Go Back  PPRuNe Forums > Misc. Forums > Aviation History and Nostalgia
Reload this Page >

talk on the Trident airliner at Brooklands 23 march

Wikiposts
Search
Aviation History and Nostalgia Whether working in aviation, retired, wannabee or just plain fascinated this forum welcomes all with a love of flight.

talk on the Trident airliner at Brooklands 23 march

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 18th Mar 2017, 07:50
  #1 (permalink)  
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: UK
Age: 66
Posts: 846
Received 41 Likes on 21 Posts
talk on the Trident airliner at Brooklands 23 march

next Thursday evening at brooklands weybridge surrey is a talk on the trident by expert Neil lomax

23 march 1900

info for tickets https://www.brooklandsmuseum.com/btm...ident-Airliner
rog747 is offline  
Old 18th Mar 2017, 09:54
  #2 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: NI
Posts: 1,033
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Whilst the usual criticism levelled against DHA is their allegience to the Spey, thereby limiting the Trident's potential, I only recently discovered that the Spey was Boeing's original choice of engine for the 727!

However the proposed license-production deal with Allison fell-through because gov.uk declined to provide funding or permit certain technology transfer. As a result, Boeing was persuaded by its US customers to go with the JT8D, which was fatter and heavier but which had a US supply chain. And which of course eventually scaled-up to higher thrusts and left the Spey behind.
El Bunto is offline  
Old 18th Mar 2017, 13:23
  #3 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: UK
Posts: 3,325
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
The Spey was fine for the Tridents 1 and 2, but wouldn't scale for the Trident 3. The criticism of dH is that they let BEA talk them out of the Medway engined dH 121 and instead build the ludicrously small 90 seat Trident 1 for which the Spey sufficed.
Shaggy Sheep Driver is offline  
Old 18th Mar 2017, 13:41
  #4 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Hertfordshire
Posts: 517
Received 3 Likes on 3 Posts
SSD is right that some of our senior management was weak-willed and as one of the clear-thinkers put it " . . . designed an internationally unwanted airliner with scaled-down engines that RR knew they could not sell elsewhere."
One of our partners in Airco was Hunting and if you remember they used the Spey when their twin-engined project became the BAC111. I think I remember Heinz Vogel telling me how redesigning it for Spey power was a classic all-nighter but I can't remember what engine it had before that.

ETA however we don't need to cover that old ground here. Go and hear about the aeroplane from someone who's involved now!

Last edited by Allan Lupton; 18th Mar 2017 at 13:43. Reason: added point
Allan Lupton is offline  
Old 18th Mar 2017, 14:44
  #5 (permalink)  
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: UK
Age: 66
Posts: 846
Received 41 Likes on 21 Posts
I'm going!
rog747 is offline  
Old 18th Mar 2017, 18:38
  #6 (permalink)  
Gnome de PPRuNe
 
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Too close to Croydon for comfort
Age: 60
Posts: 12,643
Received 300 Likes on 168 Posts
I can't remember what engine it had before that
Bristol Siddeley BS75 apparently.
treadigraph is online now  
Old 18th Mar 2017, 19:04
  #7 (permalink)  
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: UK
Age: 66
Posts: 846
Received 41 Likes on 21 Posts
i flew on many Tridents - mostly Northeast 1e's on charter to Swans Tours out of LHR usually at weekends in summer (Med) and winter (ski)

the sun pax went to milan turin pisa rimini venice palma ibiza mahon malaga gerona barcelona alicante
in high season sometimes relief flights would depart 15 minutes after the first one
overbookings were rife

the ski flight pax for Austria were flown to ZRH and MUC
never understood why we did not go to Salzburg which was a BEA destination too and closer to the Tirol
guess a Trident would never get into INN
Italy ski pax went to MXP and Turin

123 Y pax on the One E
the range was not that brilliant with that load - i think Malaga was about the limit or Malta although Channel AW did STN-LPA with 139Y - how i do not know but apparently a Channel AW Trident holds the record for the fastest flight time from London to the Canaries of just 3 hours 15 mins

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped..._AN2388412.jpg


flew LGW-Dubrovnk once subbing for BCAL Aug 1972 as they had lost a 1-11 at CFU in a RTO.

Last edited by rog747; 18th Mar 2017 at 19:39.
rog747 is offline  
Old 18th Mar 2017, 20:43
  #8 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Austria
Posts: 706
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes on 1 Post
No thread on the Trident is complete without this picture:



Apparently some airline found it wise to put a 7-abreast seating into the forward cabin of the airliner. I can only imagine the relief of the travellers when finally being allowed off this sardine can...
Tu.114 is offline  
Old 18th Mar 2017, 21:41
  #9 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: London
Posts: 260
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Channel Airways - 140 seats
arem is offline  
Old 18th Mar 2017, 21:52
  #10 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Blighty (Nth. Downs)
Age: 77
Posts: 2,107
Received 4 Likes on 4 Posts
Quote from rog747:
"flew LGW-Dubrovnk once subbing for BCAL Aug 1972 as they had lost a 1-11 at CFU in a RTO."

