PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - The Rotary Nostalgia Thread
View Single Post
Old 7th Jul 2011, 05:12
  #737 (permalink)  
Savoia
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Milano, Italia
Posts: 2,423
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
More Kenyon plus 40's & 50's Nostalgia

.
Great info Jed A!

Below: A list of display pilots at Farnborough '76. About half way down can be found the esteemed Dennisimo scheduled to display the Enstrom Shark G-BDIB.




Italian readers may recall Agusta's Luciano Forzani as well as the team from Aermacchi.


The Bristol 173 'Rotorcoach' replete with (well I was going to say winglets but I think these can confidently get away with being referred to as wings). c. 1953

The 173 was the predecessor to the type 191 (Naval) and 192 'Belvedere' and was a civilian 10 seat (later 16 seat) aircraft. The 173 was cancelled in favour of development of the 192. The first 173 flew in January 1952.


The unmistakabe type 192 Belvedere XG461 (which first flew in July 1958) carrying a 'Bloodhound' SAM. Beneath the 'Belvederian Behemoth' are Bristol's ground crew - although their resemblance to the occasional 'Bristol Company Cricket Team' is uncanny.

To bring the post full circle; a clip from a former Farnborough where another multi-rotored beast is debuted:


Featured in this clip is the Cierva W11 'Air Horse' - a tri-rotored contraption (seen flying with its door open) powered by a single Rolls-Royce Merlin 1620hp liquid-cooled V12

When the Air Horse first flew in December 1948 it was (apparently) the world's largest helicopter. It was one of the world's first tri-rotor helicopters with all three rotors turning in the same direction - torque control being effected by individual rotor tilt to apply corrective thrust.

The Air Horse's blades were resin-impregnanted wood providing them with (for the day) enormous strength and were manufactured (maintaining association with recent posts) by Glasgow-based H. Morris & Co.
Savoia is offline