Hope For The Belfast??

[Garry Russell]

http://www.pprune.org/dg-p-reporting-po ... airns.html

[Chris558]

Seems amazing that it would be even viable to get her up again; I thought spares for Tynes were very rare these days, not to mension how expensive maintenance must be! Just goes to show what a useful design it is!

[Tomliner]

Looking at this set me thinking that I seem to recall seeing a Belfast parked at RR Hucknall sometime in the 70's or80's.Could be that I'm mistaken,maybe someone here will be able to help. EricT

[Chris558]

Yes, some did fly into Hucknall - RR recovered the Tynes from them.

[TSR2]

Much as I'd love to see her in the air again, and even better would be back here at Duxford or similar, I suspect she'll never leave Cairns

[Tomliner]

Thanks Chris558.I was beginning to wonder if senility was beginning to creep up on me! EricT

[grumpyoldb]

The one at Cosford still looks pretty good.

[Garry Russell]

The Belfast and the Vanguard shared basically the same Tynes and the other types use a different Tyne and as such the Belfast and Vanguard became short of spares.

As mentioned five Belfast were bought by Rolls Royce to get the engines.

The type was very useful and often it was the only aircraft that could carry certain loads. Each was hand built and varied slightly in size and sometime a load could only fit into the biggest machine...a couple of inches I think it was.

After retiring the type, the RAF was Eurolatins biggest customer.

All this though passes when the big Antonovs came on stream. The Belfast at Southend that was scrapped was to return to service but after ownership probs and Antonov resuming work on the second unfinished AN-225 it was decided not to restore the aircraft and so it was scrapped. The second AN-225 was not continued with.

There are other ultra wide aircraft now and that need seems to be satisfied unless, perhaps, it's a case of an airfield incapable of taking and Antonov.

Such cases exist but surely not in worthwhile numbers.

I think this is a genuine attempt, but I fear reality will cut in and if it does happen it won't be for long.

Same with the CL-44_O...was to be scrapped and now possibly being slowly returned to service...or so it's said, but will it

Probably not .

[ianhind]

Looking at this set me thinking that I seem to recall seeing a Belfast parked at RR Hucknall sometime in the 70's or80's.

I have XR370 and XR371 logged at Hucknall on 1st October 1978.

Be reassured your mental facilities in full working order.

[Tomliner]

Many thanks Ian.I can rest easy tonight EricT