Talking of Corfu and BCAL's 1-11 over-run into shallow water following a rejected take-off there reminds me of one of my few visits there one summer's day, at about that period (early 1970s), on a BCAL passenger charter.

I was sitting alone completing the turnround checks when we had a visit from a friendly BEA Trident first-officer, who was interested to have a look in our spacious cockpit. (I don't remember which mark of Trident he was flying.)

During our conversation he asked how limited our weight would be for the Corfu departure. Having just laboriously calculated it from the graphs (as always), I had to tell him we were limited by around 15 tonnes, leaving an RTOW of about 127 tonnes (IIRC). Not a problem for the full charter-load of pax to Gatwick, however.

The BEA guy was impressed and not a little envious, as I think they were struggling to plan a direct return to LHR. No disrespect to the Trident, of course, which would have burned far less fuel per passenger-mile than ours. Simply the luxury of operating a short-haul flight with an over-powered, long-haul aeroplane, manufactured at Brooklands.
Chris Scott is offline  
Old 18th Mar 2017, 23:56
  #11 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Hertfordshire
Posts: 517
Received 3 Likes on 3 Posts
Originally Posted by treadigraph
Bristol Siddeley BS75 apparently.
Thanks for reminding me!
I think there was also a Bristol aeroplane project with those engines arranged round a butterfly tail.
Allan Lupton is offline  
Old 19th Mar 2017, 09:16
  #12 (permalink)  
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: UK
Age: 66
Posts: 846
Received 41 Likes on 21 Posts
7 abreast seating trident one E

Originally Posted by Tu.114
No thread on the Trident is complete without this picture:



Apparently some airline found it wise to put a 7-abreast seating into the forward cabin of the airliner. I can only imagine the relief of the travellers when finally being allowed off this sardine can...
i actually sat in those seats at STN when the channel trident was open for public viewing on one Sunday afternoon when it was quite new

i was 11 or 12 so not huge but i was quite a big lad and mum dad and me tried out the 4 seater row - it was actually OK!

139 Ypax IIRC
rog747 is offline  
Old 19th Mar 2017, 09:20
  #13 (permalink)  
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: UK
Age: 66
Posts: 846
Received 41 Likes on 21 Posts
Originally Posted by Chris Scott
Quote from rog747:
"flew LGW-Dubrovnk once subbing for BCAL Aug 1972 as they had lost a 1-11 at CFU in a RTO."

Talking of Corfu and BCAL's 1-11 over-run into shallow water following a rejected take-off there reminds me of one of my few visits there one summer's day, at about that period (early 1970s), on a BCAL passenger charter.

I was sitting alone completing the turnround checks when we had a visit from a friendly BEA Trident first-officer, who was interested to have a look in our spacious cockpit. (I don't remember which mark of Trident he was flying.)

During our conversation he asked how limited our weight would be for the Corfu departure. Having just laboriously calculated it from the graphs (as always), I had to tell him we were limited by around 15 tonnes, leaving an RTOW of about 127 tonnes (IIRC). Not a problem for the full charter-load of pax to Gatwick, however.

The BEA guy was impressed and not a little envious, as I think they were struggling to plan a direct return to LHR. No disrespect to the Trident, of course, which would have burned far less fuel per passenger-mile than ours. Simply the luxury of operating a short-haul flight with an over-powered, long-haul aeroplane, manufactured at Brooklands.
Chris
what were you flying out of CFU at 127 tonnes RTOW>? a VC10?
rog747 is offline  
Old 19th Mar 2017, 10:11
  #14 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Reading, UK
Posts: 15,822
Received 206 Likes on 94 Posts
Originally Posted by rog747
Chris
what were you flying out of CFU at 127 tonnes RTOW>? a VC10?
Tricky one ...

Originally Posted by Chris Scott
Simply the luxury of operating a short-haul flight with an over-powered, long-haul aeroplane, manufactured at Brooklands.
DaveReidUK is offline  
Old 19th Mar 2017, 10:20
  #15 (permalink)  
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: UK
Age: 66
Posts: 846
Received 41 Likes on 21 Posts
Originally Posted by DaveReidUK
Tricky one ...
well yes - VC10's were used on BCAL charters to the Canaries, Nicosia and Rhodes but never knew one of them ever going into Corfu

when Northeast pranged a Trident one E at Bilbao (G-AVYD which was a w/off) the airline was short of lift and both STD and Super BA VC10's were used on Northeast holiday charters to Spain (1975)
i went to ALC on a super and AGP STD
rog747 is offline  
Old 20th Mar 2017, 00:45
  #16 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Blighty (Nth. Downs)
Age: 77
Posts: 2,107
Received 4 Likes on 4 Posts
Hi rog747,

BCAL Standard VC10 Type 1103. Wot! Not enough hints? (Apologies for the thread drift.) The Type 1103 had the "Super" chord extension and wing-tip L/E droop, enabling F/L430 when light enough. One of them is the one at Brooklands, donated by the Sultan of Oman.

