Vickers Viscount
Then there was the Radar Reseach one originally based at Pershore but transferred to Bedford when RRE flying at Pershore was suddenly terminated.
If I remember rightly, it had a huge radar aerial under the fuselage (SLAR I think) Wonder what happened to that one (could have been more than one in fact)
If I remember rightly, it had a huge radar aerial under the fuselage (SLAR I think) Wonder what happened to that one (could have been more than one in fact)
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Then there was the story told to me by an ex ETPS instructor about his experience.
They took off from Farnborough, my friend in the right hand seat ready to teach a trainee TP about asymmetric flight; unusually for a Viscount, they also had a flight engineer.
Departing from the south westerly runway, at about 500ft, my friend cuts power on the starbord inner; the trainee thought it was the port inner(no I don't know why) and feathers BOTH port engines, leaving them with the starbord outer, yawing to the left and descending towards Caesars Camp, a hill south west of the airfield. Before they could take any further action, the F/E pushes between them and starts frantically unfeathering props and opening fuel cocks etc saying 'fer Christs sake let's use two at least'!
They took off from Farnborough, my friend in the right hand seat ready to teach a trainee TP about asymmetric flight; unusually for a Viscount, they also had a flight engineer.
Departing from the south westerly runway, at about 500ft, my friend cuts power on the starbord inner; the trainee thought it was the port inner(no I don't know why) and feathers BOTH port engines, leaving them with the starbord outer, yawing to the left and descending towards Caesars Camp, a hill south west of the airfield. Before they could take any further action, the F/E pushes between them and starts frantically unfeathering props and opening fuel cocks etc saying 'fer Christs sake let's use two at least'!
Amazing co-incidence; there was an Alfred Hitchcock film (c 1956)on in the early hours, which included a sequence of a Viscount in BEA markings taxying in at 'London Airport'.
It showed I was mistaken about the 'taxy mode; they were using the outers not the inners!
Film was 'The Man Who Knew Too Much'
It showed I was mistaken about the 'taxy mode; they were using the outers not the inners!
Film was 'The Man Who Knew Too Much'
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My school was in the circuit for Manchester Ringway (as it was back then). I can remember Viscounts going over with two props windmilling (can't remember if it was inners or outers, but I'm pretty sure it was symetrical).
A few years later a Viscount doing crew training crashed at Manchester taking off with a simulated engine failure. It rolled inverted killing the crew and (IIRC) a stewardess that was along for the ride. I can remember the wreckage, visible from the lane where the big radar head used to be (now the site of the MCR VOR). It lay under tarpaulin sheets inverted next to the runway.
I can still remember the Shadow Moss road crash of the late '50s when a Viscount (the prototype - WE?) flap bolt failed on short final. Until recently, when the row of houses there was re-roofed, you used to be be able to see the different-coloured roofs of the end two houses which were re-built after being partially demolished in the accident
SSD
A few years later a Viscount doing crew training crashed at Manchester taking off with a simulated engine failure. It rolled inverted killing the crew and (IIRC) a stewardess that was along for the ride. I can remember the wreckage, visible from the lane where the big radar head used to be (now the site of the MCR VOR). It lay under tarpaulin sheets inverted next to the runway.
I can still remember the Shadow Moss road crash of the late '50s when a Viscount (the prototype - WE?) flap bolt failed on short final. Until recently, when the row of houses there was re-roofed, you used to be be able to see the different-coloured roofs of the end two houses which were re-built after being partially demolished in the accident
SSD
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The oldest surviving Viscount 'LWF is looking very smart after it's respray in original BEA colours at Duxford. Unfortunately it's outside for the moment although I assume it will go under cover when the Airspace hangar is finished. It's still missing the fin/rudder and tailplane which I understand needed de-corroding
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As a regular watcher of Viscounts in my youth, eg. LPL and MAN, I recall them taxi-ing on both the inners or the outers (Aer Lingus, Cambrian, BEA, British Eagle, Channel, Treffield.......).
Anyone remember Treffield ?!! LOL.
Shaggy Sheep, didn't the stewardess survive that crash (British Midland) ? I recall my school French lessons, and we read Paris Match magazine as a weekly exercise. I can still recall an article which was headlined "Elle sortit de la Viscount survivant"..., or something like that. (Yet I can't remember some things that happened last week.)
