Cl144
 

Rumour has it that Heavylift are bring the CL144 back to the UK from the Us to renter service....Any comment from HLA???;)

Whats a CL 144?

Hogg,

You don't know about this great old lady? Transmeridian (HeavyLift 'predecessor) used to operate a fleet of 7 including the 'Guppy' version. I spent many a 'happy' hour down the back, on the bunk or producing coffee & meals. Produced by Canadair, looked a but like the Britannia but was a completely different aircraft, swing tail, could haul 27.5 tons bulk loaded over about 6 or 7 hours if memory serves with 4 Tynes gently vibrating the loadie to sleep. Real old Freight Dog aircraft.

Ah, happy days:) :cool:

Yes, but to pacify all the ex Tradewinds and Transmeridian Air Cargo (TMAC) 'truckies' kindly refer to it correctly as a CL44! Good grief!!

Ah the CL44. A purpose built freighter that could carry 27.5 tonnes - or fill it up with fuel and it would still carry 12 tonnes - for over 16hours nonstop at 280ias - some range- some war stories. The last one flying (G-ATZI for TMAC veterans) was written off in an accident a couple of months ago. The Guppy however lives on and every effort is being made to get it back working again. There is an active 'Swingtail Association' for those associated with this great freighter aircraft.

cl44
 

Go on "pullusapint" show us a picture of this yoke. Will ya?

CL44
 

Go to www.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!/ , select Canadair CL44, and there are 153 pictures of the '44 in various guises.

Ramp Tramp, Not quite correct there. OK anorak mode on......

The CL-44 was a Bristol Britannia license built by Canadair. They put a 13' plug into the fuselage of the -300 series (which had already been extended by 10'over the 100 series) and replaced the Proteus engines with Tynes.

Only the D4 model had the swing tail.

I think it was Conroy who did the Guppy conversion.

Anyway, they were all lovely aeroplanes. Anorak mode off.

:D :D

Loadlugger,
Where did you get this little gem from?

:D :D

LowNSlow,

OK, agree that only the D4 had the swing tail & confirm that
Conroy did the Guppy conversion. (Only 2 & one was written off
many years ago leaving only what was originally N447T)

There has been long discussions regarding the 'licence built
Britannia'. Although based on the Brit design, it bore only a passing resemblance & parts were not interchangable.
Never did get to the bottom of that one. Anybody else clarify the
situation??

The design was a combination of the Argus and the Britannia. It had the Brit wings and tail shape, but the fuselage was an entirely different structure with tied floor beams. The Yukon was developed first, with two freight doors and the small Brit cockpit windows. All CL44s had the swing tail (an Avro invention) and large (Convair 880 design) cockpit windows. The 'plug' I think you refer to was when the Icelandics stretched some of the D4 models to produce the CL44-J, the largest passenger aircraft (nearly 200 pax) to operate on the Atlantic at that time. It must the the only freighter to have been converted to pax! The Guppy was designed by Jack Conroy, I think for NASA. It was built in Santa Barbara by cutting a standard D4 fuselage down to floor level and fitting the large fuselage frames, complete with extra attachments for the swingtail. Does anyone out there know about the 'cold war' secondary role of the CL44 design as a military freighter? . It could carry ICBMs and its 6 generators could produce 300kva.

Thanks pullusapint, that's clarified the situation.

I'll have a pint of Guinness if you're pouring :D

Thanks Pullusapint, now at last I know.

LowNSlow, I think we both came out about quits.

Was a great freight hauler however it cam to be built.

Hey Ramp you are going to make "Duct Recovery" go all misty eyed now. Who cooked a whole christmas dinner over the pacific in an electric wok? and what about the story of Gadafi Duck and the flight engineer who was found having a bath of Guinness in Tripoli !:)

Sorry about the typo finger in wrong mode, heard it from one of the ops bods at Heavylift coming to supplement the Belfast.

LUGS

Ramp tramp, sounds OK to me. :D

The only 4 engined turboprops I've seen recently have been Electra's and the Belfast out of Stanstead. Are there any others to look out for?

We do get the odd AN-12 at STN, and there's a Herc based here at the moment. Haven't seen a 'lectra in ages, tho' :(

Nopax,Thanx you don't work weekends then, as the Electra is back on Sat and Sun doing the Channel Island Newspapers. You will have to get up at 5.00 am to see it, if yer mad enough!:D

Dead right I don't work weekends...........don't need to anymore on £26k!!!!

and no, there aren't any vacancies!:p

FDD,

Yea, stories too numerous to mention here.

The film crew going down route & getting side tracked in BKK. Various
senior voices heard in the background as one of the girls
was performing!

Ho hum, but it was fun!:D