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Post by beagle on Oct 19, 2008 20:02:42 GMT 12
I know we did not operate them, but some NZer's might have taken a ride in them etc.
I am fascinated by this machine. I was wondering what size it really was. what aircraft of today does it compare to in size.
Apparantely they did come as far as here when they used them in SEA.
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Post by shorty on Oct 19, 2008 20:14:26 GMT 12
If you look in my "stash" thread there are some photos of some of the ones to visit here.
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Post by Bruce on Oct 19, 2008 20:23:52 GMT 12
Aparently on the first test flight takeoff the test pilot asked the copilot - "My side's airborne, how about yours?"  |
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Post by Bruce on Oct 19, 2008 20:38:25 GMT 12
A quick Comparison on Wikipedia with a C130J
The Bev is 2 ft longer, but nearly 30ft greater wingspan, but overall hieght is only 1 inch different (due to the Herks tall fin against the Bevs stubby twin tails)
The Bev carried 44,000 lb payload , the Herk carries 42,00lb, but a lot further and a lot faster!
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Post by phil82 on Oct 20, 2008 11:07:07 GMT 12
I imagine there are quite a few of us who flew in the Beverley...I was one! At Tengah, whenever 14 Sqn went on detachments to Gong Kedah or elsewhere in Malaysia, the transport was provided by FEAF in the form of the Beverley. It was big, and noisy, and reputedly needed a navigator only one way because the oil trail could be followed on the way back! We were always upstairs in the boom, and I never found it particularly noisy, not like a Freighter! The photo is one such taxi on the way to Gong Kedah.Taken at Tengah 1966. Those are our Canberras alongside, and 45 Sqn RAF in the background. The Beverley shown here was scrapped at Seletar n 1967, ex-34 Sqn. It's a mistake to compare the Beverly with the Herc though, they were designed for very different roles. The Beverley could carry a heavy weight over a short , tactical,distance, but was never meant to carry anything strategically as it simply didn't have the range or the speed. The Beverley could lift a greater weight than the Herc,but it could only carry a max load over a short distance;200 miles in fact.  |
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Post by phil82 on Oct 20, 2008 12:08:04 GMT 12
Not generally known was the fact of the Beverley not fitting into most, if not all hangars due to the height of the tail. Those clever lineys designed a sideways set of wheels fitted to the main undercarriage. then jacked the nose up so the tail dropped, then moved the whole kit and caboodle sideways into he hangar!
There was a parody on the John Masefield poem "Cargoes", which went like this:
"Fussy little Argosy flying from the Continent.
Whining back to Berkshire o'er the Germans and the Dutch
Seats full of passengers
Servicemen and families
And freight if it's not bulky and doesn't weigh too much.
VC-10 of Shiny Fleet inbound from America
To velvet whisper touch-down in Oxon country-side
With a cargo of VIPs
Brass hats with their retinues
Complete with curvy Quartermaid attending to their needs.
Dirty old Beverley flogging down to Aden
Sand-encrusted fuselage and oil-streaked wings,
Freight bay full of vehicles,
Artillery and ammo,
Boom full of pongos all honking up their rings.
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Post by phil82 on Oct 20, 2008 12:19:11 GMT 12
The Beverley had a toilet at the very rear of the tail boom, and immediately in front of it were the para-drop doors which opened to reveal a very large hole! A Flying Officer crewman was doing some pre-flight checks of equipment stored in the toilet, and on opening the toilet doors, unbeknown to him, someone had opened the para-doors, which he fell through and was killed when he landed on the concrete some 20' below.
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Post by phil82 on Oct 20, 2008 12:36:31 GMT 12
"It's a fine machine, but it'll never replace the airplane". This was the comment of a USAF Captain on exchange with the RAF, and flying the Beverley.
At the time it entered service, it was the largest aircraft ever operated by the RAF.
I quite like this comment: "Spinning this aircraft is not recommended, as the torque reaction involved causes the Earth to rotate in the opposite direction to the spin, to the accompaniment of some very terse words from the Greenwich Observatory".
Then there was this comment:"The aircraft is extremely versatile, and may be employed in many roles, particularly those which do not involve flying or movemet of any kind. It is also highly amenable to modification. For example, wind tunnel tests have shown that the wings could be placed at the bottom, and the wheels at the top, without any appreciable drop in performance".
Yes, I have an excellent book on the Beverley!
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Post by Peter Lewis on Oct 20, 2008 19:36:30 GMT 12
Am I correct in my thinking that there was a Beverley at the Auckland International Airport opening in 1966?
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Post by shorty on Oct 20, 2008 20:54:30 GMT 12
Here is the Beverley at the 1964 Ohakea show in the company of a RAAF Hercules, A RAF Argosy and our Hastings, note the Bev has the rear doors removed for paradropping (I think they dropped a Landrover),  There is a closer shot of the Bev in my stash thread. |
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Post by Kereru on Oct 21, 2008 13:35:03 GMT 12
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Post by Dave Homewood on Oct 21, 2008 17:03:05 GMT 12
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