In 1970/71 when Court line had ordered L1011 aircraft the problem came up how we would move these humungous engines if we had a problem.
The answer ??
A Beverley
The machine duly arrived at Luton and as a Lae (Centaurus) I carried out some of the ground runs that we did periodically.
What a machine !! Those electrical switches that needed two hands to operate !! And the access to the engines in flight through the wing catwalk
They were classed as fuel cooled oil burning engines!!
We spent some considerable time and effort trying to get a civilian register on it ( even Private Cat) but eventually gave up.
It always amused me that the aircraft were thundering over peoples heads with a military registration but were totally unsafe for a civilian one. Were would have had to do fatiuge tests on all the structure and even propellor, with some distructive testing.
All to fly 50 hours a year !
In the end we gave up and the aircraft was flown north to that glorious fate that waits old aircraft -- a restaurant !!
I think it went to Beverley ( very fitting !)and there was some problem with field length so it had to be a Good day
Or was it that there could be no headwind because of range
)
