Scottish Aviation Twin Pioneer
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Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Scotland
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GreenMeat, HissingSid
You talk about picking up injured guys from rigs in Kuwait using the Twin Pin. I have this vision of a Twin Pin landing on a helipad attached to something like a North Sea Oil Rig. I know the Twin Pin is good but is that right or were they onshore rigs with short strips nearby?
Thanks
g45
You talk about picking up injured guys from rigs in Kuwait using the Twin Pin. I have this vision of a Twin Pin landing on a helipad attached to something like a North Sea Oil Rig. I know the Twin Pin is good but is that right or were they onshore rigs with short strips nearby?
Thanks
g45
Join Date: Jul 2004
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HissingSid
The guy I know was one of the team waiting back at the hospital. The stories go that he would hitch a ride from time to time for various purposes, but I'll see how much detail I can get out of him this weekend!
Cheers
GM
The guy I know was one of the team waiting back at the hospital. The stories go that he would hitch a ride from time to time for various purposes, but I'll see how much detail I can get out of him this weekend!
Cheers
GM
>It had an identical cockpit and systems to the Sea Prince, which we'd both flown, except that starting was by means of a kind of lavatory chain that hung down from the cockpit roof.<
Schiller old salt.
With due respect your memory must be failing. The Twin Pin cockpit was nothing like the Sea Prince. I was on 152 Sqn in 1959/61 flying Pembrokes (Sea Princes) and Twin Pioneers in the Gulf and Oman. The two types were like chalk and cheese, especially in the cockpit department. I enjoyed the Tin Pin immensely, but it was not too reliable in the sandy conditions. The cartridge starter, (operated by the lavatory chain) which had been specified by the MOS as the RAF aircraft would be operating without ground support was a real pain in the neck. Many times I had to get senior army officers to pull start an engine utilising a triangular folded sack hooked over a prop tip and tied to the end of a rope. The Pembroke's electric starters, powered from the batteries, never us gave any trouble. In high ambient temperatures the cruising speed of the TP was 90 kts if you were lucky, even slower with the engine cooling gills fully open. We operated them for months with the flaps and slats locked up after chain failures caused by sand in the works. I could go on for ever about the quirks and foibles of the beast, but my overriding memory of the Twin Pioneer is one of great affection.
This link with photos taken at that time should work.
http://www.airliners.net/open.file?i...=182975&size=L
Schiller old salt.
With due respect your memory must be failing. The Twin Pin cockpit was nothing like the Sea Prince. I was on 152 Sqn in 1959/61 flying Pembrokes (Sea Princes) and Twin Pioneers in the Gulf and Oman. The two types were like chalk and cheese, especially in the cockpit department. I enjoyed the Tin Pin immensely, but it was not too reliable in the sandy conditions. The cartridge starter, (operated by the lavatory chain) which had been specified by the MOS as the RAF aircraft would be operating without ground support was a real pain in the neck. Many times I had to get senior army officers to pull start an engine utilising a triangular folded sack hooked over a prop tip and tied to the end of a rope. The Pembroke's electric starters, powered from the batteries, never us gave any trouble. In high ambient temperatures the cruising speed of the TP was 90 kts if you were lucky, even slower with the engine cooling gills fully open. We operated them for months with the flaps and slats locked up after chain failures caused by sand in the works. I could go on for ever about the quirks and foibles of the beast, but my overriding memory of the Twin Pioneer is one of great affection.
This link with photos taken at that time should work.
http://www.airliners.net/open.file?i...=182975&size=L
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Twin Pioneer
G.M.&g45
Well not even that remarkable machine could do offshore rigs!
What actually happened was that a strip would be bulldozed adjacent to where the rig was going to be positioned,this was then sprayed with crude oil, locally known as ZIFT. You can use your imagination of the translation to English.
If my memory is correct the road building schemes meant that by 1968/9 there was no further need for the T.P. and they were then sold to a former Dan-Air pilot and wound up in S.West U.K. running sea food to France. However in between, there is another fascinating story. You may be able to trace it in the Prison records of the Kuwait government! My lips are sealed.
