The Short S.38 was a British biplane flying boat designed and built by the Short Brothers in the 1920s. It was a development of the earlier Short S.27, which had been used by the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy as a reconnaissance and patrol aircraft.

The Short S.38 had a hull made of metal and wooden frames and was powered by two Rolls-Royce Eagle VIII engines mounted on struts above the top wing. It had a crew of four, including two pilots, a navigator, and a radio operator/gunner. The aircraft was armed with two machine guns, one fixed forward-firing and one flexible for the rear gunner, and could carry a variety of bombs or depth charges for use in anti-submarine warfare.

The Short S.38 had a top speed of 178 km/h (110 mph) and a range of up to 1,290 km (800 miles). It was used primarily for reconnaissance and anti-submarine patrols, and was operated by the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy in the interwar period. It was also used by a number of foreign air forces, including the Royal Australian Air Force and the Royal New Zealand Air Force.

Overall, the Short S.38 was a successful aircraft design that helped to establish the role of flying boats in naval aviation. It was eventually replaced by newer aircraft designs in the 1930s, but it remained in service with some air forces until the outbreak of World War II.