Handley Page Hastings
What's all this nonsense about inches of boost? In my day on Hastings “boost” was measured in good 16 ounce pounds per sensible square inch and there were two types, plus or minus. Your namby-pamby inches of mercury were for arty-farty manifold air pressure.. Your namby-pamby inches of mercury were for arty-farty manifold air pressure.
Lancman. Good try at a wind up old chap, but double and add 32 has nothing to do with temp. (well almost nothing) and all to do with sea level pressure, and was always just a back of the fag packet bit conversion.
Do I remember the flog through France - sure do!
But our Hastings did have gauges in inches and an earlier post mentions power settings in inches when downwind and onto finals to 'slow cut eng'.
I never thought this thread would make me feel so young!
Do I remember the flog through France - sure do!
But our Hastings did have gauges in inches and an earlier post mentions power settings in inches when downwind and onto finals to 'slow cut eng'.
I never thought this thread would make me feel so young!
A Hastings yarn:
Brakedwell mentioned PS in a previous post as one of the funniest men he had ever flown with. I totally agree. Here is a story that PS once told me. He had already done a few thousand hours of navigating on the Hastings when he got posted to 48 Sqn in Changi.
"I were crewed up with this youth".
First trip with said youth and they are northbound to HK in the middle of the night somewhere abeam Saigon.
"I were sat there with me feet up on't ADFs when youth comes up".
"Where's your log and chart, said he?"
"They're on't table in front of me. Why?"
"It's ma coostom every hour on't hour to check and sign navigator's log".
"Fook off, you're not old enough to have coostoms" said PS, but he were right serious.
Not another word was said and PS left it until the end of their 2-year tour and they were being dined-out.
Pete got to his feet and asked the PMC if he could ask the youth why it was that he had checked and signed his log 1,659 times every hour, on the hour, underneath the Gee-fix for Dishforth regardless of where they were on the planet!
Brakedwell mentioned PS in a previous post as one of the funniest men he had ever flown with. I totally agree. Here is a story that PS once told me. He had already done a few thousand hours of navigating on the Hastings when he got posted to 48 Sqn in Changi.
"I were crewed up with this youth".
First trip with said youth and they are northbound to HK in the middle of the night somewhere abeam Saigon.
"I were sat there with me feet up on't ADFs when youth comes up".
"Where's your log and chart, said he?"
"They're on't table in front of me. Why?"
"It's ma coostom every hour on't hour to check and sign navigator's log".
"Fook off, you're not old enough to have coostoms" said PS, but he were right serious.
Not another word was said and PS left it until the end of their 2-year tour and they were being dined-out.
Pete got to his feet and asked the PMC if he could ask the youth why it was that he had checked and signed his log 1,659 times every hour, on the hour, underneath the Gee-fix for Dishforth regardless of where they were on the planet!
The unaccountable eagerness of ATC Cadets to be airborne in anything that flew was well catered for in Yorkshire in the 1950s. I used to hitchhike every weekday of the Summer holidays to the reachable RAF Station visited longest ago; Dishforth being on the list added a lot of hours in Hastings (and Beverleys), although elsewhere Valetta, Varsity, Lincoln and one trip in a Comet 4 air test when I wasn't fortunate enough to blag a ride in a Chipmunk or Piston Provost.
"Mildly" Eccentric Stardriver
Double and add 32 is reasonably close (multiply by 9/5 and add 32), but today's Times goes one better. They quote a temperature of 80C (160F). I guess the sub went to a "progressive" school.
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Hastings at Colerne
Ancientaviator62
Many Thanks for the info on 528. On the 19th Feb 1974 Hastings TG536 landed at 10.40 for the last time at Colerne. It stayed at the aircraft museum unit until Colerne and the museum closed - SAD ! - March 1976. 536 ended its days at RAF Catterick fire pits. 71 mu cut it up to transport it there. They even removed the sign on the fuselage which said this aircraft is to be preserved as a memorial to the Berlin Airlift. On a good note many parts went on to form the Halifax at Elvington.
Anyone know which Hastings came into Colerne to pick up the crew of 536 ?
