How surprising, and rather pleasant, that some level of interest in the Trident still exists!
Did the No 2 engine have a significant pitch couple?
No, not really; certainly not when compared to other, later, aircraft in BA’s fleet. A cynic might say that one needed significant thrust changes to cause a significant pitch change!
My (hazy) recollection is that number 2 was actually not connected to the autothrottle
That is correct - although it could be if required. It was checked OUT during the pre-take off setting up of the FCS and Radios, and I can't remember No 2 A/T switch ever being engaged thereafter.
Had to keep number 2 at a medium thrust level (10,800 N1 or N2 maybe? - too long ago to remember)
Well remembered! I’ve still got the manuals and so was able to look the figures up:
- T1: 10,800
- T2: 11,000
- T3: 11,200
It’s now nearly 30 years since I last flew the “Gripper”, but IIRC A/T was ONLY used for autoland
I would respectfully disagree, as my recollection is that A/T was used a lot, perhaps even a majority of the time, on all approaches, during the early days of the Trident fleet, as many a passenger who had the misfortune to sit down the back of the aircraft could probably testify to! The constantly varying noise levels from the engines, as they continually spooled up and down, was appalling!
In the early seventies, many (but not all) older Captains, who had come to the Trident from propeller driven aircraft, were very reluctant to allow manual throttle handling on approach. For those that would permit it, as
O & H has already mentioned, it was their hands on the throttles, not yours, a procedure I still think odd!
I seem to remember that it was only after a significant number of Trident F/Os had returned to the fleet as Captains that a more enlightened and sensible approach to throttle handling became prevalent. By the time I flew the T3 in the eighties, manual throttle approaches were very common, and the reduction in noise nuisance, both on the ground and in the cabin, was substantial.