Originally ordered in November 1944 as part of a batch of 30 Sturgeon S.1 carrier-borne strike aircraft. The order was ultimately reduced and altered to consist of 23 Sturgeon T.T.2 target tugs which entered service in the early 1950s and several, including TS492 were later modified to T.T.3 standard by Shorts at Rochester. 728 NAS at Hal Far was to become the main user of the Sturgeon T.T.3 until its retirement circa 1958. TS492 was struck off charge in November 1959. Photo by John Fricker.

The SB-3 submarine hunter was developed from the SA-1 Sturgeon but it was not the 'Sturgeon SB Mk 3'. The nose housed two radar operators above the radar itself. Seen on its first flight, WF632 was the only SB-3 to fly. Powered by two Mamba turboprops, the aircraft had lost the good handling of the Sturgeon and proved impossible to trim for safe flight on one engine. The project was cancelled before the second prototype was completed. Photo from: Short

A good print of a well-known picture of the first prototype of the Sturgeon reconaissance bomber for the Royal Navy, first flown from Rochester on 7 June 1946. The type only entered service as a the Sturgeon TT.2 and TT.3 target tug. The ugly Short SB.3 submarine hunter was developed from it.