WIP: Flight Replicas Halifax

[mikecyul]

Hi Paul. The arrangement comes out of the Manual for the C.Mk.VIII/Halton. The second set of controls appear to be more or less permanent, given their construction and fittings (including a floor), and are equipped with brake levers and are more robust than those fitted for training only.

The 'second pilot's seat still folds down out of the way, and this allows normal movement of the navigator and W/Op, and the second pilot can still move about as FE. The only way into the second pilot's seat (that I can see), would be to unfold the seat at its rear-most position on the slide-tube, get on the seat, bring your legs up and then slide the seat forward. With the seat slid forward, there appears to have been enough room below and to the rear to allow the navigator and W/Op to squeeze by if they had to.

Not everything finished in the cockpit, and so don't look too closely.

[Paul K]

Edited from my original post, which missed your points completely, Mike. It's me age, ya know.

Just one more question; in civilian operated C.Mk. VIIIs post-war ( small outfits such as LAMS, LAC, Bond Air Services etc. ) did they employ a dedicated second pilot, or was it still the flight engineer who occupied that fold-up seat as and when required e.g. during landing, take-off etc. ? I daresay on BOAC Haltons they had a proper co-pilot, with the F/E knowing and keeping his place !

[mikecyul]

As the Manual is for both the VIII and the BOAC Halton combined, I would have to think that BOAC kept the same arrangement as the VIII.

Being second pilot couldn't have been very comfortable on longer flights!

[Paul K]

Sorry, Mike, probably didn't make the question clear - In the C.Mk. VIII and / or Halton, was there a dedicated second pilot or did the F/E occupy that flip down seat, as and when required ?

[mikecyul]

I don't know. If I had to guess, I'd say the the FE occupied the second pilot seat as needed. Crash reports of non-BOAC (but ex-BOAC) Halton's indicate only one pilot on board. Whether BOAC, as a company, had a policy of always having two dedicated pilots is for the historians to say, but to me the layout suggests only one. Be nice to know!

https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=18845

[hobby]

It's a cracker!!

[Paul K]

I don't know. If I had to guess, I'd say the the FE occupied the second pilot seat as needed. Crash reports of non-BOAC (but ex-BOAC) Halton's indicate only one pilot on board. Whether BOAC, as a company, had a policy of always having two dedicated pilots is for the historians to say, but to me the layout suggests only one. Be nice to know!

https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=18845

Mike, thanks again. I daresay one day, one of us will come across the definitive answer. I bet you are right though - would people like LAMS or Bond Air Services employ a second pilot when the F/E had been sufficient through the war? Probably not.

Keep them screenshots coming!

[Paul K]

And there we go - access down into the nose unimpeded by the seat, just as you said. Excellent stuff.

[mikecyul]

And a few more screenshots, as things are coming along.

[blanston12]

Nice to see the BOAC livery