Look at the height of that fence!

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c2...psul73tp9o.jpg

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c2...psmom8aocw.jpg

Ahhh - the beloved spectators area - spent many a happy hour parked up against that fence in my Mk.1 Cortina :)

And what a fine array of British manufactured cars - Morris 1000, Ford Capri, Hilman Imp, Vauxhall Viva, possibly a Triumph 2000.

DC7 isn't bad either!!!

I do believe that the second one is a DC-4.

I do believe that the second one is a DC-4.
 

It is indeed - first picture is EI-AWG Douglas DC-7C and the second is EI-ARS
Douglas C-54E (DC-4) - pure nostalgia!

And a quick google finds EI-AWG DC-7CF was wrote off at LTN in 1974 after over running the runway after the crew could not select reverse! Interesting read.

The C54, which was named City of Galway, was much used for carriage of racehorses. Was a regular at Leeds from 75 onwards, its visits coinciding with racing at Doncaster, Wetherby and particularly the Ebor meet at York.

Last saw it there in Autumn of either 76 or 77 when it had veered off onto the grass after landing on 33. Believe it was flown out to LUT with gear down and repaired but I've no record of it visiting in later years.

Believe it ended up as a 'gate guardian' to former USAF base in Germany wearing a Berlin airlift era 'uniform'.

Those photos reek of nostalgia. :ok:Was the cafe/snack bar to the right of the photo ?


SHJ

Triumph 'Toledo' - not one of their beat sellers, and certainly not in Luton given the role of Vauxhall in the town.

I think it's the earlier Triumph 1300 as suggested by Jenkins. Some clues in the position of the Triumph badge on the right of the rear panel, and the rear bumper overriders. Not mentioned so far is what I think is a Mk1 Ford Escort.

Oh, and the aircraft photos are brilliant! ;)

Is that soot or leaking oil on that DC7 engine?

I think it's a 1300 too. The registration isn't all that legible but the suffix looks like E which would be Jan to July 1967. The F registration began on 01 Aug 1967 marking a change to UK's registration year which thereafter ran Aug to July.

The 1300 was introduced in 1966 and succeeded by the similar Toledo in 1970. It had a revised nose/headlights but was superficially similar to the 1300 at rear. In a major step back the Toledo reverted to rear wheel drive as per the Herald - the 1300 was FWD.

Knowing Wright Turbo-Compounds, probably both. I believe each engine had a 56-gallon lubricating oil tank, and after a long-haul flight that was mostly gone. There were lubricating oil bowsers !

Which is why they were called petrol-cooled oil-burners.

If that Morris Minor reversed out of the space and kept going I would say it would have come close to touching the corner of the spectators building.

Yes, landed on rwy 08 and the crew selected reverse and opened the throttles . . . . only for the aeroplane to start accelerating. Allegedly, as it went off the end, one of the crew was heard to say "Which end is Vauxhalllllllllls!?" No horses on board fortunately but grooms plus someone who had hitched a ride were up the back playing cards. They all legged it but then the 'passenger' returned to pick up his winnings.

No injuries, fortunately, unlike the Jet Star, but it was after both the CAA insisted on Runway End Safety Areas being installed.

Two things I had heard about the DC-7 incident - firstly the Captain had pushed his seat back and when trying to reach the brake pedals when the aircraft started to accelerate he was too far back to do anything and secondly an Aer Turas crew member hitching a ride broke an arm while standing up in the back of the cockpit when landing! How true I don´t know but it was 41 years ago but still remember it was a very windy March Saturday night. Wasn´t the aircraft delivering the Irish Sunday papers which Aer Turas had a contract?

DC7 crash report Air Accidents Investigation: 12/1975 E1-AWG

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c2...pscpraxawl.jpg
Origin of photo unknown

It was an empty leg of a horse flight, there were grooms on board. It might well have been carrying newspapers. Fortunately it was my night off!

The accident report says it was loaded with news papers and equipment for the horse trip back. Interesting report like you said the throttles were cycled back to positive thrust twice to try to engage reverse. The aircraft left the top of the slope airborne it was still going that fast!
Takes me back during my training in the early 80's I used to have access to all of the UK AIB accident reports, must have missed this one!:)

The appendix which is also in that link shows that the aircraft was doing close to 60 knots when it sailed off the end of the runway. The aircraft started bursting tyres 753m from the end of the runway with the last one bursting 500m from the end.

