former Heavylift Belfast ??
Join Date: Feb 1999
Location: South East England
Posts: 586
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
No need to go that far if there,s if the EI authorities see some benefit for the so called economy of the "Celtic Tiger" no problem to be sure!!.The Irish register has been available as the Liberia of Europe for years.Very little meaningful regulation after joining the authority will always provide variations to accomodate.
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Australia
Posts: 2,242
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
All understood but, it has to have a base somewhere, it is hardly a long haul aircraft and I think, for example, that if it were to ply for trade in Australia, CASA would take great interest. Being on a foreign register and visiting is one thing but I would have thought a Belfast needed some kind of base?
Just my thoughts
Just my thoughts
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: 100 Group Country
Posts: 187
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Blue Eagle
I have just delved into my Aircraft of The Royal Air Force Since 1918 (1976 edition). It states that ;
"Its capacious cargo hold offers 10,000 cubic feet of space, and typical loads can consist of a Cheiftan tank, three Saladin armoured cars, ten Land Rovers and trailers, three Whirlwind or two Wessex helicopters, two Polaris misssiles or three Bloodhound missiles with launching equipment."
I think there should be a couple more or's in there somewhere, however it goes on to say that the early Belfast's suffered a performance deficiency. Which I guess was pretty much like the later one's really.
Vick.
I have just delved into my Aircraft of The Royal Air Force Since 1918 (1976 edition). It states that ;
"Its capacious cargo hold offers 10,000 cubic feet of space, and typical loads can consist of a Cheiftan tank, three Saladin armoured cars, ten Land Rovers and trailers, three Whirlwind or two Wessex helicopters, two Polaris misssiles or three Bloodhound missiles with launching equipment."
I think there should be a couple more or's in there somewhere, however it goes on to say that the early Belfast's suffered a performance deficiency. Which I guess was pretty much like the later one's really.
Vick.
The Reverend
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: Sydney,NSW,Australia
Posts: 2,020
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Could be OK on a MEL-AKL sector, it can lift 36,500 kgs, cruise at 243 knots and they probably got it for a song including the christmas tree for spares.
Rumoured selling price was a paltry £50,000. By the way, the cruising speed was 275 knots TAS. You could just about get a payload of 78,000 lbs in the old girl but you would not be able to take that much very far!
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Midlands
Age: 71
Posts: 605
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Cosford Belfast
THere is of course a Belfast on public display at the Cosford Museum.
Looking a bit tired the last time I saw it - I believe it suffered a bit of damage in the gales a few years back.
HP
Looking a bit tired the last time I saw it - I believe it suffered a bit of damage in the gales a few years back.
HP
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Hither and Thither
Posts: 575
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hardly long-haul? As long haul as anything was in the sixties, I would have thought; I'm sure some Belfast crews could qoute chapter and verse on the longest Belfast flights?
Death Cruiser Flight Crew
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Vaucluse, France.
Posts: 613
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The Shorts Belfast, just like the Armstrong Whitworth Argosy before it, was an overweight, underperforming, disappointing pile of JUNK and helped to spell the death knell of the British Aircraft Industry. Thank GOD someone had the nouse to acquire the wonderful C130 Hercules, otherwise we'd have been in deep doo-doo, many, many times. (And that's all I have to say about THAT.)
G-ALHI:
The big problem with the C-130 is that there are an awful lot of things that won't fit in it. For example, a C-130 centre section will not fit in a C-130 when it comes time to replace it when the original item is falling to bits.
The whole thing about the Belfast was the 12 ft square and 90 ft long freight bay. Try getting a Sea King helicopter in a C-130 or, even better, 2 Pumas. In fact, the C-130 cannot even carry something simple like a CF-6 powerplant without a major teardown.
Frankly, you are comparing apples and pears.
I notice that you use an Argonaut callsign. I suppose you would describe that as a Canadian-built American aeroplane ruined by British engines?
The big problem with the C-130 is that there are an awful lot of things that won't fit in it. For example, a C-130 centre section will not fit in a C-130 when it comes time to replace it when the original item is falling to bits.
