THINGS THAT FLY

 

 

"Two minds were better than one - even if one of them had to be French!"

(comment attributed to a senior member of the British production team)

 

Well, I ask you - can there ever have been (and will there ever be again) such a beautiful aircraft as the CONCORDE?

 

This was a case of a pioneering concept overtaken by economic forces and, for the time, some rather spurious environmental arguments, but it nevertheless created a  30-year niche for itself to earn its rightful place in the hearts of all Britons, and no doubt a lot of others too. The big fat ugly American in the background deservedly won the day by playing a pivotal role in enabling the masses to afford to fly. Since they're still being rolled out more or less weekly at Everett Field it may be another two decades before the last 747 is grounded, more likely as a result of the influence of the 787 'Dreamliner' and whatever follows it, but I somehow don't think they'll be missed in quite the same way.

 

---ooo000ooo---

 

He's at it again I hear you say.......................

Well, the BAC 1-11 was marketed as 'The Bus Stop Jet' and now we have a wide range of different 'Airbus' models knocking spots off the American domination of the aircraft manufacturing industry. 

That's my excuse for adding this page to show off some of my colour shots, mostly of pre-Airbus era civil airliners that were around, some with long gone airlines, from the late sixties until the early eighties.

Remember, too, the days before the current security scares, when you could climb to the roof of the Queens Building at Heathrow and unchallenged and for free to the top decks of adjacent car parks. In the company of all ages shapes and sizes of gricers you could pass the time watching the comings and goings of all kinds of jet age and earlier wonders. Recall too with fondness how the air around you always smelled so strongly of kerosene and how it always found a way to impart its flavour into your sandwiches, sausage rolls and crisps - happy days! This little lot and more were there to be seen at Heathrow, Gatwick and Luton and a few other places.....................................

 

Ambassadors, Comets, Viscounts, Vanguards, Britannias, 748s, Heralds, VC10s, BAC 1-11s, Tridents, 707s, 720s, 727s, 737s DC8s, DC9s, DC10s, Coronados, IL-18s, IL-62s, TU-104s, TU134s TU154s, Tristars, Caravelles and, if you ventured to Southend Airport, 'Fat Albert' and maybe a DC3 or two as well!

 

 

 

 

Those were the days! - Quite a long time ago this one, about 1961 or 1962 I think.  With the very necessary security worries nowadays it beggars belief that then you could take photos like this at Britain's main airport - then known as London Airport - the 'Heathrow' tag came later - by just leaning across a four-foot chain link fence!. The Boeing 707 had capitalised on the misfortunes of the British De Havilland Comet and was then the wonder of the age, set to become an indespensible tool of most international airlines.

 

 

 

 

There's an argument raging at present about the shape of air travel in the future. There is undoubtedly much concern environmentally so is Airbus right about its quite superb A380 concept - fewer take-offs and landings with ever larger aircraft, or will the new Boeing concept, the 787 'Dreamliner' grab all the kudos? We can predict which will win the numbers game, but what do you think?

 

"

 

The great hope for Rolls Royce in the early seventies was the L1011 Tristar which its US maker Lockheed  had designed around the company's advanced  RB-211 turbofan. As with its American counterparts this early big fan engine had its troubles and financially strained its maker but came out Ok in the end. Sales of the aircraft were however disappointing, most orders in this category being won  over time by the rival, and distinctly less cttractive looking Douglas DC-10. Seen at a Farnborough Airshow is an early delivery for Pacific Southwest Airlines.

 

 

 

British Airways was, perhaps naturally, an early customer

 

 

The ubiquitous Boeing 737, one of the most successful airliners ever. Here an early small version of Algerian airways at Heathrow about 1980

 

 

Douglas DC8 stretched version often called the 'flying pencil'  Worldways at Heathrow 1980

 

 

VICKERS VISCOUNTS

 

SOME VIEWS AT UK AIRPORTS

 

 

I'm starting this section off with a shot of Vickers Viscount G-AMOG seen at Ronaldsway IOM. This is the first aircraft that I ever flew in, in 1969 when I went to the Isle of Man from Liverpool (Speke) now known as John Lennon Airport. She looked just like this when I went on her but later sported an orange white & grey scheme before changing again to full dark blue/white BOAC international livery when it was used on connecting flights for the national carrier. I believe the her fuselage at least still exists in Scotland somewhere. Unfortunately I could not get a shot of her myself so have resorted to a 40+ year old commercial postcard. If anyone still owns the copyright I will remove this file immediately on request.

 

Here's some other Viscounts ....................