Anyone remember Treffield ?!! LOL.
Shaggy Sheep, didn't the stewardess survive that crash (British Midland) ? I recall my school French lessons, and we read Paris Match magazine as a weekly exercise. I can still recall an article which was headlined "Elle sortit de la Viscount survivant"..., or something like that. (Yet I can't remember some things that happened last week.)
Chevron, I'm at bit amazed the the ETPS trainee would be so quick to feather on the Viscount since it does have a nice autofeather system; so much so that it was hard to notice a flamed out inner, at least on the simulator I flew for some years.
I once shut down #3 with the LP cock, trimmed out and handed it over in the air to the next crew who flew about unawares for several minutes until they were given a climb and the autofeather #3 light came on
I once shut down #3 with the LP cock, trimmed out and handed it over in the air to the next crew who flew about unawares for several minutes until they were given a climb and the autofeather #3 light came on
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As an LAP Queen's Building habitué from about 1956 (aged 10) to 1960, I can just about remember that the 700-series taxied on the outers, and the 800s on the inners.
Or perhaps the other way around. One of thse is right.
Or perhaps the other way around. One of thse is right.
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IIRC I think the V700 series had the hydraulic pumps on the outer engines and the V800 series on the inners? Hence they would always taxy with the appropriate engines running to provide hydraulic power for brakes and nose wheel steering.
I remember many hours stood behind the pilots on British Eagle Viscounts. Heady days!
FW
I remember many hours stood behind the pilots on British Eagle Viscounts. Heady days!
FW
Last edited by Fokkerwokker; 4th Dec 2005 at 17:46.
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t
Thanks Mike, I'll try that.
This is a pic of me landing G-APIM at Sumburgh runway 33 1984. Fun flying. A 33 landing involed passing the lighthouse and flying down the side of the hill you can see behind the a/c, then a left turn through 35o/o roll level then touchdown. Sorry about the blotches, they are on the original photo.
Thanks Mike, I'll try that.
This is a pic of me landing G-APIM at Sumburgh runway 33 1984. Fun flying. A 33 landing involed passing the lighthouse and flying down the side of the hill you can see behind the a/c, then a left turn through 35o/o roll level then touchdown. Sorry about the blotches, they are on the original photo.
I did a stint at Sumburgh and can confirm the 33 approach could be 'interesting'. There were 3 or 4 sodium lead-in lights in a curve between Sumburgh Head and the Sumburgh Hotel to help the pilots, but even so, I remember one Viscount (BMA I think) nearly ending up sideways across the runway. He was admittedly unfamiliar with the airfield; BMA didn't have a regular service; this one was a 'rescue' charter for some people who were stranded when the airline they'd booked with went bust.
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We had a 5 engine Viscount at Pratt and Whitney Canada.....a stonking great PW100 in the nose!
I believe it is in a museum now but that was a long time ago.
There is a great story about one of our senior designers at the time. He was an ex-Supermarine apprentice and had worked a lot on the Viscount in its infancy. As he led a collegue on to the beast for the first time, through the "vestibule", he started to say "mind your head..." when said collegue bounced his noggin on the low ceiling just inside the door. "Ouch, how did you know that was there" the injured bloke asked. With a wink he replied "'cos I f#%king designed it!".
I believe it is in a museum now but that was a long time ago.
There is a great story about one of our senior designers at the time. He was an ex-Supermarine apprentice and had worked a lot on the Viscount in its infancy. As he led a collegue on to the beast for the first time, through the "vestibule", he started to say "mind your head..." when said collegue bounced his noggin on the low ceiling just inside the door. "Ouch, how did you know that was there" the injured bloke asked. With a wink he replied "'cos I f#%king designed it!".
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One of the early prototype Viscounts was actually built with two RR Tay jet engines. Imagine that ! I recall seeing a grainy black and white picture of this version years back, and I wonder if anyone could find one to post here. It never caught on, mainly because I think the Dart turboprops were a more powerful and economical solution.
And here it is:
http://1000aircraftphotos.com/Contri...Braas/4179.htm
Amazing - sweep back the wings and tail, call it Type 737 and Vickers would have had the prototype of a world beater!
http://1000aircraftphotos.com/Contri...Braas/4179.htm
Amazing - sweep back the wings and tail, call it Type 737 and Vickers would have had the prototype of a world beater!