It was eventually grounded and used as a static laboratory specimen at the Bristol College of Advanced Technology, before being preserved and put on display at the Norfolk and Suffolk Aviation Museum.

Accordingly, it was decided that the fuselage, which had been heavily damaged, would be replaced by a modified design that incorporated a pair of Turbomeca Palas turbojet engines.

They were hinged at about 30% chord and each carried, on the trailing edge, a small anti-balance tab, the fulcrum of which could be moved by means of an electric actuator.

It was expected that the rotary wing tip controls would prove greatly superior to the flap type at transonic speeds and provide greater manoeuvrability at high altitudes.

Fuel was housed within the fuselage in two 250 gallon tanks, which were balanced around the aircraft's centre of gravity; electrical power was supplied by a ram air turbine by the engines.

[9] Blackburn, who produced the Palas under licence, hoping to market these engines as a new product line, supplied the powerplants for the Sherpa programme.

Although he sustained injuries in the crash landing of the SB.1, Brooke-Smith had quickly recovered and was able to undertake the test programme of the redesignated SB.4 (registered as G-14-1) throughout 1953–1954.

[14] Aviation author Bill Gunston notes that, despite the Sherpa having attaining its design goals, the concept was considered to be "not fully realised in practice" and the project was eventually wound up without a direct continuation.

[13] Shorts did prepare multiple proposals, such as the retrofitting of the Supermarine Swift fighter with the aero-isoclinic wing, but these were not pursued.

[18] The sole SB.4 is on display at the Ulster Aviation Society, Long Kesh Airfield, near Belfast[19] Data from Shorts Aircraft since 1900.