Those were the Days...
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Those were the Days...
Gnome de PPRuNe
Join Date: Jan 2002
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Mater artium necessitas 
And that hangar was designed for Beverleys!
Join Date: Sep 2008
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We did this with Beverley's at Dishforth, in the 50's.
But with the added complexity of doing it sideways!
Things we called 'skids' were put under the main wheels. The nose was jacked up.
The a/c was moved into the hangar and then the nose was lowered with the a/c positioned so that both tail fins went up between the girders of the roof.
We put 2 a/c in each hangar, one facing each way.
But with the added complexity of doing it sideways!
Things we called 'skids' were put under the main wheels. The nose was jacked up.
The a/c was moved into the hangar and then the nose was lowered with the a/c positioned so that both tail fins went up between the girders of the roof.
We put 2 a/c in each hangar, one facing each way.
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ALL done before Lockheed 049s pulled in sideways (1940s-50s ) wings too wide, LHR BOAC , also Vanguard nose pushed up similar to B737 in photos , to get tail fin under the hangar door sill BEA 60s 70s Happy days !!!
Quite a familiar sight with F.27s as well...
http://www.airliners.net/photo/NLM---Nederlandse/Fokker-F-27-100-Friendship/1125468/L/
I must say that those towbars on the Belfast and 737 do look the business. I remember a cutoff and modified bit of towbar lashed to a forklift to move said Friendships. Not quite up to the same standards.
http://www.airliners.net/photo/NLM---Nederlandse/Fokker-F-27-100-Friendship/1125468/L/
I must say that those towbars on the Belfast and 737 do look the business. I remember a cutoff and modified bit of towbar lashed to a forklift to move said Friendships. Not quite up to the same standards.
Join Date: Oct 2002
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Actually the Belfast was at Southend in 1979, I think. I could find the exact date as the photo was taken by me.
I like the way the Dan Air hangar has a hole just big enough for the fin. Not much room for error!
I like the way the Dan Air hangar has a hole just big enough for the fin. Not much room for error!
No pictures, but they moved Mk 3 Shackletons (the nose wheel variety) into the old T3 hangers at St Mawgan SIDEWAYS on a set of rails: one set for the mainwheels, and lifted the nose wheel with a bigger 'truck' to get the tail in.. Only saw it the once, but the rails were still there a few years ago.
Every de Havilland Comet airliner made in Hatfield had to be tipped tail-down when advancing it along the Final Assembly line as the roof clearance height of the pre-war building was too low for its 29'6" top of fin height. Being a north-light roof the fin could go in between the structure when the next staion was reached. For the Trident a High Bay was added to the end of the shop as they couldn't do the same trick once the tailplane was fitted.
Join Date: May 2008
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No pictures, but they moved Mk 3 Shackletons (the nose wheel variety) into the old T3 hangers at St Mawgan SIDEWAYS on a set of rails: one set for the mainwheels, and lifted the nose wheel with a bigger 'truck' to get the tail in.. Only saw it the once, but the rails were still there a few years ago.
Oh, and whilst on the subject didn't BUA cut an appropriate shape out of the frontage of their main Gatwick hangar, above the doors, to accomodate the tails of the VC10s when they were introduced into service in the 1960s?
I must confess.....
I bought a wreck many years ago where the wooden fuselage had been snapped as the gear was removed without any delicacy by a hay bale during a forced landing. The fuselage entered the garage on a trailer and was rebuilt. When it came time to wheel the rebuilt fuselage out through the door of the garage...Doh!
It was easier to remove the door and the concrete lintel than to remove the undercart or overhead fuel tank.
I bought a wreck many years ago where the wooden fuselage had been snapped as the gear was removed without any delicacy by a hay bale during a forced landing. The fuselage entered the garage on a trailer and was rebuilt. When it came time to wheel the rebuilt fuselage out through the door of the garage...Doh!
It was easier to remove the door and the concrete lintel than to remove the undercart or overhead fuel tank.
