Bristol Freighter Taxi Trials

[Garry Russell]

The Freighter in New Zealand recently brought back to life has made some taxy runs

Over a month now, but better late than never

http://nl.youtube.com/watch?v=3AYLGmzyL ... ure=relate

http://nl.youtube.com/watch?v=0vGPJDbvU ... re=related

Garry

[DispatchDragon]

Garry

Two things spring out there immeadiatly

1/. The amount of rudder travel he's using to get her to turn and
2/. He uses asymeteric power to assist the turns


Gorgeous stuff

Leif

[Garry Russell]

Their aim all along was to get it to taxy but I didn't expect it yet :o

Guess they are getting it ready for the Summer season......fine effort


Garry

[Nigel H-J]

Great find Garry, nice to see the old girl taxi, though must have been a warm day.....they had opened the sunroof!!

Regards
Nigel.

[delticbob]

Great news that. Pity its at the otherside of the world, but good luck to 'em.

Amongst the related links, on the RHS, is this http://nl.youtube.com/watch?v=OzgyM8OtH ... re=related 'in flight' video.

Nice sunset & I love the in flight catering arrangements....

Bob

[VEGAS]

Lovely videos Garry. Great to see the old girl in action. Is this the only active one in existance? :think:

[Garry Russell]

Hi Eddie

The ex Hawkair one in a BC museum (Once Atlantics G-AMLK) is airworthy but not due to go anywhere :-(

There was a move to fly it back to Filton a couple of years or so ago but after a lot of noise it went very quiet :think:

I guess money or lack of it had a lot to do with it.

Remarkable is how this one stood idle for so many years outside then it can be activated in such a short time compared to other projects

Says a lot about the group that have done this and of Bristols workmanship and of course the high degree of care that SAFE always gave their machines, meaning that when retired she was in very good order

It does show what can be done.

Garry

[VEGAS]

Hi Garry,

Seems to be something the enthusiasts from 'down under' are good at. They did a cracking job at getting the rather tatty & tired Qantas 707 airworthy at Southend a few years ago.

Also Heavylift seem to be keeping their Belfast earning its crust (for how long I wonder?)

Shame their TV soaps are rubbish.


**EDIT - what a nice scheme the Belfast is wearing these days**
http://www.airliners.net/photo/HeavyLif ... 1379757/L/

[Garry Russell]

Hi Eddie

I think down there.....even more so in NZ, they are so far away from spares etc that to compete they have to be very self sufficient and high in maintenance standards to avoid breakdown, well above the legal requirements.

This seems to breed a certain type of multi tasker well able to make the best out of any situation in record time.

This is in all walks of life not just aviation

Garry

[Chris Trott]

Garry

Two things spring out there immeadiatly

1/. The amount of rudder travel he's using to get her to turn and
2/. He uses asymeteric power to assist the turns


Gorgeous stuff

Leif

Leif, I believe that the Freighter (like many large tailwheel aircraft) has no interconnect between the rudder and tailwheel. The movement of the rudder is simply "muscle memory" and done as he's using brakes and/or asymmetric power to make the turns.