Shorts Belfast refuelling probe?

[Double Hydco]

I've seen several photo's recently showing G-BEPS both in storage at Manston, and newly arrived at Southend in 1979, with no sign of a refuelling probe.

However, a couple of subsequent photographs of the same aircraft, taken circa 1980/81, in TAC Heavylift and Heavylift livery show the probe refitted?

I know the probes were removed by Marshall's during the Falklands war for the RAF, but I'm curious why PS would have had the probe refitted once in commercial service?

Perhaps there is an engineer involved with the aircraft in its early commercial days, or during the certification that knows the answer?

Thanks, DH

[DaveReidUK]

Some references to Belfast in-flight refuelling in this thread:

http://www.pprune.org/freight-dogs/4...fast-sale.html

[bvcu]

dont know the history , but wasnt some flight testing carried out for civil certification for some time. In which case the probe may have been used for instumentation , i.e yaw/slip vanes . Probably some pics somewhere of Boscombes Argosy XN817 when it had something similar when ETPS were using it.

[GAZIN]

BVCU is correct, the probe was refitted to carry the test instrumentation sensors.

[Double Hydco]

Many thanks for your replies. That makes sense, and is something I hadn't considered.

Yeah, the flight testing was carried out by Marshall's.

Cheers, DH