The "Ten" burned about 5500-6000kg/hr in the cruise at medium weights.
I imagine the Tridents would have burned not much more than half that at a similar, or slightly higher Mach?
In those days (it was August 1971, so before the fuel crisis) we were cruising at a modest M0.835 (0.86 indicated). MMO was 0.86.

From what I heard the Trident was also faster in the climb and descent than the VC10. Our VMO was only 329 kt IAS at sea-level; slightly reducing higher up.

Quote:
" VC10's were used on BCAL charters to the Canaries, Nicosia and Rhodes but never knew one of them ever going into Corfu"

Never did Rhodes or Nicosia personally, and now see I only did CFU the once. LPA and TCI (Tenerife North, as it was coded in those days) were schedules, the former also used en-route GIG. I once did a charter from BOH to TCI with 150 pax at a time when the Hurn runway was only 6000 ft...
Chris Scott is offline  
Old 20th Mar 2017, 02:38
  #17 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Dorset UK
Age: 70
Posts: 1,899
Likes: 0
Received 15 Likes on 12 Posts
I remember seeing a VC-10 at Hurn doing the Tenerife flight. I think it was due to a French or Spanish ATC strike and the usual 1-11 didn't have the range to take the oceanic route. ("Tango" route ??)
The 1-11 only had 119 seats and usually tech stopped outbound and sometimes inbound as well.
dixi188 is offline  
Old 20th Mar 2017, 07:29
  #18 (permalink)  
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: UK
Age: 66
Posts: 846
Received 41 Likes on 21 Posts
Originally Posted by Chris Scott
Hi rog747,

BCAL Standard VC10 Type 1103. Wot! Not enough hints? (Apologies for the thread drift.) The Type 1103 had the "Super" chord extension and wing-tip L/E droop, enabling F/L430 when light enough. One of them is the one at Brooklands, donated by the Sultan of Oman.

The "Ten" burned about 5500-6000kg/hr in the cruise at medium weights.
I imagine the Tridents would have burned not much more than half that at a similar, or slightly higher Mach?
In those days (it was August 1971, so before the fuel crisis) we were cruising at a modest M0.835 (0.86 indicated). MMO was 0.86.

From what I heard the Trident was also faster in the climb and descent than the VC10. Our VMO was only 329 kt IAS at sea-level; slightly reducing higher up.

Quote:
" VC10's were used on BCAL charters to the Canaries, Nicosia and Rhodes but never knew one of them ever going into Corfu"

Never did Rhodes or Nicosia personally, and now see I only did CFU the once. LPA and TCI (Tenerife North, as it was coded in those days) were schedules, the former also used en-route GIG. I once did a charter from BOH to TCI with 150 pax at a time when the Hurn runway was only 6000 ft...
thanks for that!

i worked for horizon holidays around that time and they were a big BUA customer for their charters (then Cale//BUA) and recall the ops board showing VC10's we had going to the slightly further afield and to the posher destinations as you too also recall but Corfu was def a new one to me! cheers
rog747 is offline  
Old 20th Mar 2017, 07:30
  #19 (permalink)  
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: UK
Age: 66
Posts: 846
Received 41 Likes on 21 Posts
Originally Posted by dixi188
I remember seeing a VC-10 at Hurn doing the Tenerife flight. I think it was due to a French or Spanish ATC strike and the usual 1-11 didn't have the range to take the oceanic route. ("Tango" route ??)
The 1-11 only had 119 seats and usually tech stopped outbound and sometimes inbound as well.

that would have been for Bath Travel Palmair i assume
rog747 is offline  
Old 20th Mar 2017, 09:12
  #20 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: London UK
Posts: 7,659
Likes: 0
Received 19 Likes on 16 Posts
Originally Posted by Shaggy Sheep Driver
The criticism of dH is that they let BEA talk them out of the Medway engined dH 121 and instead build the ludicrously small 90 seat Trident 1 for which the Spey sufficed.
One must understand that in 1960. when the Trident was being designed, 90 seats was not small, but large, for BEA European services, these had commonly low load factors (60-70%) as it was with the Viscount which preceded them on many routes. The bigger Vanguard had sold on the basis of seat-mile costs, but the bums on seats to cover all those Vanguard seats just weren't there except on a few domestic trunk routes (which the Trident, initially, was not expected to cover).

The standard aircraft of the era for many of the BEA competitors into London was the Caravelle, which had less than 90 seats. With the pooling arrangements of the era with most other European flag carriers, the more seats your aircraft had, the less frequency you could do, needing to maintain a strict seating balance.
WHBM is offline  


Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.