Vintage Blackbushe thread
Discussion
For anyone local to (Eric 
), and/or interested in Blackbushe Airfield there's a real peach of a thread, with loads of pictures on the Farnborough Aviation Group web site
http://farnborough.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=c...
Steve
), and/or interested in Blackbushe Airfield there's a real peach of a thread, with loads of pictures on the Farnborough Aviation Group web sitehttp://farnborough.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=c...
Steve
Why do some of those aircraft have cables running from the top of the fuselage to the tail?
Also, re the Comet (I'm no expert so bear with) I thought that the plane was doomed when they realised the design fault with the square windows, and that they were pulled from production. However that one has round windows. I guess they carried on then?
Also, re the Comet (I'm no expert so bear with) I thought that the plane was doomed when they realised the design fault with the square windows, and that they were pulled from production. However that one has round windows. I guess they carried on then?
Chilli said:
Why do some of those aircraft have cables running from the top of the fuselage to the tail?
Also, re the Comet (I'm no expert so bear with) I thought that the plane was doomed when they realised the design fault with the square windows, and that they were pulled from production. However that one has round windows. I guess they carried on then?
Thne "cables" are radio aerials. They were once quite common on aircraft although most aerials are now smaller or contained within the fuselage. However, external wire aerials are still not unusual, especially on older aircraft.Also, re the Comet (I'm no expert so bear with) I thought that the plane was doomed when they realised the design fault with the square windows, and that they were pulled from production. However that one has round windows. I guess they carried on then?
The original Comet 1 was grounded permanently after the tragedies of the early 1950s. It is true that the Comet 1s had rectangular shaped windows. However, of the two Comet 1s which crashed due to explosive decompression, only one had sufficient wreckage recovered to enable the investigators to work out where the fatigue crack which started the fuselage failure began - and it wasn't at a cabin window. In fact, it was in a roof aperture which contained a fibreglass cover for an RDF (Radio Direction Finding) aerial.
However, another Comet 1 was tested to destruction in a water tank at Farnborough and on this example, the failure DID occur with one of the cabin windows.
It was obvious that the square corners of the apertures in the Comet 1 were suspect so the Comet 1 was redesigned with oval shaped windows. The new version, which also replaced the De Havilland Ghost engines with Rolls Royce Avons, was branded the Comet 2. No Comet 2s entered airline service but a small number served with the RAF and the Royal Canadian Air Force up until the late 1960s without incident.
A stretched development of the Comet, called the Comet 4, re-entered airline service with BOAC in 1958 and the last were withdrawn from use in the early 1980s. The last operator was Dan Air, which explains the Dan AIr example being at Blackbushe in the mid 1970s.
Only one example of the stretched Comet 3 was ever built and it was used as a test aircraft.
Edited by Eric Mc on Monday 14th February 10:37
Eric Mc said:
Thne "cables" are radio aerials. They were once quite common on aircraft although most aerials are now smaller or contained within the fuselage. However, external wire aerials are still not unusual, especially on older aircraft.
The original Comet 1 was grounded permanently after the tragedies of the early 1950s. It is true that the Comet 1s had rectangular shaped windows. However, of the two Comet 1s which crashed due to explosive decompression, only one had sufficient wreckage recovered to enable the investigators to work out where the fatigue crack which started the fuselage failure began - and it wasn't at a cabin window. In fact, it was in a roof aperture which contained a fibreglass cover for an RDF (Radio Direction Finding) aerial.
However, another Comet 1 was tested to destruction in a water tank at Farnborough and on this example, the failure DID occur with one of the cabin windows.
It was obvious that the square corners of the apertures in the Comet 1 were suspect so the Comet 1 was redesigned with oval shaped windows. The new version, which also replaced the De Havilland Ghost engines with Rolls Royce Avons, was branded the Comet 2. No Comet 2s entered airline service but a small number served with the RAF and the Royal Canadian Air Force up until the late 1960s without incident.
