The Short Silver Streak was the first British all-metal aircraft.[1] It was designed and built by Short Brothers at Rochester, Kent, England.Although Flight magazine claimed that it was the first instance of stressed skin construction in the world,[2] it was preceded by a number of Dornier designs, including the Dornier-Zeppelin D.I, which was ordered into production.[3] [4]
The Silver Streak was a single-seat biplane with a semi-monocoque duralumin fuselage and duralumin-covered wings. The wing skin was not stressed.[5] The Silver Streak had a conventional landing gear and was powered by a Siddeley Puma engine. The Silver Streak was exhibited in July 1920 at the Olympia in London. Registered G-EARQ, it was first flown at Grain on 20 August 1920 by test pilot J. L. Parker. It was later modified as a two-seater and delivered to the Air Ministry in February 1921 for both flight and static testing. The Air Ministry issued a specification for a two-seat reconnaissance biplane and Shorts produced the Springbok based on the Silver Streak.