Airspeed/D.H. Ambassador.
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G-37-3 (G-AKRD) Dart Test Bed Icing Spray Grid. Photo Hucknall Flight Test Museum.
G-37-3 (G-AKRD) Dart Test Bed. Photo Hucknall Flight Test Museum (Mike Downy Collection).
G-AKRD Bristol Proteus Test Bed 1954. Photo RAF Museum.
G-AKRD Bristol Proteus. Farnborough 1954. Photo credit as captioned via Mike West with thanks.
G-ALFR First Production Prototype Ambassador 2. First flew May 1950. Photo RAES.
G-ALFR Landing accident at Christchurch whilst assessing handling with new CofG forward limits 13 November 1950.
Images: Airspeed Limited.
G-ALFR Napier Eland Test Bed Farnborough 1955.
G-37- 4 (G-ALZR) Tyne Test Bed at Southampton June 1959. This Ambassador was with Rolls Royce from 1957-1963 and then sold to BKS.
Photo Ron Roberts via Barry Friend with thanks.
Last edited by OUAQUKGF Ops; 21st Jan 2024 at 19:16.
They seemed to use all types to test engines in those days. I was flying a Vampire 5 out of Swinderby in 1957 and on reaching about FL 310 I saw a DC3 ahead of me! Closing in, I could see it had two Turbo prop engines fitted, but I couldn't see what type as I didn't want to get too close.
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RR Darts, like this:
From: https://www.britairliners.org/airlin...testbeds&id=30
G-ALXN and G-AMDB were converted to Dart power and operated as freighters by BEA, providing them with some very valuable RR Dart experience prior to the Viscount entering service. See here for more: http://aviationtrivia. bl*gsp*t .com/2010/03/while-vickers-viscount-and-its-rolls.html (fill in the blanks... remove the spaces).
From: https://www.britairliners.org/airlin...testbeds&id=30
G-ALXN and G-AMDB were converted to Dart power and operated as freighters by BEA, providing them with some very valuable RR Dart experience prior to the Viscount entering service. See here for more: http://aviationtrivia. bl*gsp*t .com/2010/03/while-vickers-viscount-and-its-rolls.html (fill in the blanks... remove the spaces).