The whole thing about the Belfast was the 12 ft square and 90 ft long freight bay. Try getting a Sea King helicopter in a C-130 or, even better, 2 Pumas. In fact, the C-130 cannot even carry something simple like a CF-6 powerplant without a major teardown.
Frankly, you are comparing apples and pears.
I notice that you use an Argonaut callsign. I suppose you would describe that as a Canadian-built American aeroplane ruined by British engines?
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: Belfast, N. Ireland
Posts: 55
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Any idea when the venerable Belfast will be heading south ? My father now 83 worked on the airframe of this aircraft and I would love to let him see it at PIK before it disappears.
George.....whatever all that typing is - the C130 is not a patch on the Belfast just look at the postings here about its capacity and the Belfast did not spell the death of the UK aircraft manufacturing business. Shorts factory at Belfast (albeit called Bombardier these days) still produces many parts for many aircraft. Some klutz in Whitehall ensured that when the factory was sold it would not be used to produce completed aircraft - result : one major aircraft manufacturing facility reduced to a parts factory !
I know that Shorts had a lot of critics but there are still a lot of Skyvans, SD330 and SD360s whizzing around the place !
George.....whatever all that typing is - the C130 is not a patch on the Belfast just look at the postings here about its capacity and the Belfast did not spell the death of the UK aircraft manufacturing business. Shorts factory at Belfast (albeit called Bombardier these days) still produces many parts for many aircraft. Some klutz in Whitehall ensured that when the factory was sold it would not be used to produce completed aircraft - result : one major aircraft manufacturing facility reduced to a parts factory !
I know that Shorts had a lot of critics but there are still a lot of Skyvans, SD330 and SD360s whizzing around the place !
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Ayrshire, Scotland
Posts: 474
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Bill. The aircraft was still sitting outside last night. There appears to have been inspection activity but that is all. Assuming it is going into the Polar hangar you could expect it to be in PIK for the rest of the week.
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: Arizona USA
Posts: 8,571
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Had a look at a Belfast at KLAX in the very early seventies, parked right next to a C130. Seemed as tho the Lockheed aeroplane could have had its wings and tail removed and then all stowed into the big Shorts machine...with room to spare.
And with BIG RR engines, who could ask for more?
OK, I like RR engines, twenty five years+ on RR powered aeroplanes, and not one failure.
GOOD ENGINES.....period!
And with BIG RR engines, who could ask for more?
OK, I like RR engines, twenty five years+ on RR powered aeroplanes, and not one failure.
GOOD ENGINES.....period!
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Scotland
Posts: 44
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
G-HLFT still at EGPK
Well I had a gander at her yesterday and wish I had took the camera down now. Must remember to put that in my bag everytime I go down!
She was sitting over on the southside next to the flying club - so she is being sold?
They were cleaning it yesterday (prior to paint?)
been flying over my house (just off the centreline for 31 - 8 miles from touchdown) beatutiful site.
those RR Tynes make a beatiful noise!
I see from the G-INFO site she has a lot of hours and first built in 1964!
amazing a/c - shame she is going abroad
regards
Simon
EGPK PPRUNER
She was sitting over on the southside next to the flying club - so she is being sold?
They were cleaning it yesterday (prior to paint?)
been flying over my house (just off the centreline for 31 - 8 miles from touchdown) beatutiful site.
those RR Tynes make a beatiful noise!
I see from the G-INFO site she has a lot of hours and first built in 1964!
amazing a/c - shame she is going abroad
regards
Simon
EGPK PPRUNER
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Lots of different places!
Posts: 64
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I can pretty much confirm that it's off to Aussie land!
How do I know that you may ask?
Because I know an Engineer who's been offered a job out there to give it some TLC!
Good luck, and long may the Old Bird Fly!
C.N.
How do I know that you may ask?
Because I know an Engineer who's been offered a job out there to give it some TLC!
Good luck, and long may the Old Bird Fly!
C.N.