Want to know more about the Handley Page Herald? There's a book written by Graham Cowell isbn 0 7106 0045 3 published in 1980 by Janes in the UK.
Herod, Sqn Ldr Hazelden was at the controls of G-AODE on its was to the 1958 Farnborough Air show, when suddenly the low pressure turbine of the starboard dart burst and a large fragment cut through two of the engine bearers and severed the fuel line, causing a catastrophic fire. The flames melted the nacelle off in about 2 minutes and it fell off, complete with the engine. The fire extinguisher had little effect, they lost height and tried to make a crash landing. The aircraft started to pitch and he thought it might break up. When the engine fell away there was a violent roll which he was just able to recover control. Fuel pouring from the tanks fed the flames, which in turn caused part of the tailplane to come away. Hazelden made a wheels up crash landing in a stubble field near Godalming. All nine occupants managed to rush to safety.
I cut my teeth on the Herald as a young F.O. (I flew the Herald a total of 642Hours). It was a very slow docile machine but could handle one hell of a crosswind with ease (if memory serves me well officially rated 35Kts across) was a doddle at that and more.
The Friendship on the other!!! (I Flew the FK27 2,938 Hours). Although it was a faster aircraft than the Herald the FK27 was trickier to handle (if memory serves me correctly I think it was rated 28 Kts across) and it could be a pig. I think Herod would agree, it sorted the men from the boys did the FK27 Friendship.
As with most flying machines, they had their pro's and con's.
I did some desert work in the HPR7 and with its double nose wheels it was able to do 180's without getting bogged down in the sand. The FK27 on the other hand had a single nose wheel and when the locals started operating them doing the same desert work, they soon got into difficulties with it.
Last edited by p1fel; 6th Nov 2012 at 17:35.