Rgds. Sid.
Well not even that remarkable machine could do offshore rigs!
What actually happened was that a strip would be bulldozed adjacent to where the rig was going to be positioned,this was then sprayed with crude oil, locally known as ZIFT. You can use your imagination of the translation to English.
If my memory is correct the road building schemes meant that by 1968/9 there was no further need for the T.P. and they were then sold to a former Dan-Air pilot and wound up in S.West U.K. running sea food to France. However in between, there is another fascinating story. You may be able to trace it in the Prison records of the Kuwait government! My lips are sealed.
Rgds. Sid.
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From Janes 57-58.
THE TWIN PIONEER.
The Twin Pioneer is a 16-passenger light transport, which uses standard Pioneer wings attached outboard of a new wing centre-sec tion. The Prototype first flew on June 25, 1955 and the first production Twin Pioneer flew on April 28, 1956. An unspecified number of Twin Pioneers have been ordered for the Royal Air Force. Other firm orders include one for Rio- Tinto Corp. for aerial surveys; three for de Kroonduif, the Dutch New Guinea associate of KLM. one for the Zinc Corp of Australia, two for Kuwait Oil, three for the Royal Iran Flying Club one for the Austrian Government, and two jointly for the governments of Sarawak, North Borneo and Brunei. In addition, Philippine Air Lines have ordered five Twin Pioneers powered by Pratt & Whitney R-1346 Wasp engines, the change in power plant requiring little modification to the aircraft.
PERFORMANCE (civil)
Max speed at 1,450 ft 165 m.p.h.
Max continuous cruising speed at 3,400 ft 163 m.p.h.
Stalling speed 60 mph.
Service ceiling 18,800 ft.
Take-off distance to 50 ft. 1,017 ft.
Landing distance from 50 ft 1,170 ft.
Range at cruising speed of 119 mph, at 5,000 ft. 916 miles.
THE TWIN PIONEER.
The Twin Pioneer is a 16-passenger light transport, which uses standard Pioneer wings attached outboard of a new wing centre-sec tion. The Prototype first flew on June 25, 1955 and the first production Twin Pioneer flew on April 28, 1956. An unspecified number of Twin Pioneers have been ordered for the Royal Air Force. Other firm orders include one for Rio- Tinto Corp. for aerial surveys; three for de Kroonduif, the Dutch New Guinea associate of KLM. one for the Zinc Corp of Australia, two for Kuwait Oil, three for the Royal Iran Flying Club one for the Austrian Government, and two jointly for the governments of Sarawak, North Borneo and Brunei. In addition, Philippine Air Lines have ordered five Twin Pioneers powered by Pratt & Whitney R-1346 Wasp engines, the change in power plant requiring little modification to the aircraft.
PERFORMANCE (civil)
Max speed at 1,450 ft 165 m.p.h.
Max continuous cruising speed at 3,400 ft 163 m.p.h.
Stalling speed 60 mph.
Service ceiling 18,800 ft.
Take-off distance to 50 ft. 1,017 ft.
Landing distance from 50 ft 1,170 ft.
Range at cruising speed of 119 mph, at 5,000 ft. 916 miles.
forget
That quoted cruising speed is extremely optimistic! Another useless fact:- Fuel Capacity 365 imperial gallons, a very easy number to remember for the annual check.
That quoted cruising speed is extremely optimistic! Another useless fact:- Fuel Capacity 365 imperial gallons, a very easy number to remember for the annual check.
More useless information: Out of the 87 Twin Pioneers built, 35 crashed or were damaged beyond repair. On the 8th April 1959, 78 Sqn lost two TP's in Aden after double engine failures caused by mishandling the fuel system.
PS. I have a list of all the serial numbers if anyone needs info.
PS. I have a list of all the serial numbers if anyone needs info.
Last edited by brakedwell; 5th Mar 2005 at 06:43.