 

 

This was the later Cambrian scheme referred to above

 

 

On Channel Islands services this Viscount retained the main BEA livery

 

 

BEA subsidiary Northeast operated this one on short haul services within UK. I flew on it in 1972 to Leeds/Bradford from Heathrow. A couple of Tridents were also operated,usually on charter flights, in this livery.

 

--oo000oo--

 

 

 

AIRLINER VARIETY 1968-1980

 

 

Ilyushin IL-18. These Russian built jet-props were in use by most of the eastern-bloc national airlines at this time. this one was operated by LOT Polish Airlines

 

 

In about 1968-69 you could book at Moscow weekend 3days/2nights including a guided tour for just £29!. A silly amount now but still quite a lot in those days. I thought it a bit expensive (my net salary was perhaps only £65 pm then) so resisted the temptation which would also have enabled me to fly in one of these Tupolev TU-104s seen here getting ready to leave Gatwick. How silly I was - I never went subsequently and won't get there now.

 

 

Tupolev TU-134 of Aviogenex at Gatwick c.1968. This was basically I think the charter arm of JAT the then Yugoslav national airline. Its similarity of design to the successful adjacent British BAC 1-11 'pocket rocket' can be seen.

 

 

At rest at a somewhat under-developed Luton, a Vickers Vanguard of Invicta International. I was able to go with a friend on the last flight by one of these by BEA from Heathrow to Edinburgh in about 1972, although the weather was so bad we were diverted to Glasgow! A safe return was made the following day on a brand new Trident 3B

 

 

Back to Gatwick in 1968 for a view of this Airspeed Ambassador then operated by London charter airline Dan Air. It looks to be from another era but in truth was perhaps only a dozen or so years old. I saw this taxi in with sheets of flame belching from its piston engines (Bristol Centaurus?) Seeing my alarm a more knowledgable enthusiast next to me said "don't worry - they always do that"!

 

 

Well lined up for a safe landing at Heathrow was this Boeing 720 in the attractive colours of Air Malta

 

 

Also on final approach at Heathrow - a Boeing 727 of Air France

 

 

Boeing 707 of Wardair, a Canadian mainly charter airline that was a regular visitor to Gatwick in the sixties and seventies

 

 

Because they just had to be different France developed its own Jet liner in the shape of the Caravelle using engines mounted on the rear of the fuselage. I'm not too sure of this but I think its initial fuselage/avionics design owed much to the DH Comet and initially Rolls Royce Avon engines were employed. This is an example of those bought by the Italian national airline Alitalia.

 

After its initial disasters thge DH Comet, the world's first commercial jet transport could never regain ground lost to the American Boeing 707 but a few late versions of Mk4 and Mk 4B carried on well into the late 1960s with BEA Airtours and Dan Air. The graceful lines of this aircraft are somewhat obscured by the clutter of the background here

 

 

One American design that did not find favour was the Convair Coronado. Swissair was the only airline I remember seeing operate these into GB. I do believe that one of these has now been installed as an exhibit at the major transport museum in Lucerne

 

 

I always wondered what glue they used to stick that engine on the tail! Obviously a very competent aircraft but one which I always regarded as decidedly ugly. The famous Freddie Laker bought or leased some for his 'Skytrain' service to USA and, along with a couple of hundred other enthusiasts, I went on a sampling flight from Gatwick over the Channel Islands and Bay of Biscay for about 45 minutes on one of these prior to the services getting under way. The cost was £7 if memory serves me correctly.

 

 

 Douglas DC9 of Austrian Airlines

 

 

BAC1-11 of charter airline Court Line which was famous for its attractively coloured aircraft. Examples in blue, green and yellow were also operated before they graduated to leased Lockheed Tristars in similar hues. One claim to fame they had in the early 1970s was that they employed the first female captain flying these aircraft.

 

 

Early series BAC 1-11 of Romainian national carrier Tarom. In the early 1980s an agreement was concluded with BAC for these planes to be manufactured under licence in Romania. High hopes were held for significant sales to the communist bloc, China and others of their trading partners but the state factory could not get geared up and eventually only nine were built

 

 

Boeing 707 of BOAC. This was the 400 series I think with Rolls Royce Conway powerplants. Can someone please explain why on these planes the outer engines had different shaped mountings to the inner. I observed this on other Conway powerd examples including one of EL AL.??

 

 

Undoubtedly the outright winner in the good looks category the attractive design of the Vickers VC-10 should have guaranteed it a greater following that it achieved. A Russian copy the Ilyushin IL-62 was also frequently seen at Heathrow

A FEW SMALLER FLYING  MACHINES SEEN AT

 

MY LOCAL AERODROME - SYWELL IN NORTHAMPTONSHIRE