Short Brothers Short S.8 Calcutta

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The Short S.8 Calcutta, which first flew in 1928, represents the golden age of flying boat development. This British biplane airliner features three engines and a crew of three, measuring 20.3 meters long with a 28.3-meter wingspan. Achieving 189.9 km/h, the Calcutta served passenger transport across imperial routes and commercial networks. Its substantial size, multiple engines, and flying boat configuration provided the range and safety characteristics demanded by long-distance transoceanic air service of the late 1920s.