IFT, the Brit had flying control locks. Possibly the 'locks and stops' statement was to ensure that once removed, the flying controls were 'full and free' and that the flying control stops were sensed during the range of movement check. I can remember using a handpump located behind the Captain's seat to pump the locks in. It was a long time ago and eight or nine aircraft type licences ago. If I am wrong I stand to be corrected.

The Stops and Props check was carried out by the Flight Engineer before take off to ensure the prop pitch was working normally and the reverse stops were in position to stop uncommanded reverse. It was not possible to check the controls properly as they were not powered and were moved by small control tabs that did not become effective until about 80 knots. Hence both ailerons and both elevators were drooped during the initial part of the take off run.

The aileron tabs can be seen in this photo.

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c3...mes/Hickam.jpg

Thanks Brakedwell, makes sense to me.

Royal Singapore Flying Club Chipmunk overshoot:
I was interested in the 'thread offshoot' above posted by 'prospector' and '828a' and finding out that the Flying Club Chipmunk VR-SDW had another use apart from PPL training.
As a teenager in Singapore in the early 60's, I often saw VR-SDW whilst prowling around Paya Lebar to photograph the visiting aircraft.
Alas she ended up like this:
http://www.davidtaylorsound.co.uk/sh...962-SS057A.jpg

I think the picture tells the story to any pilot. VR-SDW Paya Lebar early or mid 1963.

David Taylor.

Baptism by Brit
 

I first encountered the Brit while flying models at Juhu airfield, just an errant model's flip from Santa Cruz, Bombay's airport. Saw the thing on approach (to Santa Cruz, not Juhu, though several airlines had attempted this!) and marvelled at it.
Transpired it was operated by an airline called Air Faisal flown by some moonlighting or ex-RAF crews, whom I later met. They took me to DXB and KWI on a few freighting flights (15 or 16 wearing a uniform and looked a right berk!) and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I also accompanied their maintenance engineers to the airport several times (thanks, Bob and Bob).
I was later employed at Luton as a trainee engineer - or gopher! - by Jet Age Aero Services in '77 (Air Faisal's AMO). My personal experiences were less than happy there and I moved on to Airline Engineering as an apprentice the same week Air Faisal went bust.
'496 and '660 stick in the head for some reason.

This might jog your memory Bus429

XM496 was one of a batch ordered by the Royal Air Force Transport Command. Delivered in 1960, she was given the name Regulus, and saw service with 99 and 511 Squadrons. In 1975 she was withdrawn from use, and sold on the civil market. Registered as G-BDUP in March 1976 she served with Afrek Cargo, based at Athens airport. In 1984 she went to Cuban airline Aerocaribbean as CU-T120. After that she saw service in Southern Africa with Transair Cargo firstly as 9Q-CJH then as EL-WXA, becoming the last airworthy Britannia in the world.

Brakedwell, that's the one. I think XL 496 was the other one?
Couldn't get away from the Brit at Airline Engineering, either; they maintained Redcoat, Afrek and the occasional Cubana Brits.

There wasn't an XL496. XL 660 was with Air Faisal as GBEMZ in 1977-79

G-BDLZ which was XM490 (should have Googled earlier!)

828a Name Brian Woodford ring a bell?

Those men in the white overalls at Paya Lebar were Qantas ground engineers.
I was one of them until 1966 when I joined Cathay Pacific as a flight engineer in Hong Kong. I had three consequtive postings to Singapore which were the happiest six years of my life, not to be forgotten. Qantas engineering had a virtual monopoly on the handling and maintenace of most movements of Brittanias, Super Constellations, Lockheed Electras, Convair 880s, B707s, Comets, VC10s and all ods and sods of charter flights, delivery flights, etc.

Britannia at Biggin Hill c1978
 

Hi all,
I've just registered, and have been fascinated reading the posts on this forum, particularly about the Britannia.
In the late 70s, I lived in London, and was a frequent visitor to Biggin Hill, firstly to attend the airshows, and secondly to imbibe the vibe.
On one occasion I took a French girl on a date, a trip to the country. Somehow we ended up near Biggin Hill, and being a true romantic, I decided to show her over a Britannia I had previously discovered sitting forlornly at the side of the airfield. There was a set of old stairs of some description up to the wing, possibly a repair platform, and missing windows, so we climbed in, went up to the cockpit and sat in the pilots' seats.
On a later visit I noticed that the Britannia had been removed, and I often wondered what had become of it.
Re the venue for the date, in the early 80s I had a picnic with my girlfriend on the wing of Norman Gunston's DC3 at Bankstown, (also slightly down at heel as some nutcase had damaged it and another DC3 parked nearby in a kamakaze attack after a fight with his girlfriend).
We have just celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary, so sometimes these unusual settings can work wonders..........

