Originally Posted by
DHfan
It always puzzles me when I see the Trident referred to as the "ground gripper".
I only went spotting on the Queen's Building a few times when I could persuade my dad to take me - it was 50 miles away - but a Trident take-off was obvious and only needed a glance to identify the aircraft.
Compared to all other airliners, and admittedly at a distance of well over 50 years, a Trident always appeared to take-off at a 45° climb angle.
I'm sure those who actually know will rightly tell me it wasn't 45° but it certainly seemed twice as steep as any other aircraft.
Watching departures in the period 1970/71 from near where Compass Centre now stands (I was stationed at the old north side radar unit and the staff canteen was a good lookout point) Tridents, VC10s and 737s used to be airborne from 28R/27R just before they passed us whereas heavier types such as 707/DC8 and later '747 were the ground grippers often disappearing towards Colnbrook firmly glued to the ground.
On moving across to the ops centre at West Drayton a year later, you could see the Tridents and 737s climbing away steeply and if anything, the 737s had a better ROC.