Short Scylla

The Short L.17 Scylla was a British four-engined 39-seat biplane airliner designed and built by Short Brothers at the request of Imperial Airways, which wanted to supplement its Handley Page H.P.42 fleet after Handley Page quoted too high a price for two more. Two were ordered in 1933 and named Scylla and Syrinx. It was a land-based development of the Short Kent flying boat, using the Kent flying surfaces on a new square-section fuselage, with an all-metal structure, a 113 foot wingspan, four Bristol Jupiter radial engines and a fixed main undercarriage. Imperial Airways flew it on scheduled services from London to Paris and other European cities until the merger into BOAC in 1939. Both aircraft were taken out of service the following year, Scylla after being wrecked and Syrinx being scrapped. Syrinx also tested Perseus sleeve valve engines in airline service.