"they moved Mk 3 Shackletons (the nose wheel variety) into the old T3 hangers at St Mawgan SIDEWAYS on a set of rails: "
Both Mk 2 and Mk3.
Shortly after arriving at St Mawgan to join my first Squadron, in early '65, I found myself a member of a Board of Enquiry into an upcock involving a Mk 2. Must have been 42 Sqn., as we (206) and 201 had Mk 3s.
Running on the rails were low metal platforms called skates. With these outside the hangar, and held the right distance apart by a long rod, the aircraft was towed backwards onto the skates, and the brakes set. The tailwheel was then swung through 90 degrees, the tractor hitched to the skate nearest the hangar, and the whole thing was moved inside. Tailwheel was then straightened, tractor hitched to main gear leg, (not enough room to hitch it to the tailwheel tow bar), and the a/c was pulled off the skates. As it rolled down the very slight slope of the skates, the airman in the cockpit had to operate the brakes to stop it. Either the airman did not hear the shout for brakes, or there was not enough pressure. The prop of no. 3 engine hit the back of the tractor, bent, and stopped an inch from the tractor steering wheel. Tractor driver bailed out just in time, or it would have been an inquest.
Both Mk 2 and Mk3.
Shortly after arriving at St Mawgan to join my first Squadron, in early '65, I found myself a member of a Board of Enquiry into an upcock involving a Mk 2. Must have been 42 Sqn., as we (206) and 201 had Mk 3s.
Running on the rails were low metal platforms called skates. With these outside the hangar, and held the right distance apart by a long rod, the aircraft was towed backwards onto the skates, and the brakes set. The tailwheel was then swung through 90 degrees, the tractor hitched to the skate nearest the hangar, and the whole thing was moved inside. Tailwheel was then straightened, tractor hitched to main gear leg, (not enough room to hitch it to the tailwheel tow bar), and the a/c was pulled off the skates. As it rolled down the very slight slope of the skates, the airman in the cockpit had to operate the brakes to stop it. Either the airman did not hear the shout for brakes, or there was not enough pressure. The prop of no. 3 engine hit the back of the tractor, bent, and stopped an inch from the tractor steering wheel. Tractor driver bailed out just in time, or it would have been an inquest.
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50+ years ago, at the local GA field, one company had upgraded from executive DC-3's to the Gulfstream (today we call it G-1) and had a similar problem hangaring their new toys. They developed their own tow/lift truck to resolve the problem.
Similar problem: You often used to read about someone building a boat in their cellar, and the only way to do the "launch" was to knock out a foundation wall and excavate the hedges, and drag the "Queen Mary" out. Then rebuild the wall, refill the ditch, etc. I have also seen homebuilt aircraft rolled out the same way.
Similar problem: You often used to read about someone building a boat in their cellar, and the only way to do the "launch" was to knock out a foundation wall and excavate the hedges, and drag the "Queen Mary" out. Then rebuild the wall, refill the ditch, etc. I have also seen homebuilt aircraft rolled out the same way.
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As the Swedish airforce uses motorways as tactical airstrips and the bridges at hand as hangars, they realized that rising every bridge to accommodate the hight of their fighters was too much, and the SAAB factory took their counter measures around the tailfins on the SAAB Viggen:
On the other hand: It seems like they have been prepared for the tilting trick with the SAAB Draken and fixed a rollerskate under the tail:
;-)
On the other hand: It seems like they have been prepared for the tilting trick with the SAAB Draken and fixed a rollerskate under the tail:
;-)
Bristow Helicopters bought a damaged S61 from Italy and rebuilt it in their hangar at Redhill. The doors where too low to allow an S61 on its wheels to be towed out so there was a problem.
They dug three trenches in the floor for the mainwheels and tailwheel.
They dug three trenches in the floor for the mainwheels and tailwheel.
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Yes that is a TAC tug and this picture was not taken at Abingdon in fact it was taken inside the Aviation Traders flight shed at Southend which at the time of this picture had been taken over by Heavylift for the work to proceed for the civil certifcation of the Belfast.