to keep costs down. Whether true or otherwise I know not. However as someone once said, They were all counted out and counted back in. In other words, Ten aircraft into service and Ten aircraft out of service. I am Unaware of any other aircraft fleet that ended service with no losses.
2. On the formation of Heavy lift Air Cargo and its' fleet of Belfast aircraft, a telegram was sent to Lockheed Georgia informing there was now a civilian company with the capability of flying their C130 fuselages around the world.