Oakland Short Solent

Aircraft Type: Short Solent

Registration: G-AKNP

Airline: BOAC

Coordinates: 37°43'58.58"N 122°12'44.99"W

This Solent is visible on street view from a nearby street and a photo sphere.

G-AKNP was originally built as a Short Sunderland, set to be delivered to the RAF. However, since WW2 was going on at the time, production was not really happening at the Short Brothers plant. After the war, it was never really delivered and was instead flown to be stored at RAF Wing Bay in 1946. While in storage, the RAF decided that only some Seafords would be delivered, and the rest would go to civilian operators. This specific Seaford was converted to a Solent and delivered to BOAC in late 1947. From there, it served with Trans Oceanic and South Pacific airlines before finally being retired. At that time registered N9946F, the aircraft was put up for sale. Multiple deals involving trips back to England fell through, and during this time, it was used as a prop in the first Indiana Jones movie (Raiders of the Lost Ark). Finally, in 1987, it was bought by, and transported to, the Oakland Aviation Museum where it remains today!