in 1970, January 12th, the first Boeing 747, Pan Am Clipper Constitution, landed at Heathrow. So big there was no pier for it to couple to, and the passengers had to disembark onto the runway.
Linking into the new Dream Liner thread, it was 7 hours late because of technical problems with the plane.
The plane spotters turned out in force.
www.classic-car-buyer.co.uk/features/classic-scene/734-classic-scene-classic-car-buyer
43 years ago? can you adam and eve it.
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The 747 was an aviation success story, unlike the much revered Concorde which was actually a disaster.
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>> The 747 was an aviation success story, unlike the much revered Concorde which was actually
>> a disaster.
Mighty troublesome in its early days though. The P&W JT9D engine required a lot of extra development before it met promised performance. I've a picture somewhere of a line of Pan Am/TWA models engine less outside the assembly plant.
Even into the mid seventies BA's 20 or so strong fleet of P&W engined 747-136 models were averaging an in flight engine shut down once a week.
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What were causing the problems?
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Interesting thanks, the ovalisation is the most surprising causing blade damage. I've seen it from other factors but never that.
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Ovalisation was the reason quoted in my 1971 book looking back on events of 69/70. The other stuff I couldn't have listed but remember articles in Flight about BA being very keen to get the Rolls engined 236 into service.
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All engines have their problems. I thought some of the issues would be surge problems when you said engine shut down. Although it suggests a design flaw, bleeding air off works but the problem is why is it surgeing? No doubt linked to the lack of puff, I wonder if engine shut downs were more common on the hot and high routes?
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40 years is a long time in aviation and a lot of development. Performance and reliability expectations, and experience, have improved significantly.
Until sometime in the 1980s, you couldn't even cross the Atlantic on a twin engined passenger jet, if memory serves; the certifications that allowed that reflect improvements in reliability and single engine performance of the aircraft.
If an engine fails during take off after the take-off decision speed has been reached, a twin engined passenger jet at maximum weight will still take off and climb, something I was told when first crossing the Atlantic on a 757 in 1989 and still impresses me. I wouldn't want to experience that without a good crew at the front, mind.
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If proof was ever needed.....I'd have been crapping myself in my Thomson onsie.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KhZwsYtNDE
The epitome of cool.
Last edited by: R.P. on Sat 12 Jan 13 at 12:28
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>>The epitome of cool.
Certainly was.
And this Tuesday will be the 4th anniversary of Chesley B. Sullenberger III's water landing in the Hudson.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gVCI4KFdrI
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I remember seeing that video before, looks like a locked in surge till they chop the throttle.
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Can't remember the date but I do recall as a young child seeing Concorde on one of its earliest outings flying over Turnhouse airport. I remember being mightily impressed. We used to see Lightnings and Vulcans there sometimes too but my best memory was as a 13 year old RAF cadet being in the RAF station buildings there when the Red Arrows dropped in for a cup of tea and we got to meet them. Pretty sure they flew in in Gnats.
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>>If proof was ever needed.....I'd have been crapping myself in my Thomson onsie<<
Does anyone know if the poor lickle birdie survived??
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>> >>If proof was ever needed.....I'd have been crapping myself in my Thomson onsie<<
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>> Does anyone know
>> if the poor lickle birdie survived??
Yes, No - it was toast.
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Just watched the video.
Talk about professional, not an ounce of tension in their voice!
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The Hudson or the Manc one ?
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Manc one
but the Hudson one was cool as a cucumber!
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>> unlike the much revered Concorde which was actually a disaster
I don't know how true it is, but someone once told me that the 20 Concordes built would have lost less money had they been constructed from solid gold and immediately buried in the ground.
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They lost a lot, I'm not sure that much but might have. I remember the Chinooks bought for the RAF that were non-airworthy with the costs of storing them for years it would have been cheaper to burn them the second we bought them and buy some more that we actually wanted.
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On this day ..... - Robin O'Reliant
