Short S . 45 The Short S . 45 — also known as the Short T . 5 after its naval serial number — was a training biplane built for Britain ' s Royal Navy by Short Brothers in 1912 . It was the forerunner of another three identical aircraft ( designated S . 48 , S . 49 , and S . 50 by Shorts ) delivered to the Royal Navy and Royal Flying Corps during 1912 and 1913 . The Royal Naval Air Service was still operating the type when World War I broke out in 1914 . Design and development . The design was similar to that of the Short S . 36 , a sporting biplane built for Frank McClean that he lent to the Navy Flying School , Eastchurch . Cdr Charles Rumney Samson and Capt Eugene Gerrard test flew the aircraft early in 1912 . The pleasing performance of the S . 36 led to an order by the Admiralty for two aircraft of similar configuration , but differing in the engine fitted . in March that year . Shorts delivered these as the S . 41 and the S . 45 . The S . 45 was an unequal - span biplane two - bay biplane with a fuselage of square - cross section with the two seats in tandem in open cockpits . The wire - braced wings were unstaggered , and the fuselage was mounted part - way between them . Ailerons were only fitted to the upper wing . The tail was cruciform in shape and the undercarriage was designed to be interchangeable to allow the S . 45 to be flown as a seaplane or landplane . The machine was powered by a single rotary engine in the nose , turning a two - blade propeller . In seaplane configuration , the undercarriage consisted of a single broad pontoon mounted beneath the fuselage , with airbags on short struts under each wing . A third airbag was later fitted under the tail to keep it out of the water while the aircraft was under tow . Operational history . The S . 45 flew for the first time on 24 May 1912 as a landplane with Lt Spencer Grey at the controls and was accepted for Navy service with the serial number T . 5 ( " T " signifying " tractor " ) . Together with the S . 41 , the aircraft participated in the Naval Review at Portsmouth in July . It was soon joined in service by the S . 48 ( serial 413 ) , which Capt Gerrard delivered to the Central Flying School at Upavon on 10 October . Although evaluated by Capt John Salmond as underpowered , it flew regularly until damaged beyond repair in a landing accident on 3 December when it stalled on approach . Meanwhile , the S . 45 underwent considerable modification , including a new engine cowling , a built - up coaming around the cockpits , revised ailerons , and upper wings of greater span . The wing extensions were braced with a kingpost and wires . Its serial was changed from " T . 5 " to simply " 5 " when army and navy aircraft serials were merged into one system in late 1912 . In 1913 , the S . 45 was stationed at Carlingnose , near Rosyth , where it suffered a landing accident and capsized on 4 October . At the start of 1913 , the Central Flying School received two further examples of the type : Capt Gerrard delivered the S . 50 ( serial 424 ) on 17 February and the S . 49 ( serial 423 ) on 22 February . Not long after , these aircraft disappeared from the records when their serial numbers were re - assigned to two Royal Aircraft Factory B . E . 8 s . Eventually , stripped of their engines and identities , the War Office declared the two airframes to be surplus to requirements , and transferred them to the Admiralty in August 1914 . In Royal Naval Air Service hands , the aircraft were re - engined with 100 - hp ( 75 - kW ) Clerget rotary engines and assigned serial numbers 1268 and 1279 . The RNAS operated them at the Navy Flying School and they remained in service at the outbreak of World War I .