A stretched development of the Comet, called the Comet 4, re-entered airline service with BOAC in 1958 and the last were withdrawn from use in the early 1980s. The last operator was Dan Air, which explains the Dan AIr example being at Blackbushe in the mid 1970s.
Only one example of the stretched Comet 3 was ever built and it was used as a test aircraft.
Lear 45 has external HF antenna (or wire)The original Comet 1 was grounded permanently after the tragedies of the early 1950s. It is true that the Comet 1s had rectangular shaped windows. However, of the two Comet 1s which crashed due to explosive decompression, only one had sufficient wreckage recovered to enable the investigators to work out where the fatigue crack which started the fuselage failure began - and it wasn't at a cabin window. In fact, it was in a roof aperture which contained a fibreglass cover for an RDF (Radio Direction Finding) aerial.
However, another Comet 1 was tested to destruction in a water tank at Farnborough and on this example, the failure DID occur with one of the cabin windows.
It was obvious that the square corners of the apertures in the Comet 1 were suspect so the Comet 1 was redesigned with oval shaped windows. The new version, which also replaced the De Havilland Ghost engines with Rolls Royce Avons, was branded the Comet 2. No Comet 2s entered airline service but a small number served with the RAF and the Royal Canadian Air Force up until the late 1960s without incident.
A stretched development of the Comet, called the Comet 4, re-entered airline service with BOAC in 1958 and the last were withdrawn from use in the early 1980s. The last operator was Dan Air, which explains the Dan AIr example being at Blackbushe in the mid 1970s.
Only one example of the stretched Comet 3 was ever built and it was used as a test aircraft.
Edited by Eric Mc on Monday 14th February 10:37
Was there really a B17 and Jumbo [did it land? 
} at Blackbushe? I only remember a large old plane behind the main building, [Junkers or was it the comet.....] that you culd go up and walk round in.
I was born in '73, so were these around from then on? If so, DAMN, I missed them
} at Blackbushe? I only remember a large old plane behind the main building, [Junkers or was it the comet.....] that you culd go up and walk round in.I was born in '73, so were these around from then on? If so, DAMN, I missed them
Edited by hurstg01 on Monday 14th February 18:13
My first visit to Blackbushe was in 1980. At that time parked, on the airfield was - a P-51 Mustang, a two seat Sea Fury, a couple of CASA 52s (Spanish versions of the Junkers 52) and a couple of ex-Spanish AIr Force C-47/DC-3s.
Parked across the airfield were some cardboard cutout B-17s - which had been used in filming.
Parked across the airfield were some cardboard cutout B-17s - which had been used in filming.
Thats a terrific thread.
The comet 4 had pretty huge windows too bigger than most modern jets so I would imagine the view from one would have been great.
I have one of the passenger windows and a section of the cockpit of the Blackbushe Comet in my collection the guy who originally aquired it carried it 2 miles to his home blooming heavy for that. It was the Comet used in the video for the Madness's wings of a dove. It was also the first Comet C4 delivered to the RAF so has ferried a fair few high rollers in it's time.
cheers,
Tubs
The comet 4 had pretty huge windows too bigger than most modern jets so I would imagine the view from one would have been great.
I have one of the passenger windows and a section of the cockpit of the Blackbushe Comet in my collection the guy who originally aquired it carried it 2 miles to his home blooming heavy for that. It was the Comet used in the video for the Madness's wings of a dove. It was also the first Comet C4 delivered to the RAF so has ferried a fair few high rollers in it's time.
cheers,
Tubs
In the terminal building at blackbushe there is a fantastic shot of Concorde doing a flypast at Blackbushe. The event is mentioned in the thread linked further up.
The runway at Blackbushe used to be longer than it is now, as it extended to the east but that has been returned to the common. My understanding is that large jets probably could land at Blackbushe in theory, however they wouldnt be able to take off again!
The runway at Blackbushe used to be longer than it is now, as it extended to the east but that has been returned to the common. My understanding is that large jets probably could land at Blackbushe in theory, however they wouldnt be able to take off again!
Gassing Station | Boats, Planes & Trains | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff