Short SA-6 Sealand Mk.I
After World War II, the concept of flying amphibians, which could use both water and land for takeoff and landing, was very popular. The British factory "Short" ("Short Brothers & Harland Ltd.") developed the high-wing amphibious aircraft Short Sealand, intended for commercial liner transport in the coastal area, with a capacity of five to seven passengers.
The prototype under the designation SA6 Sealand took off on January 22, 1948, and the following year it launched this model on the small carrier market. A total of 25 aircraft were produced in two variants and were exported to eight countries, including Yugoslavia. The largest user was the Indian Navy, which had 10 aircraft since 1953, and it was used in many parts of the world, such as Borneo, Venezuela, Norway or Saudi Arabia.
At the beginning of the fifties, Yugoslavia entered the Western Aid Program, within which two amphibious aircrafts were acquired in 1951 for the needs of the Air Force. Yugoslav Silends flew into the country with temporary civil registrations. After examination, they were included in the auxiliary detachment of seaplanes (122nd HO) intended for cooperation with the Navy. They spent their working life performing light transport tasks along the Adriatic coast, connecting the coast with centers in the interior. Despite the weakness in terms of engine power, in operation they proved to be reliable and easy to fly. They were used until the end of 1962.
The exhibited example (ev.no. 0662, f.no. SH.1567) from the collection of the Aeronautical Museum made its last flight on December 18, 1962, and is among the rare preserved examples of Short Sealand in the world.
