Prototypes

[Kolibear]

Time to get the anoraks out!

How many prototypes of aircraft that made it into series production are still in existance?

I can think of only 3;

D.H. Mosquito
D. H. Heron
Concorde

any others??

(I wonder how much K5054 would be worth now?)

[Dr Illitout]

707
727
737
747
757
767
777
bac 111
ATP (for god sake why?)
146 (ditto)
The list goes on if you add in military A/C too. The only one flying though is the 777 as the very first one was re-worked and is new flying for Cathay.
What ever happened to the DC-10 prototype?

[Milt]

Last Flight of a Prototype

It was Valiant WB215 loaded up to 170,000 pnds and two Super Sprite rocket take off units - 4,000 pnds thrust each.

Measured take off at Boscombe Down followed by drop tests of the Super Sprites.

Before the drops when I was still hauling around 42,000 pnds of ballast water, a main wing spar broke in vicinity of undercarriage attach point.

Fatigue crack had grown to about 30% of botton spar cap. Rest had just failed in tension.

Wing held on by a cross brace from top of forward sub spar to main spar outboard of failure.

Started buying lottery tickets after that trauma.

WB 215 never did fly again.

Does anyone know what happened to it?

[Rallye Driver]

I think I remember seeing the Meteor and Lightning prototypes at Cosford along with various other interesting R&D aircraft.

The prototype JP5 is Victor Mike at North Weald!

RD :ok:

[treadigraph]

Protoype 1-11 was written off in the deep stall crash. Crew lost included Mike Lithgow. Aircraft was 'SHG, Number Four. Presumably first three aircframes were static test examples?

Development aircraft G-ASYD still around, though WFU as far as I know. Is that the one at Brooklands?

Beagle Pup and Basset prototypes still exist I think!

[uy707]

- The A318,
Frontier recently purshased the development aircraft
- The A320,
aircraft still used by the manufacturer
- the A340-200,
development aiframe sold to the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia, replacing the 707-138B (HZ-123)
- the A340-300,
still retained by the manufacturer and used as a test bed for the new RR.Trent
- the 777-200
the development aircraft was finally sold to Cathay
list goes on
Alain

[PaperTiger]

What ever happened to the DC-10 prototype?

Gone to the Great Hangar :(

46500/1

29.07.1970: Assembled in Long Beach and used as test aircraft by Mc Donnell - Douglas as N10DC

29.08.1970: First flight (maiden flight of the DC-10!)

08.12.1972: To American Airlines, N101AA

15.11.1994: WFU and stored in Tulsa, Oklahoma (Hours / Cycles by 15/11/1994: 63325 / 24281)

11.01.1995: WFU and stored in Marana, Arizona

22.02.1995: To GATX

12.02.1997: To FedEx

1998: Ferried to Goodyear, Arizona to be converted to MD-10

1999: Re-registred N530FE

16.05.2002: To Aviation Management Systems for scrapping

2002: Broken up at Goodyear after being assigned to MD-10 program.

(The prototypes of the DC-8 and DC-9 were also scrapped I think.)

[Jhieminga]

Development aircraft G-ASYD still around, though WFU as far as I know. Is that the one at Brooklands?

Yes, 'YD is indeed the aircraft currently preserved at Brooklands.

http://www.vc10.net/History/Images/GASYD.jpg

Another prototype that´s still around: Fokker S.14 PH-XIV, in storage at Aviodrome, Lelystad, The Netherlands.

And don't forget Hawker Hunter prototype WB188!:cool:

[Simtech]

Prototype Jet Provost (G-AOBU) is still flying.

[John Farley]

http://img47.photobucket.com/albums/v145/johnfarley/XP_831_small.jpg

XP831 Ist Hawker P1127 Prototype now hanging from ceiling of the South Kensington Science Museum. The 6th and final P1127 was the standard of the Kestrel. There was no prototype Harrier, XV276 being the first of six development P1127(RAF) aircraft subsequently named Harrier

http://img47.photobucket.com/albums/v145/johnfarley/Harrier_GR9.jpg

44 years later this is the latest great great grandson of XP831.
The Harrier GR9 has a mere 3000 lbs thrust more than the GR7 in ISA+35 (yes that is correct 50 deg C).

[Orange Arm Waver]

The Phillips Speed Twin G-GPST is still around somewhere as are the original Europa G-EURO (in a museum - YAM?) and the Isaacs Fury G-ASCM is still flying I believe.
Sure there are more but my mind's gone blank... New anorak time??

OAW

Slightly off topic I'd like to see G-LIZI (I think she is now) a PA.28 preserved eventually - why this one? Because she was the first of her type registered in the UK back in the 60's...

[fradu]

Egg whisk wise, the prototype Saro P.531 is preserved at the Fleet Air Arm Museum. This of course went on to become the Westland Scout and Wasp.

[Boss Raptor]

DH/HS 125 - now at Mosquito Museum?

[IB4138]

Boeing 717
DHC 8 -401
Embraer 170, 120, 145, 135
Let 610
Antonov 140
Ilyushin 114, 96M
Casa CN235

[seacue]

Surely the DHC-6 is a plane for the ages.

Where is the prototype?

[PaperTiger]

Surely the DHC-6 is a plane for the ages.

Where is the prototype?

In the National Museum at Ottawa (Rockcliffe).

[gaterbait]

Hey Milt,according to the book VICKERS VALIANT by Eric B Morgan,it's last flight was on 29 Apr '57[your's?]when a large piece of wing skin came off. After that used for wing fatigue tests until being broken up at Foulness in MAR '62. Hope thishelps. GB.

[Kolibear]

I've just realised that I've forgotten the most important prototype of all - Aircraft No. 1

The Wright Flyer is still in existance in the Smithsonian.

[John Farley]

How many prototypes of aircraft that made it into series production are still in existance?

K - mmm... remember what you asked

[RileyDove]

Isn't the BAe 146 prototype under rebuild to fly at Woodford
for use as a replacement for the Hercules W.1 at Boscombe Down?

[Orange Arm Waver]

RileyDove
Yes she is being rejigged as it were... bit of a waste in my opinion and being an anorak (so it would appear) the Herc was the W.2 not the 1...:sad:
I also believe the other development aircraft are also still around. Be nice to see one at Duxford with the other airliners or somewhere like it. Remember going to the open days at Hatfield watching them building them... Aahh happy days.

[Tim Inder]

Westland Wyvern (albeit with different powerplant(s)) at Yeovilton

[fradu]

Not sure if it has been posted before, but the prototype Jet Provost, XD674, is in Cosford.

[Orange Arm Waver]

The first JP Mk.5 is also still around (and flying)

[Milt]

Valiant WB215

Thanks gaiterbait.

Following main spar failure there was much pulling of rivets in the vicinity of the break and pieces of lower wing skin detached. About 2 square feet.

Still suffer a bit of PTSD from that one!