Turboprop oldies when aircraft looked interesting

Brilliant – I love props. The Fokker 27 was a superb aircraft to fly in, it had the edge over the Fokker 50 by the fact that it had much larger windows which were better for viewing and taking photos (especially good when you’re flying over somewhere like Iceland which is where I had my Fokker 27 flights :D)

Since a piston (recip) powered plane crept into VeeOne’s original post I’m adding this one…a LIFE photo of a Pan Am Stratocruiser crew watching the departure of the first BOAC Comet 4 service to New York from Heathrow North (Oct 1958)
http://images.google.com/hosted/life/f?q=kauffman+comet+source:life&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dkauffman%2Bcomet%2Bsource:life%26hl%3Den%26biw%3D1440%26bih%3D717%26tbm%3Disch&imgurl=66b5dafad4e8560d

Cheers Peter. Very much appreciated

If I remember correctly, those Rotterdam visits were day trippers visiting the bulb fields.

Hello Jethro,

You are quite right. It was an interesting period with lots of interesting aircraft and airlines visiting Rotterdam.

Kind regards,

Peter

‘TD looks like an ex BUA machine. I flew JER-LGW on an Intra Viscount.

Cheers Peter. Very much appreciated

If I remember correctly, those Rotterdam visits were day trippers visiting the bulb fields.

Anymore ‘Midland’ viscounts?

Good evening,

Yes Jethro15, I have a few more BMA Viscounts. I hope you like them.

1. G-APNE, Viscount 831 at Rotterdam on April 20th, 1969

2. G-APTD, Viscount 833 at Rotterdam on April 20th, 1969

3. G-AVJB, Viscount 815 at Rotterdam on April 18th, 1970

4. G-BAPE, Viscount 814 at Schiphol on April 11th, 1977

Kind regards,

Peter

I always thought this was a good looking aircraft …

I’ve always liked the look of the Electras too. I especially like the squared-tipped blades. The Convair 580 has the same appeal for me.

Anymore ‘Midland’ viscounts?

Lockheed L188 Electras

They were fast ,too and reputedly handled like fighters….didn’t the US Navy wind one of their Orions up to nearly 500mph. When KLM realised their Electras were going to be competing with Caravelles they posted an article in their house magazine ‘De Wolkenrijder’ showing the block times hardly differed between the two types on short-medium routes…didn’t Lockheed look into relaunching a stretched Electra when the early 70s oil price hike occurred?

I always thought this was a good looking aircraft, always looks very practical in whatever role it plays ??

Keith.

Oops, that has put me in my place. So the fact that the Il-18 appears larger is purely an optical illusion, never trust the MkI eyeball for accuracy.:)

Sorry Mike, that really wasn’t my intention. I did not know these figures until you had piqued my curiosity on this. It may be that the Il18 looks larger to the eye, because its a slimmer design than the others, just a theory;)

And so you should, mind you I have been guilty of my fair share of those in the past.

So the fact that the Il-18 appears larger is purely an optical illusion

Or even an optical Ilyushin?

I’ll get my coat…

Interesting comparison on these large prop liners:

Bristol Britannia 300: L:41.75m/136′ 11″ W:43.37m/142′ 4″

Vickers Vanguard: L:37.45m/123′ 10″ W:36.14m/119′ 7″

Ilyushin IL18: L:35.9m/117′ 9: W:37.4m/122′ 9″

Electra: L:31.85m/105′ 6″ W:30.18m/99′ 0″

Oops, that has put me in my place. So the fact that the Il-18 appears larger is purely an optical illusion, never trust the MkI eyeball for accuracy.:)

RR Dart power East Midlands Airport 1974

British Midland HP Herald and Viscount

British Midland Viscount and Argosy (Sagittair or ABC)

Bare metal Argosy returned from American register and Logair flights

Interesting comparison on these large prop liners:

Bristol Britannia 300: L:41.75m/136′ 11″ W:43.37m/142′ 4″

Vickers Vanguard: L:37.45m/123′ 10″ W:36.14m/119′ 7″

Ilyushin IL18: L:35.9m/117′ 9: W:37.4m/122′ 9″

Electra: L:31.85m/105′ 6″ W:30.18m/99′ 0″

Whilst not wishing to cause any arguments Vee One I personally think the Il-18 looks more like an overgrown Electra and it is actually quite a bit larger. Not sure by how much but the Electra is bigger than the Vanguard.

Soviet Turboprops

Aeroflot An-12 Schiphol 1971

TAROM Il-18 lined up on LHR 28R

Another nice couple of snaps there. You can see where the Nord 262s lineage comes from.

Less common Turboprops

Nord 260 LHR 1973, few produced

Martinair Electra PH-LLG Schiphol 1968, not many pics around of this