Short 360 Prototype Makes Its First Flight

George Best Belfast City Airport, Sydenham Bypass, Sydenham, Belfast City District, County Down, Northern Ireland / Tuaisceart Éireann, BT3 9JH, United Kingdom

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Aircraft rubric2026 criteria

Estimate from the variant's published specs, 0-5; scores are only comparable within one criteria year. Variant: Short 360 (SD3-60), 36 pax, 2x PT6A-65AR, MTOW 12,292 kg. Turboprop: speed and runway use the same 2026 anchors. Range: 861 nmi full tanks, 2,569 kg payload -> 0. Capacity: 36 -> 0. Efficiency: Wikipedia fuel consumption 1.01 kg/km (820 lb/h at 200 kn) / 0.8 kg/L = 1.26 L/km = 126 L/100 km / 36 seats = 3.5 L/seat/100 km -> 2 (secondary source, not a maker figure). Speed: 404 km/h at FL100 = 218 kt, about Mach 0.34 -> 0. Runway: takeoff distance 4,250 ft / 1,300 m (AeroCorner spec page, not the maker's chart) -> 5. Comfort: null; only 2 reviews reached (Simple Flying, Aeroclass blog), neither a firsthand ride; fewer than 3 solid reviews.^[2]

Reviews

The British Made Short 360 First Flew 41 Years Ago · simpleflying.com · Jun 1, 2022Where the Short 360 excelled was its ability to take off and land from short runways, opening up hundreds of airfields that would have been inaccessible to other airliners.
Short 360: the Iconic Legacy Aircraft · aeroclass.org · Oct 20, 2022making the 360 one of the quietest turboprop aircraft in operation.

Sentiment over timePositive

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Alternate names

Maiden Flight
Alias
Short 360
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References 475% CONFIDENCEOverall confidence: 75%How well the pin's source and references back up its dates.Weighted average of how firmly 4 references, the source included, support the pin's start and end times; a reference counts half as much for every 180 days older than the newestShow all pins at 75% confidence or better

The first entry is always the pin's source. Overall confidence is a weighted average of how firmly each reference supports the start and end times used above; a reference counts half as much for every 180 days older than the newest.

[1]90%
airwaysmag.com/new-post/short-360-first-flight
airwaysmag.com· Posted Oct 24, 2026· Starts Jun 1, 1981 ✓· 25% of score
Airways: "6/01/1981: First Flight of the Prototype Short 360" and "it performed its maiden flight on June 1"; Wikipedia^[2] infobox "First flight 1 June 1981"; Aerocorner^[3]: "On June 1, 1981, the first prototype took to the skies".
[2]70%
Short 360, Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org· Added Oct 24, 2026· 25% of score
First flight 1 June 1981, certification 3 September 1981, service in November 1982, specification box.^[1]
[3]70%
Short 360, Aerocorner
aerocorner.com· Added Oct 24, 2026· 25% of score
Independent summary of prototype first flight, certification, first production flight and Suburban service entry.^[1]
[4]70%
Aircraft - Shorts 360, Northwest Airlines History Center
northwestairlineshistory.org· Added Oct 24, 2026· 25% of score
Describes the stretch from the 330 and service entry in November 1982; its first-flight date refers to the first production aircraft (August 1982).^[1]

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The British Made Short 360 First Flew 41 Years Ago · Jun 1, 2022	0.60
Short 360: the Iconic Legacy Aircraft · Oct 20, 2022	0.50

The British Made Short 360 First Flew 41 Years Ago · Jun 1, 2022	0.60
Short 360: the Iconic Legacy Aircraft · Oct 20, 2022	0.50

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Short 360 Prototype Makes Its First Flight

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