Interesting photo LTMman ! So glad to see it didn't take out that approach lighting column ! assembled and installed with my help many years ago, can I assume that is a centre line light ?? as the aircraft came to rest 90Mtrs (270ft) from the paved end of the runway and I think the 1000ft marker bar is the other side of the lane running through the approach ???? memory is not what it used to be !!


Keith.

Year anyone?

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c2...psfrk2s1wc.jpg
Origin of photo unknown

1972? certainly no later than 1974 as both Donaldson and Court Line went bust that year.

Can't quite make out the name on the nose, it looks a bit like "Nike II" which would make it G-AZWA - delivered to Donaldson from Luton 22/06/1971 - so could be from that date until their demise in 1974, as Monarch (AEL) carried out their maintenance at Luton.

Amazing to notice how narrow the engine nacelles are! What particular type is this?

Boeing 707-320 series. The engines are Pratt & Whitney JT4A turbojets. The version was quickly superceded by the 320B which had first generation turbofans - P&W JT3D. Some 320 series aircraft were re-engined with the later type but others found there way to second-hand market and carriers such as Donaldson.

Interesting and diverse thread. There are not many single threads here that cover aircraft from Mew Gulls to Boeing 747's :ok:

As I understand it, none of the 707-320 aircraft were converted to fan engines, as that was not technically possible, I seem to recall airframe as well as engine considerations. The slightly smaller 707-120, and the smaller again 720 did have conversions made available by Boeing, which a number of operators took - American Airlines had a large fleet of both these early models, and converted the lot. Those of the Monarch fleet at Luton that came from American included these.

I would go for 1971 personally. There was a Donaldson 707 on the pond when I arrived back from Valencia in a Monarch Brit in April 1971. What a nice line-up of three Court Line Minis and a Monarch crew bus!!

Looks like there are 3 flag poles in front of the 707. Can't see why the airport would want to put flag poles there in that isolated position.

You are quite right, only the 120 series and Boeing 720 short range machines were re-engined.

Memory playing tricks on me.

How tatty those apron vans look- any airline would be terrified of reputational damage with anything like that today.

So G-INFO has the aircraft registered as 1972, de-registered 1974. I'll have to go for 1972 though there is nothing to say it wasn't '73. In for maintenance or painting with AEL?

Splitting hairs but of course Monarch's first 720Bs (051Bs)were ex Northwest. They then operated an leased Maersk example of similar origin (G-BHGE). They eventually inherited the two ex American 023Bs (BCBA/B) operated by Invicta and Somali respectively.

They did operate two ex American 707 (123Bs) G-BFMI and G-BGCT.

Enjoying this thread- when will we exhaust our memories?

Maybe it's an urban myth, but I've always been led to believe that (some of?) MON's 720s were actually older than their Britannias...

Remember well travelling from Luton to St Lucia on B720B. Outbound via Gander and return via Santa Maria in the Azores.
Was a great time for the crew as they enjoyed a weeks stay over in St Lucia.

The 720s also occasionally come back from St Lucia direct, usually ending up coming off BNN screaming for a straight in on 08 because they were short of fuel!

Monarch used the B720s on a contract in the 1970s I think with Cable & Wireless to fly three to four times a year from Luton to Ascension Island in the South Atlantic carrying said staff from and to Ascension. The aircraft if I remember flew via Santa Maria in the Azores for fuel and probably a flight deck crew change.

anyone remember the big tents when Court introduced Tristar's..............

never realised it was the future of aviation - the tents that is

They are in better condition than the airside bus.

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c2...ps1kgb1xf1.jpg

Donaldson (ElAl) 707's
 

I believe Donaldson went in 72/73 as a policeman for the BAA Constabulary we travelled from LHR - STN daily for a few weeks as two 707's had been put into ElAl livery when the company folded, it was considered at the time as both a/c were at risk from an attack. One was located aside of the disused STN cross runway - with the nose wheel removed. In those days the authority's were worried about the a/c being stolen and flown off. (some may recall that in 78 an ElAl crew were attacked in Central London, with a number of fatalities)