Wanna buy a Belfast?

[austerdriver]

Any idea how long the Heavylift Belfast wil be in service for?

[DaveB]

I hear from 'retired' sources that the one for sale has already been sold and will be winging it's way to South America. Airworthyness isn't such an issue down there

ATB

DaveB

[Garry Russell]

This, is the only one and seems to have had already been retired by Heavylift.

It's future will not be long as it will only be until the chronic shortage of spares runs out, which to a certain extent is probably nigh as otherwise they would not be selling.


It was said some time ago now that, in service at least, it would never return to the UK. I think regulations have limited the market a bit as well.

It is truly the end of an era as the last four engined Shorts flying, a tradition going back to flying boat days.

And the last British designed and built military freighter

[DaveB]

Yes.. a sad day but it's not done bad really. I think HL would have liked to have replaced it with the Belfast at Southend but again.. Tyne spares (of this type) are no more. I'm surprised they put as much effort into the Southend aircraft as they did and it must have cost them a few bob. As we know, once the plug was pulled.. the aircraft was pretty much destroyed there and then which given the time and effort they'd put into it, seemed rather a waste. To my mind, it was a gamble that was never going to come off

The Belfast is still star of the show on HL's homepage

ATB

DaveB

[Garry Russell]

Yo Dave

I think there was some dispute over ownership of that one.

Not sure of the details...But take BA for example....A 747 in their fleet could be flying with two BA engines and the other two owned by and leased from different companies.

This happens with some other equipment too, so the title deed owner of any airframe may not actually own a lot of the vital parts that make it work.

Considering there were only ten and only five went to civil use...the other were bought by RR for the Tyne spare, such was the shortages in the even in the mid seventies.

It's amazing they have kept it airworthy so long, but now there are other heavylifters as well as a worsening situation with upkeep.

The time has to come when a line has to be drawn, when the hope is they can get something back instead of paying someone to take it away...parking fees may be an issue, depending where it is.

A bit of Belfast trivia

They never went into production as such..no full jigs were made so each of the ten were hand built in the way prototypes were in those days

A consequence of this is that everyone was a slightly different size....not much, not noticeable, but a reality.

There were some loads that could just be squeezed into the widest one, the others were just too small by half an inch or whatever.

[Chris558]

Yes, so when they came to have panels, etc swapped around, hence...they wouldn't always fit!

Also, 53 sqn got all ten in the air in December '71, I think it was. And one clipped the fence on landing at Brize once.

I love the Belfast, graceful yet powerful looking. So sad I'll never see one fly 'proper' - I have seen one high up a couple of times but not at close quaters. Still, at least I have it on DVD - Avion 'Big props USA & Europe' with the Tynes purring away, and an in-cockpit DVD of G-HLFT on route from Paris to Africa...mostly boring, but does open with some outside footage.

Avion will be releasing a new DVD soon called 'Veteran Turboprops'...so it may crop up on that.

[Trev Clark]

As pax, the 'Belslow' was much better than the C-130. There was a nice mezanine floor area at the front of the cargo area, where one could sit in comfort. It was next to the loadies 'office' too, so handy for the tea/coffee! I did a couple of 'supernumary' trips in them, just as they were being phased out. The crews were not happy at losing them.

[DarrenL]

which is why HL wanted our 4 engines a couple of years back

Do you volunteer at Brooklands?

I "flew" the Brooklands Vanguard earlier this year.......ok I spent half an hour in the captains seat chatting to the volunteer looking after it forget his name but he took the photos of the VC-10 when it landed at Brooklands that are on display inside it.

[DaveB]

Hi Darren..

Yes I do.. hence APEP in my signature landing at Brooklands As far as I'm aware, the chap who took the 'landing' shots is Colin so I guess you must have gone there on a Saturday. I'm only there on a Wed (my day off) unless we have an engine run when I go in on Sat as fuel bleed man/engine oil man and FD crew
Just read your post again and it was someone who took shots of the VC10 (A4O-AB) landing.. in which case I really don't know who that might be Glad you enjoyed yourself anyway

ATB

DaveB

[DarrenL]

I did enjoy the visit. Only had my iPhone with me but took quite a few photos, few at MBW first but all the rest at Brroklands. I uploaded them to my site (link below) excuse the multiple shot around the Wellington but there was a Robin flying around landing around it and I was trying to get that in shot as well And some shots taken to be stitched together for a panoramic shot.

http://www.mercia.biz/gallery/Brookland ... /index.htm