Airspeed/D.H. Ambassador.

[Jhieminga]

Originally Posted by WHBM

Airspeed Commercial Director Nevil Shute was more interested in writing his novels.

I know this is an old quote... but I wanted to provide a bit of perspective. Nevil Shute Norway left Airspeed in 1938 after some internal struggles. He stated in his autobiography 'Slide Rule' that he very much enjoyed starting the company but he was not a 'runner' and was not suited for the work needed to enable the company to grow further. His departure was also a way to allow the company to do that and he left with a significant sum of money. This allows him to do some more writing but he joins the Admiralty at the start of WWII, moving to the Ministry if Information in 1944. After the war the income from his books allow him to set up full time as a novelist. None of the biographies written by and about him suggest that his writing plays a part in his departure from Airspeed.

As for the Airspeed Ambassador... 'Behind the Cockpit Door' by Arthur Whitlock has some great descriptions of operating the type with BKS. I need to reread it soon I'm thinking....

[renfrew]

Re the Jordanain Air Force Ambassador above.
We got the occasional interesting aircraft at Renfrew bringing Avon engines to Rolls Royce for overhaul.
I remember seeing a Sabena CV-440 on the approach when the Jordanian Ambassador appeared underneath the Convair resulting in much shouting on the radio.
I was surprised to see G-ALZP at LaGuardia in 1964.

[VX275]

Originally Posted by bols59

It always looked far too low to the ground.

Which would have been used to advantage if the proposed development into the Ayrshire Tactical transport had taken place.

[horatio_b]

Following the British Open Golf championship final playoff in 1963 between Bob Charles and Phil Rodgers, the BBC decided to replay the match for BBC TV. Henry Longhurst, a well known golf commentator was making a lengthy speech when in the distance came the beautiful sound of the Airspeed Ambassador which had just departed Blackpool on the Autair service to Luton. The sound got louder and louder until eventually Henry Longhurst gave up, waited for the noise to pass, and then had to record the whole piece again.

[treadigraph]

Reminds me that when Bond is playing golf with Goldfinger (at Sandwich?) there is a glorious sound of a twin passing in the background. Always used to fancy it was a Mosquito but these days I think more realistically it was actually something like a Twin Bonanza or Queenair with augmentor exhausts...

[WHBM]

Originally Posted by renfrew

Re the Jordanain Air Force Ambassador above.
We got the occasional interesting aircraft at Renfrew bringing Avon engines to Rolls Royce for overhaul.
I remember seeing a Sabena CV-440 on the approach when the Jordanian Ambassador appeared underneath the Convair resulting in much shouting on the radio.
I was surprised to see G-ALZP at LaGuardia in 1964.

I believe by 1964 the Jordanian Air Force Ambassador had been passed on, via the equivalent Moroccan Air Force, still as a VIP transport, and had come back to the Decca company in the UK, where it was used for some years for navigation kit testing. However, I never heard before of it (or any Ambassador) making it to the USA. Wonder what they were doing there. This aircraft was supposedly sold by Decca to a New Zealand start-up airline around 1970, but never left the UK and was scrapped here. It was the last remaining airworthy Ambassador,

[POBJOY]

Thread still going !!

Pleased to see many memories of the Ambassador still lingering after a few years, and confirming my post of 12 07 17, that it was an amazing site to stand overlooking the departure stand at Gatwick and seeing and hearing those 'Cents' wind up with associated copious smoke screen. Dan Air certainly gave them an excellent 'final run' before the Turbo Props arrived. Todays mobile phones would have made a great addition then.

[Gordomac]

Absolute, true, nostalgia. I can add, a bit;

Moreton's DO at Gatters around 1967. The "Central finger" was the only finger and DO Office was tucked in one corner with glorious views.Dan would stop all Duty Officer tasks as, honestly, what looked like ordinary farm tractors pulled up a Lizzie and lots of preflight activity held all of us in the office spellbound.

Tommy Gun would leave his adjoining office and tell us ;"ok, ok, tea break while we watch the fun". Fun it was as, eventually, the engines would be started. Lots of noise, lots of smoke. LGW went from 'Calm, CAVOK' to viz, zero, overcast, cat111 only within minutes. Aviation fuel/smoke smell filled our office. No-one complained.

And off she would taxi, trailing thick black smoke and everything returned to boring normal as phones on hold were switched back and Hosties called in looking for Friday night swops.Pure joy..

Having got into the pointy end quite quickly, I did have the absolute pleasure of Serving Art Whitlock as his FO. Not a book reader but obtained and read his offering "Behind the Cockpit Door". Lent it to someone else and didn't get it back, but, hey, what a read.

[rog747]

The Airspeed Ambassador was pivotal in flying many IT Package Holiday charter flights to Europe and the Med Sunspots.

UK and foreign charter airlines used them for IT's such as Overseas Aviation, Dan Air, BKS, Autair and Globe Air with seating for 48-55 seats.

Ambassadors replaced the older Vickers Vikings and DC-3's, and they provided a far more comfortable and, on longer routes, a speedier trip, for example, shaving more than an hour off the London to Rimini or Perpignan service.

