Blackburn's Finest
I think it had to be a fleet of Beverleys at RAF Nicosia c. 1962, tasked with a big paradrop exercise. Big even by 1962 standards.
I did the mass met-brief at the age of 24 in front of seemingly hundreds. Surface wind speed iffy for the drop but I forecast decreasing.
Watching the climbout from the tower balcony, looking up the arse of the Beverleys with interior lights on, and clamshell doors either removed or open has remained in my memory.
Please can this have been so?
PS not a leg broken, nor a vehicle pranged. Happy boss.
I did the mass met-brief at the age of 24 in front of seemingly hundreds. Surface wind speed iffy for the drop but I forecast decreasing.
Watching the climbout from the tower balcony, looking up the arse of the Beverleys with interior lights on, and clamshell doors either removed or open has remained in my memory.
Please can this have been so?
PS not a leg broken, nor a vehicle pranged. Happy boss.
The clamshell doors could not be opened in flight on the Bev. So when airdropping stores over the ramp they had to be removed on the ground.
Beverley.
First flight (as the "Universal Freighter") 20 June 1950, so younger than the Canberra.
Captain( Harold Wood) to Co-Pilot (D.G. Brade) on lifting off from Brough.
"Well, my side's airborne!"
First flight (as the "Universal Freighter") 20 June 1950, so younger than the Canberra.
Captain( Harold Wood) to Co-Pilot (D.G. Brade) on lifting off from Brough.
"Well, my side's airborne!"
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Cornish Jack's post reminds me of arriving at BoB Open Days, opening the doors and driving out one of our cars. All ready for a night on the town. A set of wheels suddenly made us the most popular crew around. The look on the faces of the fast jet guys was always a joy to behold
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A Beverley transported me from Muharraq to Sharjah in 1963 and back to Muharraq in 1964. Clambering up into the top deck clutching an RAF holdall was not an easy task!
Farnborough's Beverley (XB259?) nearly caught me out. Exploring up the tail boom I went through a bulk head (past the Elsan?)and nearly stepped out into space. ( The para doors being open, of course).
Subsequently, I read of the Co-Pilot who tragically lost his life by falling through these doors on to the pan beneath.
Subsequently, I read of the Co-Pilot who tragically lost his life by falling through these doors on to the pan beneath.
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Haraka,
Didn't hear of a co-pilot, but a groundcrew guy fell to the tarmac at Luqa, circa 57-58.
He staged through Istres on a Casavac flight back to UK.
So he survived to that point, I never did hear anything more.
Didn't hear of a co-pilot, but a groundcrew guy fell to the tarmac at Luqa, circa 57-58.
He staged through Istres on a Casavac flight back to UK.
So he survived to that point, I never did hear anything more.
Haraka - Para door disposition was t'other way round - Para doors, then Elsan doors, then access to the booster units.
Co-pilot incident happened at Khormaksar. Co.s were required to do a rudder and elevator hyd booster inspection as part of the pre-flight. Access was via the boom Elsan compartment which was immediately aft of the floor para doors. Our Co had gone through to do the check and while in there, the Movers put a boom loading ladder in position on the ground and opened the para doors ... without checking if there was anyone behind the Elsan. It was half past 4-ish and dark and Co backed out of the toilets and stepped into space, fell onto the ladder and suffered, ultimately, fatal injuries. Skipper and I held him until the ambulance arrived but no hope of recovery.
Two points of note :
This was the only fleet aircraft which hadn't had a mod fitted which coupled a pair of pins to the para doors to prevent the Elsan doors opening if the para doors were open.
The local OC Flying arrived after things had been sorted and happily informed that we wouldn't have to delay long as we would be supplied with a replacement Co from the local (84) Sqdn!!!!
Andy Andrus was the Skip - a notably gentle man ... his reaction to this suggestion was suitably out of character and entirely justified
We, surprise, surprise, went nowhere that day, apart from drowning sorrows - again courtesy of Andy.
One of a number of days which won't/can't be erased.
Ian 16th - oil pumping? 84 gallons in the overload tanks, filled via the overwing caps (done by knackered Shell man at Elisabethville, during Congo troubles, one gallon at a time!!!) and pumped via the hand pump and selector in the 'dog kennel'. This was an exercise not recommended at 8000' for heavy smokers - cold-soak oil does not pump easily!
Co-pilot incident happened at Khormaksar. Co.s were required to do a rudder and elevator hyd booster inspection as part of the pre-flight. Access was via the boom Elsan compartment which was immediately aft of the floor para doors. Our Co had gone through to do the check and while in there, the Movers put a boom loading ladder in position on the ground and opened the para doors ... without checking if there was anyone behind the Elsan. It was half past 4-ish and dark and Co backed out of the toilets and stepped into space, fell onto the ladder and suffered, ultimately, fatal injuries. Skipper and I held him until the ambulance arrived but no hope of recovery.
Two points of note :
This was the only fleet aircraft which hadn't had a mod fitted which coupled a pair of pins to the para doors to prevent the Elsan doors opening if the para doors were open.
The local OC Flying arrived after things had been sorted and happily informed that we wouldn't have to delay long as we would be supplied with a replacement Co from the local (84) Sqdn!!!!
Andy Andrus was the Skip - a notably gentle man ... his reaction to this suggestion was suitably out of character and entirely justified
We, surprise, surprise, went nowhere that day, apart from drowning sorrows - again courtesy of Andy.One of a number of days which won't/can't be erased.
Ian 16th - oil pumping? 84 gallons in the overload tanks, filled via the overwing caps (done by knackered Shell man at Elisabethville, during Congo troubles, one gallon at a time!!!) and pumped via the hand pump and selector in the 'dog kennel'. This was an exercise not recommended at 8000' for heavy smokers - cold-soak oil does not pump easily!
Last edited by Cornish Jack; 6th Apr 2014 at 18:25. Reason: Adding text
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Ian 16th - oil pumping? 84 gallons in the overload tanks, filled via the overwing caps (done by knackered Shell man at Elisabethville, during Congo troubles, one gallon at a time!!!) and pumped via the hand pump and selector in the 'dog kennel'. This was an exercise not recommended at 8000' for heavy smokers - cold-soak oil does not pump easily!
There must be more oil pumping stories from the Bev, than any other mundane task that was ever done in the RAF. Why couldn't the Air Ministry have put in an electric pump? It would have cost about £10 in those days.
I only ever had to do it on the ground at Istres/Orange, it was a fine way to sweat off a hangover
Operation Quickstep 2, Kano, Nigeria April 3 1958. Transport Command is moving a large number of Paras from to UK to Kenya. While our Hasting was being refuelled I heard the (detached) ground crew discussing the U/S Beverley parked next to us.
Airframe fitter to Eng fitter, "I've fixed the snag on the Bev, Jim."
Eng fitter, "Which snag?"
"The broken Elsan seat in the boom."
'How did you manage that?"
"Just wrote ground tested and found comfortable in the 700."
Airframe fitter to Eng fitter, "I've fixed the snag on the Bev, Jim."
Eng fitter, "Which snag?"
"The broken Elsan seat in the boom."
'How did you manage that?"
"Just wrote ground tested and found comfortable in the 700."
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Bucc, Bev...... I thought that this was going to be about the 1699 aircraft that Blackburn built in Sherburn-in-Elmett during the war that, due to its sterling work on the Atlantic convoys, prevented us from losing the war.
What was it? Don't you know? Shame on you! The Swordfish of course.
What was it? Don't you know? Shame on you! The Swordfish of course.
