"I am sure these things do not take that long".

Since you obviously know where to find Belfast propeller assemblies quickly, send me a PM and I will happily pass the information on.

A bit of a long shot, but would any of the props from the Cosford Belfast XR371 be able to be overhauled to airworthy standard or are they time expired / beyond economic repair?

Porrohman

I have a feeling most of the airworthy or potentially so parts were swapped around at the time of the Ascencion airlift.
I'm sure more learned contibutors will correct me P.D.Q. if i'm in error on this.:uhoh:
Be lucky
David

Guppy Latest....
 

Seems to be a general winding-up of activity around the CL44-0 at Bournemouth and an 'Insider' has ascertained that more activity will take place this coming Friday.

loadie one kono bee
 

Swing tails of the Scupperd Gupper

My bags are packed, I'm on my way if it wasan't for the bloody CAA!! so back to my galley, that I call home, making my favorite tea for the Captain and me.

Then into the cockpit to sit on my own throne, but how the crew love to hear me moan and grown as I wipe my arse on my un used load sheets.

Then hopping into the upper bunk to suck on my home made sweets before supper, as I write more tails aboard the Scuppered Gupper.

So come a board the Scupped Gupper, while I make you a lovely cupper and tell you tails of long gone by missions, and of my many wrong decisions , but never mind, I say, because I can handle it, as they try to stab me in my back, right through my brand new anarak !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now there's a tail of the missing props, who did I sell them to, please please own up otherwise we are grounded and will be selling the rest of her in the shops!!!!!


More tails to follow of loadie one kono beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!

HDD....

And your point is ?

Guess you're not a friend of the loadie, but you don't have to advertise it as much...

CL44-0
 

May it rest in bits, I came to hate that thing after being forced to D/H back to the UK, by far the worst trip ever. Dirty, unpressurised, crew getting dirty money to fly it etc, etc. Sure Conroy did a great job on it, but that was then, send it back to the US and to ALG in Overland Park KS.

Unpressurised:confused:Dirty money:=
It got you home did'nt it?
You wer'nt one of the BA crew we had on board were you?

Comms
 

Hey Guppy Eng-still in the warm zone then?
Let me have an email when the desert storm subsides, you can get me via the old Division.

Missing -Presumed Unemployed
 

I have been reading the various opinions on the situation regarding the Conroy Guppy which continues to be interned at Bournemouth.
I understand that the REAL situation is far removed from the speculation and that the new operators of the aircraft are now gearing up for departure.
What IS known is that the CL44 Association, whose webpages are freely available, actually name the operating crew. Surely they would not go that far if it were fiction?
As far as a loadmaster is concerned, I read that Heavylift Cargo Airlines employ no-one as loadmaster, preferring to utilise the operating crew to load etc.
If that's good enough for the Belfast, it is surely the same for the Guppy.
Hope to see some old 44-ites in Piccadilly later this year.

Missing - presumed unemployed
 

Exactly how far did the last three crews fly?

GuppyEng.com
 

At your rqst, neg I was not furloughed BA crew, just company personnel.

The Guppy
 

Something of a pregnant silence around the CL44-O these days, reflected in the lack of activity in these columns.
However[, this does not mean that the aircraft has been abandoned, indeed, much IS going on in the background and this WILL result in the aircraft's departure in the near future.
All members of the CL44 Association have been mailed with the up-to-date news and Tom-Toms report engineering activity around the Guppy this very day.

So would the aircraft continue it's planned entry into the HeavyLift fleet, or would she be sent to a museum of sorts? And any news on G-BEPS as of late? Would be great to see her downunder rather soon. :ok:

Hi Discus,

The intention has not changed in that the aircraft is to join the said fleet. No talk of museums please-puts the frighteners on us!
Watch this (air) space

HeavyLift Cargo Short Belfast RP-C8020
 

HeavyLift Cargo Short Belfast RP-C8020, which had been inactive for a period, was noted operating circuits at Cairns on April 9 before departing on April 11 for Darwin as HVY811. The following day the Belfast operated to Dili and return as HVY811/812 before continuing to Brisbane as HVY812 and to Cairns as HVY813 on April 13.
Heavylift Cargo planned to take delivery of 727-227F RP-C8019 at its Cairns base on May 2.
http://www.ausaviation.com.au/Online...ic/traffic.htm

On the topic of Belfasts...

Any news from Southend to report? The local list is rather silent...

Little if any work at all has taken place on the SEN model this year, though it to is rumoured to have been alloted an RS registration. Still awaiting one prop.

Silent Belfast/Quiet Tyne
 

As the weather warms up,the Belfast Crew ( a rare breed but seen in Essex in Spring months) will return to the nest. Hibernation is over, so 'twitchers' should get ready.
As for the equally- rare Guppy breed, the nest is at least finished and the parents will be spotted fussing around the brood. Trouble is that once the chick finds its wings, it leaves the nest for warmer climes without warning.

CL44 will dep. BOH end of May ?
 

A new rumor is on the cl44 site, the Guppy will dep. end of May, heading West (USA) for respray - Full Heavylift cs -
Recalling the maint. items trying to get it out of Smyrna,TN in 2002, I hardly would consider it logical to fly via the US. But we'll see.
Hope she will do some testing first, good luck to the mission, may the phoenix spread her wings....

