Yes, before I moved to the smoke I would frequently lie in bed (albeit only about 3 miles from Turnhouse) listening to the late-night Vanguard taxying out for departure.

I don't think Vanguards were still being used when 13/31 was redesignated 12/30 (can't recall exactly when that happened). I jumpseated once on a Trident 3 landing on 13, which was an interesting experience (reverse thrust well before touchdown).

Ironically, my first flight ever, from Edinburgh on a Vanguard, was as a 9-year-old when I was living in Glasgow and the flight had been diverted to EDI due to crosswinds at Renfrew.

It's over 30 years since I last flew a turbo-prop, but as I recall, doing that is a guaranteed way to overheat the engine, badly. I believe the Tyne, like the Dart, isn't a free -turbine.

Yes, neither RR engine was a free-turbine. I had a short spell on Tyne overhauls, but don't recall ever seeing a Dart other than in situ.

I wasn't handling the controls, just an interested observer on the flight deck, so I don't recall the exact settings, which were the responsibility of the shift's wizened Vanguard run-up specialist. :O

But the aircraft was certainly straining at the leash and bucking around in a way that I'd never experienced in my years of LHR/EDI commuting on ID90s. And, though I wasn't aware of the Comet incident at the time, both aircraft would have been in pretty much the same place, pointing straight at the hangars.

As I said, 30 years since, but my recollection from F-27 days was that, on landing, the throttles were lifted, removing the Flight Fine Stop, and allowing the props to go to Ground Fine. One airline, and one airfield (no names, no pack-drill) rejected a take-off at low speed, and the captain merely drought the throttles back. The Flight Fine had engaged, and very soon the TGT began to rise, doing the engine a severe mischief. I would suspect the same on the Tyne. Of course, after this length of time, and an ageing brain, I could be spouting a load of old rubbish. :}

My first ever airline flight was in a Vickers Vibrator of BEA to Gibraltar in the mid-'60s, which of course included a flight deck visit.

Around 30 years later, the 'Whispering Wareshouse' Merchantman variants were often seen at RAF Brize Norton, causing the more elderly folk around the station to go all misty-eyed at the sound of 4 x Tyne, so reminiscent of the Belslows of 53 sqn!

First time I've ever come across Vanguard/Merchantman and "Whispering" in the same sentence. :O

The nose of a 154 would rise about 12-18 inches from full to empty. Made getting the height of the steps at the front 'interesting'!

It would have been impossible to run the Tynes with props feathered. The feathering signal was sent from the HP cock, which simultaneously cut off the fuel supply. The props also auto-feathered when the torque meters sensed negative torque when the throttles were in the forward thrust range (as during engine failure).

The Vanguard crosswind limit was greater than the Trident 3's. On more than one occasion a Vanguard would be wheeled out to sub for a T3 when a southwesterly was howling across R13/31 at EDI.

The Vanguard is started in a ground idle mode and a small lever at the front of the pedestal moves the engine to the flight idle setting which is a significantly higher rpm. The noise levers are then adjusted to suit the amount of deafening you want to inflict on the bystanders.

I too have been an interested observer during a Vanguard run up, but we didn't get anywhere above flight idle. The bucking and such may be because of significantly higher power settings, a somewhat uneven loading on the airframe from running up one or more engines on one side, or a combination of wind gusting and interference from something like a hangar behind and other buildings in the vicinity. Don't discount the effect of propwash impinging on a building side or hangar doors and the turbulence you set up that way.

Never ever saw the aircraft in the flesh but thought it the best looking airline turbo prop to grace the skies. What was it like to fly/operate?

In terms of looks, I would say the Britannia and CL44 both outdid the "Guardsvan"; but of course beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

The Bristol Britannia would have my vote too

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....ec97fb8781.jpg

As has been said each to their own, don't like the nose/cockpit on the Brit, find the Vans nose and dihereral tailplane and angular fin attractive.


https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....878c556835.png

Lovely big windows, too. :O

I always thought the Vanguard was a nice looking aircraft and loved the sound of the Tynes. Sadly it has been so long since I heard Proteuses that I can't recall them.

The Whispering Giant! That is why couldn't hear them, Go into this video at 1min 20

Currently on an HST between Plymouth and St Austell - wondering whether to entertain my fellow pax with the sound of a Britannia at full chat! :)

Used to be at school between Woodley and Reading, often saw transports out of Luton and perhaps East Midlands including AFREK and Redcoat Britannias, guess that would be the last time I saw one airborne, perhaps 40 years ago. Though... went across the Channel on Hoverspeed a coue of decades ago, weren't the big SRNs Proteus powered?

Yes, a Canadian relative said that Hovercraft was the closest thing they had experienced in a generation since a Trans-Canada Lockheed Constellation all the way from London to Vancouver, probably 20 hours overall (compared to 30 minutes in the Hovercraft), which had blasted their eardrums for several days afterwards. The Hovercraft was indeed Proteus powered, with Dowty props, just like the Brit.

But "Whispering Giant" the Hovercraft was certainly NOT.

Regarding the last one I saw airborne, I walked out on Dun Laoghaire pier in Ireland one evening in 1977, and an Aer Turas one glided most silently and elegantly past on long finals for 34 at Dublin. Since then I have to be content with the restored Monarch one on the Duxford ramp, right up to today, which comes briefly into view whenever I'm driving north on the M11 motorway.

Shame about the jet chase aircraft (visible at 1min) going overhead at the same time.