Many Thanks for the info on 528. On the 19th Feb 1974 Hastings TG536 landed at 10.40 for the last time at Colerne. It stayed at the aircraft museum unit until Colerne and the museum closed - SAD ! - March 1976. 536 ended its days at RAF Catterick fire pits. 71 mu cut it up to transport it there. They even removed the sign on the fuselage which said this aircraft is to be preserved as a memorial to the Berlin Airlift. On a good note many parts went on to form the Halifax at Elvington.
Anyone know which Hastings came into Colerne to pick up the crew of 536 ?
I see from my log book that I was the Co-pilot on the crew that delivered it to Colerne, but that since we were passengers back to Scampton, I did not log which one came to pick us up and take us home.
If anyone would like the crews names them send me a PM.
If anyone would like the crews names them send me a PM.
A postcard showing TG 528 at the now defunct Skyfame Museum at Staverton. This is how she looked shortly after 'demob' so exactly as when Trevor Hope flew in her. Luckily she was saved and preserved and is now inside at Duxford.
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Jack H
I recall that Jack H was never happier than when he was traing young lads. Many was the time at Colerne when he would taxi in and his request was usually for some more co-pilots, pork pies and 20 fags.
There was also the story of Jack walking in one day breathing fire and brimstone. After much questioning it discovered that the bank had sent his bank statement to his wife by mistake. Oh that we could have someone like him in this PC controlled world!
There was also the story of Jack walking in one day breathing fire and brimstone. After much questioning it discovered that the bank had sent his bank statement to his wife by mistake. Oh that we could have someone like him in this PC controlled world!
Hastings RAF Colerne 1965
Slow Cut Over the Fosse Way 24 Sqn. Colerne. No 4 feathered. Committed to landing
36Sqn at Colerne
36Sqn at Colerne
Last edited by DeanoP; 12th Nov 2020 at 22:27. Reason: Reinserted photos
Brakedwell wrote on the 15th of Januari:
They did - It was called a Hermes, but only 29 were built.
regarding why the Hastings did not have a tricycle landinggear. But to my view, the Hermes looks like a quite modified design, with a new front section, and the engines higher up on the wing. Of course, a taildragger will have a somewhat lower empty weight, the tailwheel is smaller and lighter.
What interests me as an engineer is:
Why did the Hastings have such low placed engines? The thrust-line is well below the wing plane, while almost all other prop aircraft have their thrust-line in the plane of the wing.
Can anybody shed any light on this characteristic?
They did - It was called a Hermes, but only 29 were built.
regarding why the Hastings did not have a tricycle landinggear. But to my view, the Hermes looks like a quite modified design, with a new front section, and the engines higher up on the wing. Of course, a taildragger will have a somewhat lower empty weight, the tailwheel is smaller and lighter.
What interests me as an engineer is:
Why did the Hastings have such low placed engines? The thrust-line is well below the wing plane, while almost all other prop aircraft have their thrust-line in the plane of the wing.
Can anybody shed any light on this characteristic?
Another Jack H story
Whilst on 24Sqn circa 65/66 I heard that Jack was route checking a young captain from Luqa to Lyneham and going north towards Elba, Jack asked the captain what he would do if an engine failed. The captain replied, 'Divert to Ponza' to which Jack replied, 'Fxxxing Ponza! Fxxxcking E cat'!!!
Perhaps I should explain, to those not in the know, that the Island of Ponza is a small rocky outcrop which in those days, had only an NDB and no airfield.
Jack H is the Hastings Jack Huxxxxgdon
Perhaps I should explain, to those not in the know, that the Island of Ponza is a small rocky outcrop which in those days, had only an NDB and no airfield.
Jack H is the Hastings Jack Huxxxxgdon
Last edited by DeanoP; 6th Dec 2015 at 15:44. Reason: Confusion over Jack H
Hastings at Gander circa1965
Gander terminal after a flight from Lajes. En route o/h Bermuda 10hour flight to Nassau. At Nassau we shuttled to Belize rotating troops. Accommodation was in Nassau at the Royal Victoria hotel which with flying every other day made a very pleasant 2 week holiday.
Last edited by DeanoP; 12th Nov 2020 at 22:23. Reason: Reinserted photos
"Mildly" Eccentric Stardriver
I don't think I've posted this before, but if Jack ended up with AirUK, the last I heard he was retired on the island of Mull. He may still lurk on here, user name jackharr.