Departing fish
 

Swingtail-As far as I am aware, the CL44 Association does not issue 'rumours'-it deals in specifics.

Seeing is believing...
I for one will rely on daily reports by sources living locally as well... It's been some time (January?) since the engines were last observed being run up. Unless RRTyne can be more specific...

Hi Strato-
Are you by any chance an ex 44 crew member?

Nope.........

Strato-okay. It is simply that members of the 44 Club DO get some inside info-especially if they ask on a personal level. But if you have a local 'eye' it should be good enough to keep you posted on action around the aircraft
Be lucky

Last Saturday morning the 16th of June the following happened with "Guppy":

"Flaps were deployed, lights switched on, all doors opened, props pushed around, but never started - and an APU connected."

According to another local source this was "the monthly systems check that seems to be a regular occurance..."

No further updates are available at present unless someone one this messageboard knows more...

'Props pushed around' = ADLS check, normal pre-flight item.
APU? GPU surely? I seem to remember that there was a CL44 with an APU fitted in the fwd belly. I wonder what happened to the equipment?
One of the 44's commercial problems was it's ability to fly to places that didn't have GPU & Airstarter. Fat Albert made a big difference.

For all 44 followers:

Many of you will be saddened by the TCP thread started on the " where are they now" and the Fragrant Harbour.

Sad news.

BSD.

Wow. I flew back from Japan on a Flying Tiger CL-44 in '65. Tachikawa to Fairfield, CA via Anchorage. Great ride, thought about the swing tail all the way home. I was young and immortal in those days. The type was gone by the time I went to work for Tiger in '73. Thanks for the picture.

Walked around the corner, and there it was.
Had not seen it close up since we nearly misjudged the wingspan when colleagues were marshalling it into a cramped apron on a dark night.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...es/Guppy-1.jpg

Cl44 Personnel
 

We are making an appeal to ALL former Transmeridan Air Cargo personnel to attend the CL44 re union this coming Friday (29th June)
The occasion will be used to pay tribute to DAVID PRIEST who died earlier this week. Dave was a veteren of TMAC in the 70's and a flight engineer whose knowledge of the Forty Four has never been exceeded.
Should you wish to attend, please do so via this link or via the Association contact email which is [email protected]
Thank you

After several months of inactivity (apart from the monthly systems check that is...) at long last things seem to happen around "Guppy"...

On Monday the flaps were down and the lights had been switched on. People were working inside the aircraft.
This Tuesday ladders had been placed up front and at the back and people were again working inside her.

I hope the reunion next Friday will yield some reliable information on her future...

The locals are now certainly keeping an eye on her!

For the third day in a row activity around Guppy. This Wednesday the engines were given some attention but no-one observed any engine runs if they were actually performed today...
Let's see what tomorrow brings or even next week!

Anyone associated with the CL-44 flew out of Aldergrove about '79ish carting meat to Libya?

CL44 -Current Affairs
 

The Association's 2007 re union brought together 70 members-and despite London's current level of 'awareness', the event was a huge success. Guests of honour included Captain Elgen Long (Flying Tiger Line), Captain Marvin Beier( Wrangler Blue Bell Aviation) Mr G Leach (Heavylift Cargo Airlines), Flight Engineer D.D.MacDonald (412VIPSquadron RCAF) and Captain Roy Day (BOAC).
Nigel Holden (Transglobe / Tradewinds) brought the sad news that 'Jimphy Harry (F/Eng-formerly with The Lancashire Aircraft Co) had passed away whilst Bryan Grace (F/E BOAC) held the audience spellbound with his recollections of the Avro Lincoln that was used by RR as a flying test bed for the Tyne Engine: His recollection of putting his thumb up from the cockpit and shouting "Start Five" must truly be a one-off (The Lincoln had four Merlins plus a Tyne in the nose.)
Elgin Longs recently published book is a MUST for all aviation enthusiasts-don't fail to buy a copy before it is sold out!

Lastly- here are the details of Dave Priest's funeral:-

WED 4TH JULY 14.15 AT St Peters Church Titchfield Hants
NO FLOWERS

The Association will be represented by a dozen or so members.

As again this thread has become quiet...

CL-44 Yukon sister HC-AZH c/n 13 at Guayaquil in Ecuador is pictured in the "Feedback section" on page 91 of the current issue of Airlinerworld ( http://www.airlinerworld.com/ ) . This "August issue" will be replaced in the UK by the "September issue" on August the 8th.
There aren't that many recent photos of -AZH about!

In the beginning of July (i.e. this month) work was again started on Belfast G-BEPS at Southend. Anyone got any updates?

BEPS-That is what we thought but regretably no one has been seen any where near it so far this month. Perhaps next month, having looked around the exterior some years ago at SEN, whatever happens would it not at least require a few weeks hangared?

A local Southend list stated that a "crew from Oz" was in attendance on the 3rd of July, but indeed I haven't read any reports since, let alone that engine runs were made as these would definitely be noticed...

Meat charters
 

Hi Tinpis, just seen your post. Yes, flew lots of them. Shannon was better. Were you there?

Meat flights to TIP
 

Nineiron,

First officers had a habit (!) of climbing over the meat in order to feed their habit-wonder if the smell lingers in the hulk at TIP.
Maybe the Libyans discovered smoked meat that way
Stay in limits
French Emigree to be