[OUAQUKGF Ops]

Brochure Circa 1950







Airspeed Christmas Card 1948 (2nd prototype)






History extracted from Planespotters.net with thanks !

[dixi188]

Around 1966 my eldest sister booked a holiday in Spain. It was with Autair and supposed to be flying in a brand new BAC1-11. My dad was a senior inspector at the Hurn factory and said they hadn't delivered the first aircraft yet. She flew out in an Ambassador but the return flight was in a BAC 1-11.

[rog747]

Originally Posted by dixi188

Around 1966 my eldest sister booked a holiday in Spain. It was with Autair and supposed to be flying in a brand new BAC1-11. My dad was a senior inspector at the Hurn factory and said they hadn't delivered the first aircraft yet. She flew out in an Ambassador but the return flight was in a BAC 1-11.

That would have been early 1968 - Autair got their first of 4 new Jets that year in Feb/Mar.

[By George]

My first flight in an aeroplane, London to Germany (Munich?) in 1957. Sat opposite my brothers on a four-seat table complete with linen tablecloth, fine china and stainless-steel knives. My father in a suit with a hat and Mum dressed to the nines, including white gloves up to the elbow. As kids we wore identical outfits which included a tie! Addressed as 'Master' by the cabin crew and treated like royalty. Talk about changing times. Beautiful looking aeroplane too.

[rog747]

Originally Posted by By George

My first flight in an aeroplane, London to Germany (Munich?) in 1957. Sat opposite my brothers on a four-seat table complete with linen tablecloth, fine china and stainless-steel knives. My father in a suit with a hat and Mum dressed to the nines, including white gloves up to the elbow. As kids we wore identical outfits which included a tie! Addressed as 'Master' by the cabin crew and treated like royalty. Talk about changing times. Beautiful looking aeroplane too.

Yes at those times the luxury 47 seat BEA Airspeed Ambassador (Elizabethan) was also pivotal in their longer routes which were not just deep into Europe and Eastern Europe, but down to the Mediterranean, Malta and North Africa too (Cairo was suspended around this time due to the Suez situation)
12 a/c were in the fleet in 1957, with just 7 in 1958.
The Viscount 800 was coming onstream and would soon take over these routes from the Ambassador.
in turn these would go to the new Comet 4B's and Vanguards.

[Prangster]

Art though accurate oh shredded memory

As a 9/12 year old my favourite place was hugging the 2 strand wire fence that separated Snape's Wood from the Rolls Royce Flight Test Establishment airfield at Hucknall, Dim memory tells me that huddled in a defensive heap on the distant pan lay a mouldering row of flying test beds their duty done, all, no doubt, awaiting the scrap mans cutters. Vague memory suggests that an Ambassaor/Elizabethan and I think an Avro Tudor amongst them. Then I could be wrong! Anyone know the history?

At the time the Vulcan test bed was active before its loss at Syerston so it must be pre that accident.

[Prangster]

Originally Posted by Prangster

As a 9/12 year old my favourite place was hugging the 2 strand wire fence that separated Snape's Wood from the Rolls Royce Flight Test Establishment airfield at Hucknall, Dim memory tells me that huddled in a defensive heap on the distant pan lay a mouldering row of flying test beds their duty done, all, no doubt, awaiting the scrap mans cutters. Vague memory suggests that an Ambassaor/Elizabethan and I think an Avro Tudor amongst them. Then I could be wrong! Anyone know the history?

At the time the Vulcan test bed was active before its loss at Syerston so it must be pre that accident.

Shredded memory revived. 'Twas an Ashton not a Tudor

[DHfan]

That was probably the Ashton 2 which was allocated to Rolls-Royce. The forward fuselage survives at the Newark Aviation Museum.

[Planemike]

Originally Posted by Prangster

Vague memory suggests that an Ambassador/Elizabethan and I think an Avro Tudor amongst them. Then I could be wrong! Anyone know the history?

Ambassador 1 G-AKRD passed to Rolls Royce at Hucknall in December 55. it first flew as the RR Tyne testbed in August 58 marked G-37-3. It was used as a RR Dart testbed in 61. Scrapped at Hucknall in October 69.

[chevvron]

Originally Posted by DaveReidUK

Not forgetting the Royal Jordanian Air Force example (ex G-ALZP) - not sure if it ever actually got to Jordan, pic looks like Heathrow:



https://www.airlinefan.com/airline-p...r/107/5170550/

I saw it overhead Chesham (just west of Bovingdon) heading west in about 1960 at about 10,000ft; I could see the 'unusual' roundels on it. The route was roughly the same as the Yorks operating out of Luton at that time but where the Ambassador came from I have no idea.

[Prangster]

Originally Posted by Planemike

Ambassador 1 G-AKRD passed to Rolls Royce at Hucknall in December 55. it first flew as the RR Tyne testbed in August 58 marked G-37-3. It was used as a RR Dart testbed in 61. Scrapped at Hucknall in October 69.

Thanks planemike glad to know some of my memory still hangs on. Didnt realize the Ashton hung on that long it must only have been scrapped when I went to work for RR in 1969