BEA Vanguard interior configurations

[MARK9263]

Would anyone here have information on the interior configuration of BEAs Vanguards during the 1960s?

I understand there were two configurations, what where they and which aircraft had which?

Any info greatly appreciated.

[DaveReidUK]

The V951s were 18F108Y and the V953s were 135Y.

[MARK9263]

That's superb.

Thanks Dave.

[vctenderness]

The First Class cabin was at the rear unlike today's aircraft configs.

[tczulu]

First flew in one in 1966,Glasgow-Palma,so my memory might be playing tricks here. But IIRC some of the seats were rearward facing?

[ZFT]

Originally Posted by tczulu

First flew in one in 1966,Glasgow-Palma,so my memory might be playing tricks here. But IIRC some of the seats were rearward facing?

Yep, have the same recollection. Maybe Belfast flight

[DaveReidUK]

Originally Posted by tczulu

But IIRC some of the seats were rearward facing?

Indeed they were.

Though of course that wasn't unique to the Vanguard - Tridents also had some rearward-facing seats.

[Bergerie1]

BOAC Britannias also had the first class at the rear.....away from the propellor noise.

[Alsacienne]

I flew MAN/LHR/GCI on a BEA Vanguard in the 60s and remember the rear facing seats (economy class), with different instructions for how to brace if required. Seemed much easier than in the majority of forward facing seats!

[Kewbick]

BEA's Vickers Viking and Airspeed Ambassador also had a few rear facing seats, but they were located in the forward portion of the cabin.

[Helen49]

I believe that BEA also operated Viscounts with a row of rear facing seats at the front of the cabin?
H49

[Herod]

how to brace if required. Seemed much easier than in the majority of forward facing seats!

Back in the fifties the RAF did a lot of research on survivability in rear-facing seats. As a result all RAF aircraft during my time (perhaps still so?) had rear-facing seats. It's much safer, but hard to sell to the travelling public.

[Mooncrest]

I have a lovely Viscount book at home. In it there is definitely a cabin picture of a BAF/ex-BA etc. aircraft. There is a table and two seats facing forwards and the other two facing backwards.

Slight thread drift but I once flew on an Adria/Tarom Rombac 1-11 and that had a similar seating configuration. Must be a British thing (albeit Romanian-built in this case).

[dixi188]

The BAC1-11 had rear facing seats at the overwing exits on the 119 seat config to allow sufficient access for evacuation.
I witnessed the evac trials at Hurn in 1969/70.
It took three attempts to get everyone out in the required 90 secs. and this was using young, fit apprentices.

[Rob Courtney]

727s also had rear facing seats at the overwing escape doors, its an interestibf sensation flying backwards.

[WHBM]

Originally Posted by Herod

Back in the fifties the RAF did a lot of research on survivability in rear-facing seats. As a result all RAF aircraft during my time (perhaps still so?) had rear-facing seats. It's much safer, but hard to sell to the travelling public.

A little later Boeing did a comparable study and came up with the opposite answer.

Although you may feel you could be thrown forward in a sharp deceleration, it is generally only as far as the seatback ahead. Far more of a hazard though is general cabin detritus, flying catering carts, baggage, unsecured passengers, etc, being thrown forward. With normal seating your own seatback forms an effective shield to this. With rearward seating you get it all straight in the face.

[Herod]

Possibly, although that would only really apply to the rear seats. The others would be protected by the seat in front. Perhaps Boeing were also considering passenger appeal in their calculations?

[lotus1]

With regards to rear facing seats I remember Dan air had a one eleven with rear facing seats my mates and I came back from Spain must have been around 87 and we was given these seats it was great we had good leg room

[WHBM]

Originally Posted by lotus1

With regards to rear facing seats I remember Dan air had a one eleven with rear facing seats my mates and I came back from Spain must have been around 87 and we was given these seats it was great we had good leg room

As well known, rear-facing seats were an "RAF thing", and this extended to their troop charters where they used civilian charter operators - if the aircraft was so capable. The One-Elevens had been so used back to British United days. I used to think it would be a substantial task to reconfigure, but it was apparently it just required a few hours, two engineers, and one box of spanners. They were generally reconfigured back prior to their next mainstream airline use, but if time was short they were not. There used to be a PPRuNe poster who wrote about this being done outside their office during a night shift layover at Gatwick.

The Britannia 737s which the RAF moved on to were not so capable.

[DaveReidUK]

Originally Posted by WHBM

I used to think it would be a substantial task to reconfigure, but it was apparently it just required a few hours, two engineers, and one box of spanners.

In the days before IFE, seatback screens, etc, fitting and removing seats could be done very rapidly (without requiring any tools).

If it was just a case of reversing the way they were facing (i.e. swapping the seats on the LH side for those on the RHS and turning them round) and keeping the same pitch, then the PSUs would still be more-or-less in the right place and the rubber strips that cover the rails would still fit.

I don't know the 1-11 that well (we rarely saw them in the hangar at LHR) but I'm assuming that the rails are symmetrical about the fuselage centreline, notwithstanding the 2+3 configuration.