BEA Vickers Vanguard
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You'll be familiar with Stand 319, then, where the Merchantman ops were based. Most of the flights were scheduled at night. One of the grimmest was 0200 LHR-CPH-LHR. Airborne from LHR - head northeast for approx an hour towards Heligoland, turn left a few degrees - head northeast for approx another hour - land CPH. Hour turnround then back along the same route.
In Feb 1972 G-APED and 'EF were temporarily based in Malta for circuit training for pilots converting onto the Vanguard/Merchantman. While at Luqa one of the Tynes on one of these aircraft dumped all its engine oil through a failed seal on its prop hub. I took this pic during the prop change (possibly repair rather than replacement - it looks like a prop hub lying on the trolley).
A description of Merchantman ops can be found in the book 'The Damocles Plot'.
In Feb 1972 G-APED and 'EF were temporarily based in Malta for circuit training for pilots converting onto the Vanguard/Merchantman. While at Luqa one of the Tynes on one of these aircraft dumped all its engine oil through a failed seal on its prop hub. I took this pic during the prop change (possibly repair rather than replacement - it looks like a prop hub lying on the trolley).
A description of Merchantman ops can be found in the book 'The Damocles Plot'.
Frater didn't fly on it, but had a look around. It was Mandala. "Its four engines looked like antique air-cooled radials, and even the three-bladed propellers had been burnished...What was it? A converted Flying Fortress? A restyled Lanc? Or something built locally from bamboo and hammered Capstan cigarette tins? I tried to find out."
"I approached the marshal "Viscount" he snapped. "That's no Viscount". "It's a Super Viscount""
My guess? Most likely an Electra.
I only found this because I've recently read the book, and knew where to find the bits.
"I approached the marshal "Viscount" he snapped. "That's no Viscount". "It's a Super Viscount""
My guess? Most likely an Electra.
I only found this because I've recently read the book, and knew where to find the bits.
Don't ever recall either Electra, Vanguard or Viscount having three bladed props.
The good folk of Belfast heard plenty of Tyne rumble when Shorts were conducting prolonged ground runs of the Belfast freighter. When test flight schedules lagged somewhat the ground runs were extended into Sunday mornings. This did not go down well in the Northern Ireland of the early 1960s. Various preachers invoked the Wrath of the Lord upon this infernal noisy machine which could be heard all over the city as there was little movement except to churches, shops were closed and even the children's playgrounds were chained up.
More than one preacher condemned this breaking of the Sabbath; perhaps the Lord tasked a few angels to ride upon the tail of each Belfast and create such drag that the RAF would do away with them. If this sounds farfetched, consider the major airfield being built in 1944 for USAF B-29s east of Newtownards. This too required Sunday working and the local Presbyterians prayed that such sinful concrete-puddling should cease. Shortly afterwards the project was abandoned, but one can see to this day that the partly-constructed runway has sunk into long undulations because it was laid upon the Lord's unstable bogland ...
More than one preacher condemned this breaking of the Sabbath; perhaps the Lord tasked a few angels to ride upon the tail of each Belfast and create such drag that the RAF would do away with them. If this sounds farfetched, consider the major airfield being built in 1944 for USAF B-29s east of Newtownards. This too required Sunday working and the local Presbyterians prayed that such sinful concrete-puddling should cease. Shortly afterwards the project was abandoned, but one can see to this day that the partly-constructed runway has sunk into long undulations because it was laid upon the Lord's unstable bogland ...
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Great seeing the pics of the Vanguard and the Britannia. I remember having to learn some "Technical German" as well as German, and one important term was "Unterboden besdlastungsgewicht" . (under floor bearing weight) It would have been useful to the loader of a Trans Meridian CL44 at MAN in the late 1960's. A voice saying "You'd better go over to the CL44, and see the damage" A ICL computer had been loaded with a large fork lift truck into the swing tail a/c. The cargo had completely gone through the floor, into the lower fuselage.
Of course it was a time of computers being the size of a garden shed.
Lance Shippey
Of course it was a time of computers being the size of a garden shed.
Lance Shippey
Fields at Castle Don. used to conduct ground runs on Merchantmen for hours and hours. There was something about the frequency of the noise that was tiring. Even for a big prop fanboy like me, the sound lost it's charm after a couple of hours.
Air Bridge's regular Luton-Glasgow newspaper service used to rumble up Amber One overhead EMA just before midnight. There was no mistaking that sound.
Air Bridge's regular Luton-Glasgow newspaper service used to rumble up Amber One overhead EMA just before midnight. There was no mistaking that sound.
Gnome de PPRuNe
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I recall being in the Friends of Fighter Collection area at Duxford's Flying Legends once - two guys were running trailer mounted Griffon and Merlin nearby, both beautiful sounding engines yet with those particular short props or the RPM chosen or whatever there was an unpleasant resonance; no idea if we were in the focal point or if it was more widespread. Noticed that the A400 also produces a similar unpleasant noise sometimes when flying overhead outbound Brize, quite painful on the lugs.
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Mothballed Tynes brought to life after ten years.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIaL_mDIFic
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIaL_mDIFic
I recall being in the Friends of Fighter Collection area at Duxford's Flying Legends once - two guys were running trailer mounted Griffon and Merlin nearby, both beautiful sounding engines yet with those particular short props or the RPM chosen or whatever there was an unpleasant resonance; no idea if we were in the focal point or if it was more widespread. Noticed that the A400 also produces a similar unpleasant noise sometimes when flying overhead outbound Brize, quite painful on the lugs.
Big prop aircraft noise coming right through into the house from altitude has made a reappearance with the A400. Have had them go over at 30,000ft and heard them inside two closed doors. Used to live long ago close to the Wallasey VOR, and although you could hear the Vanguards at altitude on London to Belfast etc from the garden, I don't remember ever it being inside. The only other thing I pick up here is the An-12 from various operators, they seem to be a quite bit lower at about 23,000ft, which is possibly the limit of their pressurisation.
I have a distant memory of doing a run-up (on all 4) on a cold night-shift at LHR around 1975 following an engine change on a Merchantman (a good exercise in putting one's faith in brakes and chocks 
).
If the main deck floor had been lowered during the conversion, presumably that would have resulted in there being a step up into the flight deck. I don't recollect there being one (I'd probably have tripped up over it), but I may be mistaken about that.
).If the main deck floor had been lowered during the conversion, presumably that would have resulted in there being a step up into the flight deck. I don't recollect there being one (I'd probably have tripped up over it), but I may be mistaken about that.
Last edited by MAC 40612; 28th Aug 2023 at 13:33.
Mothballed Tynes brought to life after ten years.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIaL_mDIFic
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIaL_mDIFic
With regard to all the smoke on start up, I would suggest that is completely normal for any jet turbine that has been been out of service for a period as an inhibitor is used to keep the engine serviceable and when first started, that is always the effect. We had the same clouds of smoke on start up on both Boeing 747-400s and Boeing 777 after an engine change on the first ground run.
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Big prop aircraft noise coming right through into the house from altitude has made a reappearance with the A400.