Holding the prop
 

There was an unfortunate accident at LGW on one of IAS's Brits when the prop holder, sensing that the engine had started and the prop was not showing signs of moving, put his shoulder to it and shoved. The blade at the 3 o'clock position rapidly descended to the six o'clock position and promptly floored the poor unfortunate underneath the now burning and turning engine. Fotunately he was not killed but took a while to recover.

Cause was the rear turbine blades being stuck on the rear casing and by moving the prop freed the pent up energy thus accelerating the prop.


Sure, the Brit was slow, had a 'delicate' engine and the electrics could be a nightmare, but it was said that if you could master the electrics on it, no other a/c would be a challenge. Probably why the modern jet offers no challenges and leckies give up being aircraft engineers.

i think you will find your Biggin Brit here
Bristol 175 Britannia 312, EC-BFJ, Air Spain

Can I ask a different Britannia question to those who may have been there at the time.

Why was a second assembly line for the aircraft set up, subcontracted to Shorts in Belfast ? The overall numbers built (85) were small and perfectly capable of all being produced at Filton. So why go to all the expense of setting up a second production line elsewhere, which in the end built just 15 of the total production ?

If I remember rightly Bristol took a small percentage shareholding in Shorts in the 1950s and there was some political horsetrading regarding the RAF order and employment in NI.

35 Brits should have been built at Belfast but only 15 emerged after a reduction of work back at Filton, 5 part built aircraft were shipped to Filton for completion.

Brits at Biggin Hill
 

A number of Air Sapin's Brits came to rest at Biggin Hill in order to supply engine, props and spares for IAS's own fleet of 312's.

Many hours, both day and nights were spent getting engines off, removing the tasty bit, including the galley equipment ( I still have a stainless steel coffee pot) and the landing gear without the aid of a full set of jacks, and so on. We did a mental risk assessment,honest.

Was on site for the first delivery when the operating crew on leaving the a/c, fully dressed all the props north to south and then kissed them!! Shows that someone loved them inspite of the a/c's technical reputation

I remember working in the forward cargo bay on a Brit when an inverter - that I'd just replaced - blew up (well, a capacitor in its control box went bang). Did loads of heavy duty electrical work: reg packs on the TRUs (they were in different locations on the military and civilian versions), generator connections on the fire-wall (thick, thin and spring was the washer combination), replacing the batteries (millions of 'em), Phoenix lights; the list goes on. One memorable ghoster spent replacing a torque indicator for one of the engines - one long length of capillary from engine to instrument panel (God help you if you mis-routed it!).:uhoh:

I remember that long torque indicator capillary - we were threatened with death during an engine change if anything happened to it - had to be carefully stowed during removal and installation of engine - fortunately, never had to change one. Always wondered why they didn't have a torque transmitter on engine instead of that setup.

Had a peculiar one too on an Aeronaves de Mexico 302 where ammeter was fluctuating back and forth (high amp readings too) even with power off - even with the 28V and 112V battery sets disconnected. Finally found the lav was leaking fluid down on the ammeter shunt located behind stbd wall of fwd bag pit. Ammeter was reading current generated by corrosion of the shunt and connections.

WHBM: from 1943-1989 we, fond taxpayers, owned Short's. Comet 2 and Swift were to have been second-sourced there; those prospects lapsed in 1954, when Britannia sales/licences were widely discussed, inc. Convair/TWA and Qantas. Filton capacity would be inadequate. Bristol was required to licence Short's, so took a 15.25% "protective" stake in July,1954. In November,1955 V.1000 was chopped and Britannia C.1 bought for RAF; (I have) 18 built at Sydenham, and structure for 5 more shipped to Filton. 12 civil models were also assembled at Sydenham. So, later, were 13 VC.10 C.1 fuselages.