October 19, 2003 at 11:40 pm
as it was a dreary afternoon up here I dug out an old video and watched a film i’d taped years ago called Cone Of Silence…. its about an airliner entering service that suffers a couple of crashes which turn out to be caused by the pilot following ‘the book’ with regard to take-off speeds etc.. you get the idea… Peter Cushing was in it, starring in a non-vampire role!!
anyway, anyone seen this and any idea what was the a/c they used? I’ve seen it before somewhere on an old Farnborough video… can’t find anything much on Google… the credits included a thank-you to the Bristol Engine Company.. may’ve been a development a/c..?? film made in 1961.. a/c looked Viscount size with turbojet engines???
Neil.
By: alamo - 20th October 2003 at 12:29
Confirm Ashton WB493
Photo from ‘Olympus, the first forty years’ (R-R Heritage)
Seemingly, the producers wanted to use a B707 but Boeing threatened to sue them if it looked even remotely like a 707.
Come to think of it, I read the book when it came out!

By: Guzzineil - 20th October 2003 at 11:16
good call Mike… had a look on a coupel of sites and I think you’re right.. can probably narrow it down to WB493 which had an Olympus engine on each side plus the a pair of Nenes in a nacelle… I thought the 6 engine layout in the film was a mock-up.. !! pictures and info at the site below…
http://www.gsansom.demon.co.uk/vfaero/oneoff/vf11.htm
thanks
neil.
By: mike currill - 20th October 2003 at 08:48
Re: another film query
Originally posted by Guzzineil
as it was a dreary afternoon up here I dug out an old video and watched a film i’d taped years ago called Cone Of Silence…. its about an airliner entering service that suffers a couple of crashes which turn out to be caused by the pilot following ‘the book’ with regard to take-off speeds etc.. you get the idea… Peter Cushing was in it, starring in a non-vampire role!!anyway, anyone seen this and any idea what was the a/c they used? I’ve seen it before somewhere on an old Farnborough video… can’t find anything much on Google… the credits included a thank-you to the Bristol Engine Company.. may’ve been a development a/c..?? film made in 1961.. a/c looked Viscount size with turbojet engines???
Neil.
Not sure Im being any help here but would the Avro Ashton be a possible candidate? Just a thought, nothing else fitting your description comes to mind at the moment.
regards
mike