Jetstream Question

[Stationair8]

Was there ever any Handley Page Jetstreams with the Turbomeca Astazou engines operated in Australia or come out on a regional sales tour?

[mattyj]

They wouldn't have made it all the way to Australia! Unless they they came by boat on those engines :D

[halas]

Strewth, that aircraft was bad enough with the Garrett's.

halas

[tail wheel]

Only 66 Astazou powered Handley Page HP.117 Jetstreams were built from 1969, many of which were acquired as military trainers.

The BAe Jetstream 31 was produced from 1980.

I suspect amongst the first Jetstream aircraft imported into Australia were the four TAA Garrett powered BAe Jetstream 31's imported for the Western Queensland air services around 1984 and disposed of after TAA ceased the Western Queensland air services on 31 May 1987. They were equipped with mini galleys, toilets, a cabin attendant and a Piper Navajo baggage aircraft.

So, it is a fair bet no Astazou powered Jetsream ever came to Australia. The Astazou was also fitted to the Pilatus Porter and no Astazou powered Porters ever came to Australia.

Thank God! :E

[BPA]

Weren't the first Jetstreams operated in Australia by Skywest? Skywest's aircraft had c/n in the 600's with OSW being 629. The J31's operated by Australian went to Eastern and their c/n were in the 700's with TQJ being the first one for them and it's c/n was 703.

[Jabawocky]

Where is Aye Ess in this thread...:E

And he could paint one too!

[Skystar320]

Tailwheel I believe that Skywest were the first group to operate the BAe31, infact one is still in operation as of a couple of weeks ago in VanDeeman land aka Tasmania

[Aye Ess]

HA...Jabawocky.....like this.....

http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a401/alan_spears/scanJ41.jpg?t=1312455930

[DBTW]

Hands up who has flown an Astazou powered aircraft? Of those that have, was it a good, or a bad engine?

Like most powerful, lightweight turbines of the era, they were a very popular single engine helicopter engine, proving most reliable in service, and very durable.

There were no Astazou powered Jetstreams in Australia. The RN flew them in the UK quite happily for about 40 years, and the only loss was an overwater airshow crash in Portland Harbour around 8 May 1989. The crash was nothing to do with the engines.

[David Eyre]

Skywest Airlines started services with the Jetstream 31 on 27 February 1984 between Perth and Geraldton.

The Queensland-based Jetstreams were not delivered until 1986.

[blackburn]

I vaguely remember a HP Jetstream parked at H C Sleighs at Essendon sometime in the 70's. It may have been on a sales tour and I recall the forward engine cowls looking quite different to any other turbo-prop acft I had seen up to then. It may have been Astazou powered.

Blackburn.

[tinpis]

I cant recall ever seeing one operating in Blighty when i was working there 30 years ago
They apparently had a TBO of about one hour thirty :ooh:
The engine seems to work fine in the Alouette helicopter if I'm not mistaken

[Aye Ess]

http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a401/alan_spears/jetstream.jpg?t=1330029633

Found this advert in 'Australian Aircraft' magazine dated May 1968. (incidently,the cover price of the mag is 20c.....OUTRAGEOUS)

[DBTW]

Ha! Great advert Aye Yes! No mention there of the relatively high noise levels in the cabin.

Apologies in advance, but for some reason I remember that narrow little compressor, single axial stage and 2 centrifugal stages, used to spin at 43,089 RPM. When the front bearing dropped, the even higher pitched squeal than normal sounded like interference on a UHF frequency. How on earth could anyone know that?;)

It was quite comfortable to fly though, and had so many redundant systems as to be confusingly failsafe.

[Stationair8]

A Sunday drive for a look at the planes at Essendon airport, saw what vaguely looked like a Jetstream parked near the control tower.

On getting home the mental image was double checked against the most reliable publication known to the serious plane spotter-the Airfix catalogue.

The time period would have been between about 1973-1976 and around the time of an airline, ATC or refueller's strike.