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Short-Mayo composite
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Short-Mayo composite
Short S.20 Maia and Short S.21 Mercury in flight near Rochester, 1938
The Royal Air Force Museum is Britain's only national museum dedicated wholly to aviation
Media ID 1110543
© RAF Museum 2008 - All Rights Reserved
Airliners Interwar Transport Imperial Airways
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This print showcases the awe-inspiring Short-Mayo composite, a groundbreaking aircraft innovation of the interwar period. Taken in 1938 near Rochester, it captures the majestic sight of two remarkable flying machines soaring through the skies - the Short S. 20 Maia and its companion, the Short S. 21 Mercury. The image perfectly encapsulates an era marked by rapid advancements in transport and aviation technology. As part of Imperial Airways' fleet, these airliners symbolize a time when air travel was becoming more accessible to people around the world. The Short-Mayo composite was a pioneering concept that involved attaching a smaller aircraft (the Mercury) on top of a larger one (the Maia). This ingenious design allowed for increased range and payload capacity, making long-distance flights more efficient than ever before. Charles E Brown's expertly captured photograph not only highlights the impressive engineering feat but also evokes a sense of wonder and excitement surrounding this revolutionary mode of transportation. The composition beautifully portrays both planes gracefully gliding through clouds against a backdrop of clear blue sky. As we gaze upon this historical snapshot from RAF Museum's collection, we are transported back to an era where dreams took flight and boundaries were pushed beyond imagination. It serves as a reminder of humanity's relentless pursuit to conquer new frontiers and connect distant lands like never before – all made possible by visionary minds such as those behind the Short-Mayo composite.
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