Modern civil aircraft *yawn*
Discussion
The airline world is an incredibly conservative one and innovation is not something that is embraced that wholeheartedly.
Modern airliners are however pretty different from eachother under the skin, it's just that they have the same layout and so look the same to the casual viewer.
An Airbus is a very different machine from a Boeing in it's design philosophy even though they look very similar.
It's dull, but until there's a step change in materials or propulsion, then I don't see much changing for quite a few years yet.
Modern airliners are however pretty different from eachother under the skin, it's just that they have the same layout and so look the same to the casual viewer.
An Airbus is a very different machine from a Boeing in it's design philosophy even though they look very similar.
It's dull, but until there's a step change in materials or propulsion, then I don't see much changing for quite a few years yet.
Very True. on 9/7/60 i spent my first day spotting at Heathrow. Connies, Stratocruiser, DC4/6/7 Airspeed Ambassadors, Dakotas,Britannias, Convair 440, Argonauts,Comet, Caravelles
707/720 DC-8 were the only jets.Bregeut Du Pont(sp) The odd Tu104, Il-18. Canadair Cl-44
still got my spotting books from 62 onwards!
707/720 DC-8 were the only jets.Bregeut Du Pont(sp) The odd Tu104, Il-18. Canadair Cl-44
still got my spotting books from 62 onwards!
IforB said:
The airline world is an incredibly conservative one and innovation is not something that is embraced that wholeheartedly.
Modern airliners are however pretty different from eachother under the skin, it's just that they have the same layout and so look the same to the casual viewer.
An Airbus is a very different machine from a Boeing in it's design philosophy even though they look very similar.
It's dull, but until there's a step change in materials or propulsion, then I don't see much changing for quite a few years yet.
Spot on. Also such a shame with regard to the innovation side. Modern airliners are however pretty different from eachother under the skin, it's just that they have the same layout and so look the same to the casual viewer.
An Airbus is a very different machine from a Boeing in it's design philosophy even though they look very similar.
It's dull, but until there's a step change in materials or propulsion, then I don't see much changing for quite a few years yet.
The decades of the last century defined the modern airliner (for now). Refined, evolved and cost effective. From the end of the T-Tail and tri motor MDs to Concorde.
Boeings Sonic Cruiser was the last real flirt with a radical new design, sadly cost and market economics meant it was never a real proposition.
That's another type of aircarft that has almost completely disapperared from the scene - the specialist freighter
Bristol 170 Freighter/Wayfarer
ATL98 Carvair
CL44
Super Guppy
Modern freight is either carried in standard airliners or airliners that have been converted to all freight configuration.
The only true freighters now are the Antonov 124/225 family and the Beluga transports used by Airbus.
Bristol 170 Freighter/Wayfarer
ATL98 Carvair
CL44
Super Guppy
Modern freight is either carried in standard airliners or airliners that have been converted to all freight configuration.
The only true freighters now are the Antonov 124/225 family and the Beluga transports used by Airbus.
Apart from those you've listed, they're mostly the preserve of the military; C17, A400 etc. Standard airliners configured for cargo can take cars etc, so unless you have very large indivisible loads you don't need a specialist cargo hauler anymore.
Which has reminded me of some you missed off the list; Airspeed, Hunting Percival and Armstrong Whitworth(although the latter was really mil transport only, like Blackburn).
Which has reminded me of some you missed off the list; Airspeed, Hunting Percival and Armstrong Whitworth(although the latter was really mil transport only, like Blackburn).
hidetheelephants said:
Apart from those you've listed, they're mostly the preserve of the military; C17, A400 etc. Standard airliners configured for cargo can take cars etc, so unless you have very large indivisible loads you don't need a specialist cargo hauler anymore.
Which has reminded me of some you missed off the list; Airspeed, Hunting Percival and Armstrong Whitworth(although the latter was really mil transport only, like Blackburn).
as has been mentioned a 'wide bodied ' airliner based freighter can take cars into both the 'cargo holds' and onto the 'passenger' deck assuming there is a suitably sized door which really leaves the specialist freighters for 'oversize' indivisible loads or stuff like aid flights where there is no ground handling kit at the other end and the ability to back any availalbe , pick-up , donkey cart or truck up to the ramp to off load is a positive advantage ... Which has reminded me of some you missed off the list; Airspeed, Hunting Percival and Armstrong Whitworth(although the latter was really mil transport only, like Blackburn).
hidetheelephants said:
Apart from those you've listed, they're mostly the preserve of the military; C17, A400 etc. Standard airliners configured for cargo can take cars etc, so unless you have very large indivisible loads you don't need a specialist cargo hauler anymore.
Which has reminded me of some you missed off the list; Airspeed, Hunting Percival and Armstrong Whitworth(although the latter was really mil transport only, like Blackburn).
AW did some airliners pre-war - such as the original Argosy biplane, the Atalanta and the Ensign. Post-war, they did make a rival to the Viscount, called the Apollo, powered by Mamba turboprops. But the Viscount was so much better that the Apollo was never put ionto production. They also produced a civilian version of the twin-boom Argosy freighter. Which has reminded me of some you missed off the list; Airspeed, Hunting Percival and Armstrong Whitworth(although the latter was really mil transport only, like Blackburn).
The BAC 1-11 began life as the Hunting H.107, but Hunting were merged into the new BAC before the production version, the H.111, went into production.
Airspeed (which was a division of De Havilland) built the gorgeous Ambassador. It was designed by the same chap who had designed De Havilland's pre-war Albatros airliner.
It's fascinating to look back at that era of designs; in so many areas the UK was ahead of the US in the 1950s, but in others like this the UK was rather behind. The Argosy is a contemporary of the C130(in fact the C130 entered service 2 years before it), but you wouldn't know it by looking at them.
Steve Zodiac said:
I seem to remember my parents taking me to Southend, Essex airport in the 1960's & seeing these there, the front swung open I beleive or is that another type?
Possible, but at Southend it is more likely to have been a Silver City car carrying air ferry, so a Carvair or Bristol Freighter. They were both twin engine rather than 4.
Chuck328 said:
Boeings Sonic Cruiser was the last real flirt with a radical new design, sadly cost and market economics meant it was never a real proposition.
I think Boeing's Blended wing concept was the latest radical design:
Even so, the standard podded engines are a common feature.
Edited by dr_gn on Thursday 26th July 10:03
Strangely enough I was just thinking the same thing as the OP the other day.
About half eight his morning something propeller-driven and noisy flew into Manchester but I missed what it was. The only things worth looking up for now are the A380 and 747s.
I understand the reasons and appreciate the facts but I think aeroplanes are a little bit emotive and it's a shame some of the romance has gone.
About half eight his morning something propeller-driven and noisy flew into Manchester but I missed what it was. The only things worth looking up for now are the A380 and 747s.
I understand the reasons and appreciate the facts but I think aeroplanes are a little bit emotive and it's a shame some of the romance has gone.
mattviatura said:
Strangely enough I was just thinking the same thing as the OP the other day.
About half eight his morning something propeller-driven and noisy flew into Manchester but I missed what it was. The only things worth looking up for now are the A380 and 747s.
I understand the reasons and appreciate the facts but I think aeroplanes are a little bit emotive and it's a shame some of the romance has gone.
The Beluga flies over our place quite a lot - that's different in an ugly way.About half eight his morning something propeller-driven and noisy flew into Manchester but I missed what it was. The only things worth looking up for now are the A380 and 747s.
I understand the reasons and appreciate the facts but I think aeroplanes are a little bit emotive and it's a shame some of the romance has gone.
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