Landing on half a mile of grass

[Anthony Appleyard]

Among aircraft that have been used as airliners or transport, (including before WWII when eight passengers were a full airliner load in e.g. the De Havilland Dragon Rapide

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Havilland_Dragon_Rapide

), please what was the limit of what could land or take off on half a mile of grass such as the prewar Great West Aerodrome west of London?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_West_Aerodrome

[Dan Dare]

I don't know the answer, but love the early Heathrow map :ok:

[sycamore]

The t/o distance for a Rapide ,from the BEA Ops Manual is given as 550 yds,still air,at 5500lbs Max wt,off concrete.Landing distance is 640yds,same conditions.I would think that off grass,the T/O distance is about 600yds,and same for landing.

[Genghis the Engineer]

I've seen Torquil Norman fly his Rapide off 410m of grass, without difficulty, albeit quite lightweight.

Half a mile is near as dammit 800m, or about the length of Popham, which I've seen a DC3 flown from also.

G

[DaveReidUK]

what was the limit of what could land or take off on half a mile of grass such as the prewar Great West Aerodrome west of London?Fairey's Great West Aerodrome wasn't used by commercial airliners, so the question is probably better asked in the context of somewhere like Heston, which also had grass runways and was certainly able to take aircraft up to the size of the HP42 and Ju52 with a runway that was initially around 2400' (though later extended).

[Anthony Appleyard]

Please, what was an HP42? WIkipedia has nothing about it. Sorry.

[Allan Lupton]

Yes it has
Handley Page H.P.42 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Handley_Page_H.P.42)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/26/Handley_Page_H.P.42_Hanno.jpg/300px-Handley_Page_H.P.42_Hanno.jpg

[Mark 1]

Derby Aviation used to operate C4 Argonauts and DC3s out of Burnaston on half a mile of grass, up until Castle Donington opened in 1965.

[Sir George Cayley]

And Airspeed Envoys.

SGC

[Anthony Appleyard]

Allan Lupton wrote:-
> Yes it has
> Handley Page H.P.42 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Handley_Page_H.P.42)

Thanks. I have put in a redirect from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=HP42

[Noyade]

Then there was the mighty Ensign.

According to a Martlesham Heath report, at 49,000 lb it could take off after a 350 yard run and land "with brakes" in 280 yards. But no idea if this was on grass.

watch?v=yRPH1DHdT7I

[A30yoyo]

Working from the visitor lists for the RAeS Garden Parties at Heathrow, KLM flew DC-2s and DC-3s there, the DH91 Albatross visited, an early Vickers Wellington also. The Croydon Airport Society have a record that Lord Forbes DC-1 landed at Heathrow . Various Lockheed twins flew there ,too.
The Empire flying boat Calpurnia displayed there in 1938 but didn't land :-)

[Lightning Mate]

I managed to get a jet to land in 50 Yards !http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu82/Lightning_29/Lightning_29115/XX828wreckage_zpsc4c49cbe.jpg

[India Four Two]

LM,

So by definition, not one of your "excellent" landings. ;)

[Flash2001]

Doesn't meet my definition of an excellent landing but, as LM's post was not made from a ouija board, it was a good one!

After etc...

[GGR155]

LM

What was the distance from where IT and you landed?

[evansb]

Oh Ca-na-da..


DC-4 lands on turf by a collection of BCATP aeroplanes:
http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r68/convair640/convair640089/BATCP_DC4_grass_airfield_zpsa99a159f.jpg

[A30yoyo]

Bit more than a half-mile but definitely grass...the C-121 Connie at Middle Wallop 1998
Photo: N494TW Private Lockheed L-749A-79 Constellation by Geoff Harber - JetPhotos.Net (http://jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=23810)

and
https://m.flickr.com/#/photos/24101413@N03/5274415643/in/search_QM_q_IS_n494tw+middle+wallop_AND_ss_IS_2_AND_prefs_ph otos_IS_1_AND_mt_IS_all_AND_w_IS_all

[Lightning Mate]

"What was the distance from where IT and you landed?"


Right next to it. The parachute opened at 190 ft according to Boscombe Down ballistics department and I landed about 40 yds from the fireball.


Fark isn't the word.............................

[GQ2]

LM;- You liar, that was a bl**dy Touch & go'... :\ It touched - and you went.....!

[brakedwell]

No problems for a Twin Pioneer. This flapless/slatless landing run is etched in the Oman sand.

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c32/sedgwickjames/aviation/TPSASOman_zps8ce0d48e.jpg

[rog747]

to follow on from above sandy posting

I have been asked if anyone knows if the CAA Viscounts routed through Wadi Haifa and if so was the strip dirt/sand or paved surface/asphalt?

if it is dirt/sand then would that have been a first for Viscounts to land on
unpaved surfaces

thanks very much

[A30yoyo]

The prototype Viscount flew off grass at Wisley
A Vickers Viscount at Wisley Airfield and Hatchford End, Ockham, 1949 | Britain from Above (http://www.britainfromabove.org.uk/image/eaw022096?search=wisley&ref=8)
Register(free)/log in for Zoom feature
http://i809.photobucket.com/albums/zz20/A30yoyo/ViscountGrassWisley_zpsd9c37c57.jpg (http://s809.photobucket.com/user/A30yoyo/media/ViscountGrassWisley_zpsd9c37c57.jpg.html)

[rog747]

cheers thank you

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

I saw a VC10 land at Heathrow once with brakes on - just a little more than 100 yards and lots of smoke!

[SpringHeeledJack]

I saw a VC10 land at Heathrow once with brakes on - just a little more than 100 yards and lots of smoke!

Was the undercarriage melted/gouged into the runway surface ?

May I present East Germany's finest…860metres (0.53miles)

Lady Agnes - (Interflug, DDR) - Landung auf dem Acker - Clip 1 - YouTube



SHJ