Something big and piston-engined over West London

[ilesmark]

Hi all

I was reading in bed in Ealing at 1.15 AM on the morning of 22 August with the window open when I heard the sound of something big and piston-engined passing overhead. It wasn't going very fast, judging by how gradually the sound rose and faded away, but it was pouring with rain so I couldn't see anything when I looked out my front door

Anyone have any idea what it might have been?

Mark

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

AN12s and C130s sound loud and heavy and they do frequent the skies over west London usuallt above FL200. Even at that level the AN12 is quite loud.

[SpringHeeledJack]

Perhaps an AN-12 trundling along between points west country and points east ?


SHJ

[DaveReidUK]

Perhaps an AN-12 trundling along between points west country and points east ?Or maybe it was something big and piston-engined. :O

[ilesmark]

Hmm - I could have sworn it was piston-engined.....it sounded like a Lancaster and it probably wasn't that! But I guess an AN-12 or Hercules is about the only large prop-driven plane that would be flying around at night. Thanks for responses.

[Georgeablelovehowindia]

Here, in our part of France, we're used to the distinctive booming of the two mighty RR Tynes on the Transall C-160s based at Istres. The engines each push out 1500 shp more than the Tynes used to on the Vanguard, and from viewing the Transall's stately progress across the sky, I reckon they need all of it!

:)

[kharmael]

:ugh: This must be a joke right? :ugh:

If what you say is true then I can guarantee that it wasn't a Hercules or an AN12.

However if you genuinely don't know what a piston engined aircraft actually sounds like and it was a turboprop then it may well have been a Herc or Cub

[Agaricus bisporus]

Over Ealing? That's awful close to LHR for low level f/w traffic to be transiting. I say low level because it was raining hard according to theOP and rain severely attenuates aircraft noise so I surmise what he heard probably wasn't at even medium level. This is a very unusual place to find a fixed wing off the LHR approach.

Herc? On a tactical training sortie, just perhaps.

My guess is it was rotary. The S76 can sound very big-pistonish at times. Apart from finals to LHR or the remote possibility of a Herc doing something odd I'm at a loss to imagine what else it could be, given the locality.

[Agaricus bisporus]

Over Ealing? That's awful close to LHR for low level f/w traffic to be transiting. I say low level because it was raining hard according to theOP and rain severely attenuates aircraft noise so I surmise what he heard probably wasn't at even medium level. This is a very unusual place to find a fixed wing off the LHR approach.

Cub, at 0115, over London. It's a joke, right? Herc? On a tactical training sortie, just perhaps.

My guess is it was rotary. The S76 can sound very big-pistonish at times. Apart from finals to LHR or the remote possibility of a Herc doing something odd I'm at a loss to imagine what else it could be, given the locality.

ilesmark, how low would you judge it?

[Evanelpus]

ilesmark, how low would you judge it?

May I politely suggest that if the OP struggles to tell the difference between a piston and a turbine engine noise, he's got no chance of judging how high the aircraft was, especially as he clearly says he couldn't see anything!

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

<<Cub, at 0115, over London. It's a joke, right? Herc? On a tactical training sortie, just perhaps.>>

I suggested AN12 and somebody turned that into "Cub". Civil An12s operate frequently in UK airspace, often on freight flights from East Midlands. Irrespective of weather conditions they make a very loud noise.

[Evanelpus]

I suggested AN12 and somebody turned that into "Cub". Civil An12s operate frequently in UK airspace, often on freight flights from East Midlands. Irrespective of weather conditions they make a very loud noise.

HD, that would be my guess. You can often hear them droning along in the dead of the night/early morning in my neck of the woods.

I wonder how long it will be before they get banned from UK airspace?

[Agaricus bisporus]

What I meant was really low level or faint? If it sounded really low it almost certainly wasn't f/w. I doubt you'd hear a turboprop at fl100 at all in rain with the background noise of London, and no one's going to be transiting below that.

Director, sorry, I read Cub as Piper the realised what was meant and deleted my comment.

[DaveReidUK]

RVL's Cessna 310 was flying around continuously between 01:00 and 01:40 this morning.

Admittedly not particularly big, but certainly piston-engined.

[ilesmark]

All - am flattered to see so many responses!

I have heard AN-12s before, but at high level. I have also heard and seen the Lancaster flying (over Oxfordshire, years ago) and stand by what I said about the craft last night sounding big and piston-engined - it sounded more like that than a turboprop. Maybe an S76 is what it was.

The sound last night took probably about 10 or 20 seconds from when I was aware of it to reach its peak, then probably about 45 or a minute to die away (once I'd started listening to it). The sound level was on a par with the 4-engined passenger stuff that climbs out of LHR to the east over Ealing at other times of the day and it definitely drowned out the sound of what little background noise there is in outer London at 1.15 AM.

It sounded to me like it was heading vaguely north to south, but the rain plus the sound reflecting off surrounding houses may have had an effect.

BUT IT'S NOT A SOUND I'VE HEARD BEFORE in Ealing at any time of the day or night in all the 15 years I've lived there and that's why I posted this.

[Agaricus bisporus]

Who is RVL?

[Mr Angry from Purley]

There was a AN12 at EMA - its not there now.
RVL Group - based at EMA do aerial recon etc, mostly C404 so unlikely too much noise, most aircraft are tucked up in bed at that time

[DaveReidUK]

Who is RVL?Reconnaissance Ventures Ltd.

Here's the C310 in question:

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5025/5554767725_863dcd9a50_z.jpg

[joy ride]

I quite regularly hear a (non-big) prop plane droning across London between about 11 pm and 1 am, always wondered what it might be, and seems like RVL might be my answer, cheers!

[Tashengurt]

Ah! That was bimbling around Newcastle the other week. Did wonder what it was up to.


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