Brabazon Film

[jonesey2k]

What a mad looking aeroplane I suppose she was doomed from day 1 as the jet age was starting by then.

[cstorey]

I remember seeing it , once,in about 1951 , in flight, and it was indeed enormous looking --- I would not , however, agree that it was doomed from the start - the Americans produced piston aircraft for another 9 years or so -- but it was just too large, at the same size broadly as a 747, and would not fit the infrstructure of the time

[Garry Russell]

The size problem was mentioned where they said about the cost of building the new hangar and saying that would be a problem for operartors.

Jets were not a serious propsition when they were building it and it stemmed back to 1943 and a comitte deciding what would be needed after the war. The design itself dates form right at the wars end and it took five years to design and build. Jets were not a consideration then as anything other than specialised.. The Comet was design as a 32 seater where as the Brab was to take 100 in luxury. They did move on as only the prototype was piston powered as that was all they had ready. The production version of which the prototype was almost complete was to be powered by Proteus turbo props.

The Americans had probelems as well with the DC 4E, C-99 and the Constitution let alone the Hughes HK-1 where they managed to build the huges machine but the world was just not ready, and any military use had faded.

Can you image Heathrow of the time with 20 Barabazons parked up.

The whole infrastructure was DC6/L-049 size.

The airlines had a choice of buying this with added purchase cost, extensive airport modifications, the airports themselves would have to alter parking areas, and perhaps taxyways and runways....or they could just buy the smaller aircraft that not only could do the main routes but the smaller ones as well.

There would be no options of using it into smaller existing airports so limiting multi sector routes.

So it was ann engineering sucess but a practical non starter.

I think it had a lot to do with coming out of the War and standing up to prove that the impossible could still be achieved and despite the obvious damage to the country all that had made Britain a world leader was still very much to the fore.

The real failure is not perhaps so much the Brabazon......which taught the industry how to build big aircraft and systems like power controls had to be developed as well as a huge useful hangar and runway that was to be of imense use in the future...........but the fact that the spirit of determination to suceed was not continued.......through increased lack of official support as time moved on.

Garry

[Nigel H-J]

I would just say that to older members,remember the yes-no interlude in 'Take Your Pick' by Michael Miles?Well Bob Danvers Walker was the man with the gong

Many thanks for the info on the man with the commentary Eric, that is something I did not know and Garry mentioned, I also enjoyed the dig at the MPs' so my question will be if and when Britain decides to enter the space race with their own shuttle service or similar, any chance of giving our MPs' a ride........Outbound only?

Watching the maiden flight I began to wonder whether she would actually make it to altitude as the climb appeared to be painfully slow.

Nigel.

[Garry Russell]

Only if there is a high risk Nigel

Climb outs were painfully slow in those days and wheels were usually retracted as soon as they left they ground to help the rate by getting rid of that drag.

Garry

[TSR2]

If I'm not mistaken the first testflights for almost all a/c where done with the gear down, I think the theory was that if you retracted the gear, and couldn't get it back down again, you'd destroy the airframe.

[Nigel H-J]

:think: I've heard that somewhere before Ben.

Nigel.

[DispatchDragon]

Nigel, Ben - its also an optical illusion - I remember seeing the first C5As flying from Marietta in 1968 and they appeared to moving very very slowly - because of their size - however 160 knots (as commented in the film) seems very slow for such a large aircraft.

Leif

[DaveB]

That's true Leaf.. as does crossing the threshold at 100kts :o

ATB

DaveB :tab:

[Garry Russell]

First flights in recent times were made with the gear down although the 380 retracted it after a while

In the days of the Brab they retracted it and as it flies by you can see it's retracted

He mentions he was not sure at first he had left the ground so that would have delayed him retracting

The first flight of the Viscount has pics clearly showing the wheels being retracted just after take off.

On the first flight of the Britannia one of the main wheels did not rotate fully down until just before landing.......so that was retracted.

I don't think it was fear of them not coming down again in later days as they were tested on jacks many times. I think more that the guys were busy checking the handling at lower speeds without changing the configuration too much.....just concentrate on seeing how it flies, trims, and effectiveness of the controls in one condition for now, expanding the envelope later.

Garry