The Skyvan Concept and Design Philosophy: A Description of the Background to the Light Freighter, its Preliminary Design, Development and Leading Particulars

SHORTS' interest in the air freighter market dates back to 1954. The seaplane market, which previously the Company had dominated, had dwindled to negligible proportions and efforts were directed towards finding a new niche in the aircraft business. One area which research showed to have an unmistakable future was that of the air freighter. The work which led to this conclusion comprised a survey of some 1,200 manufacturers and shippers of a wide variety of commodities to establish their reactions to air freight and to see at what level of operating cost air freight would become acceptable to them. In addition to studies aimed at finding the form and size of aircraft which could meet such operating costs, Shorts also tried to establish the minimum size of freight aircraft which could be operated profitably.