Hello all,

If you click at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9HeqsQS93E you will see a clip of a marvellous toy: a Flying Tiger CL-44 model with turning propellers doing a run around someones kitchen!
The wingspan is at least two feet, if not more...
And yes, the tail can be swung open and shut by remote control!
Unfortunately no footage of "real" CL-44s or derivatives are currently available at Youtube...

HeavyLift Cargo
 

'HeavyLift Cargo changed the registration of its Short Belfast from 9L-LDQ to RP-C8020 at Cairns on January 19. On January 22 the Belfast, which was operating as ‘Heavylift 201', departed for Johor Bahru where it picked up a load destined for Port Moresby and Mount Hagen. On January 28 the Belfast returned to its Cairns base from Lae.
727-51C RP-C8017 was test flown at Cairns on January 17 before the same day ferrying to Brisbane using the callsign ‘Romeo Papa Charlie'. On January 18 it departed Brisbane for Honiara, but instead of using a HeavyLift flight number it used the TransGlobal Airways flight number TCU925 and the callsign ‘Transglobal 925'.
(RP-C8017 was based in the Philippines at the former Clark AFB from June 17 to December 17 and while there it operated on lease to TransGlobal Airways.)
After over-nighting in Honiara the 727 continued to Auckland with the aircraft again using the callsign ‘RPC'. The final leg of the charter was operated from Auckland to Brisbane on January 20 and this time the 727 operated as flight TCU504 and used the callsign ‘Transglobal 504'.
727-51C 9L-LEK, which had been operating out of Brisbane, was ferried to Cairns as flight HVY100 on December 30. By the time this is read it is expected that the 727 will have changed its registration to RP-C8018.
HeavyLift Cargo was planning to take delivery of 727-227F RP-C8019 in Brisbane during March with the aircraft ferrying in from Roswell, New Mexico, where it had been in storage.'
http://www.ausaviation.com.au/Online...ic/traffic.htm

Thanks for the info Ada; do any of you know what serial number the latest 727 will have? And will that too be on charters?



discus :ok:

With the registering on the Philippines register, does this mean that the EU ban on Heavylift will be lifted?

Another sign of life on 14 march 2007 ?
 

The text below consists of two messages by two different reporters...

Apparently CL-44-0 Guppy RP-C-8023 had another test today. Not sure whether she was towed from her present spot or not for these checks. Anyone got more details/updates?

"I can provide a positive up-date on the Guppy here at Bournemouth this
morning.
Currently, having just left the airport she is rigged up to a GPU, all doors
are open. Engineers are testing all nav lights as well as all wing control
surfaces and wing flaps being extended to full downwards position. Much
cleaning and attention is being paid to the undercarriage.
Another Ruomour is that she is bound for a museum in the States."

And

"Just been out to the airport and there is alot of work going on around the
Guppy. They were testing the navagation lights and alot of checks around the wheels. Also had all the doors open."

Belfast G-BEPS
 

On the subject of Heavylift, does anyone know how the overhaul of long-time Southend resident, Shorts Belfast G-BEPS, is progressing? A lot of work appears to have been carried out if you compare this photo from April 06; http://www.airliners.net/open.file?id=1044434 ...with this photo from December 06; http://www.flugzeugbilder.de/show.php?id=569028

Porrohman.

There seems to have been no work on the a/c since last year and they have been awaiting the forth prop since last summer. Rumour was that in the strong winds of last October it was damaged when it swung around on its stands. I am at SEN tomorrow I will enquire.

Well one would assume the ban would be lifted now that the majority of the aircraft are on the RC-P [Phillipine] register, maybe this is a sign of bigger & better things for Heavylift.

I appreciate you enquiring about G-BEPS, hopefully she will be airborne fairly soon.


Discus

As this thread has become rather quiet over the past few weeks...

On the 14th of March a ground power unit was put beside her. Several checks were done around the wheels. Also the flaps and navigation lights were tested. It may have been the "monthly clean up" but at least there was some activity. I have no further updates.
Haven't found any recent news about the Belfast at Southend. Anyone?

Three wheels on my wagon
 

Regarding the Belfast at Southend, I found this photo on Airliners.net, dated 15th March '07; http://www.airliners.net/open.file?id=1192370

Porrohman

Question to contributors
 

I've been asking myself this question for a while...

Would you prefer this thread in Freight Dogs or in the Nostalgia forum?

Let me know. A CL44 is not exactly a current freighter, but nevertheless a freighter. Up to you. We'll see in a week.

:ok:

Both subjects are freighters and hopefully will remain so, so fingers crossed for good news and air under the wheels! Keep the posts here!:D

To classify this forum as 'nostalgia' would be to finally state that the Guppy is dead. Of course there is plenty of nostalgia, over 40 years of a type of flight operation rarely seen today inevitably produces a lot of war stories. The Guppy status is commercially operational.
Credit must be given to the guys with their faces pressed up against the chainlink perimeter fence. The perseverance of the Bournemouth Guppy Watchers have done their bit through PPRuNe, however small, in preventing the loss of this aircraft. Every movement is reported and understandably there is a lot of guesswork. It is being maintained in an airworthy condition so routine engineering activity will be seen from time to time.
I understand that a crew is on standby, but as anybody who knows about flight dynamics will appreciate, the weight of the airframe has to be equalled by the weight of the paperwork before it is capable of flight.
No Flight Plan filed for Australia it would seem.

Please don't sentence the old girl to nostalgia just yet. She still has a chance of more gainful employment. "Reports of her demise are greatly exagerated"
Be lucky
David

Keep it in this forum!
I am sure when there is a proper report about the status it will be posted here.
Then you would have to move the thread back to Freightdogs.:ok:

ok ok, it stays here then...:)

Thank you kind sir,
Be lucky
David:ok: :D

Thanks CR2!

Only just checked again, so far no updates on the local lists about either "Guppy" at Bournemouth or the Belfast at Southend unfortunately...
Anyone?

Not much action around the CL-44 at Bournemouth I manged to get a photo of her the other day http://abpic.co.uk/photo/1049572/


Graham

There has been no activity around the Belfast so far this year according to the SEN spotters who can be relied on. There is a problem obtaining a fourth propeller, however, it has been minus the fourth for a least a year. I am sure these things do not take that long.