Odd looking old girl

Chris558 · Post by **Chris558** » 19 Jul 2007, 01:32

There was a Dart Dak aswell, (the best sounding Turbo Dak!) but that may only have been a one off trials type. Someone here will know...

DispatchDragon · Post by **DispatchDragon** » 19 Jul 2007, 05:23

BEA Hung a pair of Darts on a DC3 long before Basler or Conroy ever thought of it - If memory serves it was actually used in service flying mail from Birmingham or somewhere to Heathrow....Mr Russell will correct me

Leif

kit · Post by **kit** » 19 Jul 2007, 09:15

Yes, BEA converted two Daks to Dart power in 1951 to get some experience in flying turbo-props before their Viscounts were delivered.

One was G-ALXN and the other G-AMDB, both in the white top/silver underside scheme with the triple pinstripe. The conversion was done by Fields at Tollerton and the Min of Supply paid for it!!! The first commercial flight was on Aug 15th from Northol to to Buckenburg carrying mail, and the Turbo-Daks were later used on the Paris and Milan routes.

This was the first commercial turbine powered flight anywhere in the world, a date to remember, especially when talking to Boeing people! Mind you, as it was a Dak they'd probably claim it as 'Boeing First'.......... :roll:

BEA converted both of them back to piston engines in 1953 however, primarilly because of a lack of aircrew and engineers with the right experience (it says here.....Phil Lo Bao's BEA book.)

I find that difficult to understand as the solution was in BEA's own hands.

Post by **Garry Russell** » 19 Jul 2007, 09:33

Hi Kit

The BEA Dart Dakota were as you say for route operating experience with turboprops.

There was never any intention of them being permanent though and was for genenral developement experience which is why the MoS paid for it as ideed they often paid for prototypes.

Rolls- Royce also had a Dart Dakota.

The first commecial turbine flight was actually in July 1950 with Viscount 630 G-AHRF.

Garry

Tomliner · Post by **Tomliner** » 19 Jul 2007, 10:24

When I was only knee high to a grasshopper,I lived about 3 miles from Rolls Royce at Hucknall and used to see many interesting aircraft including the Dart Dak,turboprop powered Airspeed Ambassador.a Lincoln with a turboprop in the nose and many diverse types such Balliols,Athenas Meteors Vampires etc etc.What sights and sounds.ATB EricT

Post by **Garry Russell** » 19 Jul 2007, 10:46

Another interesting test bed was the Dart Wellington that flew with Darts alone and was said to be 'Quite a gay lady as a result' :shock: :redface:

Gay meant somehthing else then

Garry