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Short C-23 Sherpa

🇬🇧 United Kingdom ·first flew 1982· transport aircraft

📦 cargo 2× turboprop ✓ still flying
10 photos from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences
  1. 1. Short C-23A Sherpa (330-200), USA - Air Force AN1538079: Mike Freer - Touchdown-aviation· GFDL 1.2
  2. 2. A C-23 Sherpa from the California Army National Guard's Detachment 1, Company I, 185th Theater Aviation Brigade, flies over San Diego: 1st Lt. Jason Sweeney· Public domain
  3. 3. Alaska paratroopers train with C-23 Sherpa aircraft 130612-F-QT695-001: Percy Jones· Public domain
  4. 4. C-23A-1: STAFF SGT. FERNANDO SERNA· Public domain
  5. 5. C-23A-4: Wikimedia Commons· Public domain
  6. 6. C-23A-9: MSGT PATRICK NUGENT· Public domain
  7. 7. C-23B-1: SSGT SHANE A. CUOMO, USAF· Public domain
  8. 8. C-23 at Anaktuvuk Pass: 807th Medical Command (Deployment Support)· CC BY 2.0
  9. 9. C-5-C-23-1: CHIEF MASTER SGT. DON SUTHERLAND· Public domain
  10. 10. Short C-23A Sherpa (330-200), USA - Air Force AN2184802: Steve Fitzgerald· GFDL 1.2
Read about it on Wikipedia ↗
Short C-23 Sherpa, photo 1 of 10
1/10 Mike Freer - Touchdown-aviation· GFDL 1.2

what is it?

The Short C-23 Sherpa is a small military transport aircraft built by Short Brothers. It was designed to operate from unpaved runways and make short takeoff and landings (STOL). It features a large squared fuselage with a full-width rear cargo door/ramp.

How to recognise it: 2 turboprops · retractable tricycle gear · 22.8 m wingspan

base stats

  • speed 467 km/htop speed
  • range 2,195 kmwithout refuelling
  • seats 30passengers
  • size 10.4 tmax take-off weight
  • built 34made in total

Bars compare against all aircraft: 3,500 km/h, 20,000 km, 850 seats; size and number built on a log scale up to 640 t (An-225) and 45,000 built (Cessna 172).

fun facts

  • First flew 44 years ago, in 1982.
  • Top speed is 3.6× a car on the Dutch motorway (130 km/h).
  • Wingspan of 22.8 m: about 5 cars parked nose to tail.
  • Range of 2,195 km: 12× Amsterdam to Brussels.

turboprop: A jet-style turbine turning a propeller: efficient on short hops.

spec sheet

first flight
1982-12-23
introduced
1985
retired
2014
status
still flying
number built
34
role
transport aircraft
origin
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
makers
Short Brothers
engines
2× Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-45-R
crew
3
passengers
30
length
17.7 m
wingspan
22.8 m
height
5 m
max take-off weight
10.4 t
top speed
467 km/h
cruise speed
422 km/h
range
2,195 km
ceiling
8,534 m
landing gear
retractable tricycle gear

Specs are for the version in the Wikipedia article's specification section. Blank means the sources don't say.

Sources: Wikidata Q2032926, Wikipedia: Short C-23 Sherpa (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-24.

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