Brabazon Interior

Any guestimates on the jet thrust needed to get a Brabazon airborne?

The FlightGlobal archives have quite a bit of information.

http://www.flightglobal.com/PDFArchive/View/1949/1949%20-%201647.html?search=aircraft%201949

http://www.flightglobal.com/ImageArchive/Image.aspx?GalleryName=Cutaways/Civil%20Aviation/Civil%20Aviation%201949-2006&Image=Bristol-Brabazon-MK1

Of course, in those days air travel was still for the relatively “well off” few, the days of airtravel for the great unwashed masses had not yet dawned, or even been dreamt of, and so a degree of “expected” luxury/comfort was probably “built in” to the space per head.

Nowadays it’s all about cramming as many heads into each aluminium tube as possible so as to maximise heads per flight, and thus try and convince the paying public that being cramped is good for their wallet (if not for their circulatory systems!).

Note the absence of over-head stowage bins in the interior shot in the earlier post – I wonder where the hand luggage was going to be stowed? Presumably the helpful and courteous cabin crew carefully took it form you as you were welcomed aboard, and then carefully stowed it in convenient locker somewhere – no need to damage your back/shoulder muscles whilst trying to wrestle your maximum-weight/maximum-size hand luggage into an already full overhead locker, and then having to use a crowbar to remove it again at the end of the flight, whilst deperately hoping that none of the contents have been broken by whomever threw/forced their heavy duty free or laptop bag in on top if it.

Just think of this thread next time you are trying to “enjoy” a flight in the back end of a modern airliner 🙁 .

Paul F

Although i too enjoy the idea of vintage airtravel, you have to admit that being cramped IS good for your wallet. It was the industry vision of large scale airtravel, that has been driving airline development. Unfortunatly we are now at the logical terminus, where Ryanair (and others) run flight services well below cattle truck standard.

The pax limit of the Brabazon was (althought nice) part of its failure. The industry had no need for luxury travel on that scale. They were moving towards a “Flights for all” policy.

Today you could fly a luxury airliner like the Brabazon and make it pay, but now the development cost (as you would only sell a few) would prevent it from ever flying.

I seem to remember a DC-8 flying as a small luxury cruise type airline somewhere, not too long ago (I hope).

I came across this sectional drawing of the proposed Brabazon layout today, so I thought I’d resurrect this thread. The attached drawing shows upper and lower sleeper cabins at the front, a dining cabin over the wing, then a lounge and bar, and an aft cabin with 32 seats. under the bar are the ladies and gents dressing rooms. Not a far cry from some of the suggested layouts for the Airbus A.380, almost 60 years later (and another Filton product – OK, in part for the A380).

Andy A.

A far cry from today’s bargain flights that occasionally look like a third world inter-city bus.:D

Look, sound and all too often smell like one too.

Only thing missing is the massed humanity trying to hang on to the outside!!!!

Paul F

It looks a bit like the interior of the pre-war luxury flying boats.
Paul F. is correct, back then air travel was for the rich…they traveled in style and expected first class service…ocean liner style.

A far cry from today’s bargain flights that occasionally look like a third world inter-city bus.:D

Of course, in those days air travel was still for the relatively “well off” few, the days of airtravel for the great unwashed masses had not yet dawned, or even been dreamt of, and so a degree of “expected” luxury/comfort was probably “built in” to the space per head.

Note the absence of over-head stowage bins in the interior shot in the earlier post – I wonder where the hand luggage was going to be stowed? Presumably the helpful and courteous cabin crew carefully took it form you as you were welcomed aboard, and then carefully stowed it in convenient locker somewhere –

I think I remember some mentions of airliners incorporating dressing rooms. Did Brabazon have anything like this?

Of course, in those days air travel was still for the relatively “well off” few, the days of airtravel for the great unwashed masses had not yet dawned, or even been dreamt of, and so a degree of “expected” luxury/comfort was probably “built in” to the space per head.

Nowadays it’s all about cramming as many heads into each aluminium tube as possible so as to maximise heads per flight, and thus try and convince the paying public that being cramped is good for their wallet (if not for their circulatory systems!).

Note the absence of over-head stowage bins in the interior shot in the earlier post – I wonder where the hand luggage was going to be stowed? Presumably the helpful and courteous cabin crew carefully took it form you as you were welcomed aboard, and then carefully stowed it in convenient locker somewhere – no need to damage your back/shoulder muscles whilst trying to wrestle your maximum-weight/maximum-size hand luggage into an already full overhead locker, and then having to use a crowbar to remove it again at the end of the flight, whilst deperately hoping that none of the contents have been broken by whomever threw/forced their heavy duty free or laptop bag in on top if it.

Just think of this thread next time you are trying to “enjoy” a flight in the back end of a modern airliner 🙁 .

Paul F

Sorry I kind of missed the jist of your question, obviously you want to know the proposed layout.
Some truely lovely shots of the Brab on that last mentioned site, including the one below, I wouldn’t mind that framed and hanging on my wall!

From
http://www.aviationarchive.org.uk/stories/getobjectstory.php?rnum=G1286&enum=GE121&pnum=9&maxp=9

the upper right image shows 3-seat blocks. So, it seems that Brabazon was a single-aisle 6 abreast plane?

cabin pics at the very end
http://www.airlinefan.com/view_video.php?photoid=1288645

http://www.damninteresting.com/?p=939

Big and basic from what I’ve seen, there was a small section in the forward part of the fusalage that was fitted out with seats and interior fittings, and the press were flown in it. The rest I believe was just the basic structure, operating systems and test gear.
There is a website somewhere that has excellent interior and cockpit pics of the Brabazon, but I can’t locate it at the mo.
I wonder if the Brab commitee ‘discovered’ or came up with the passenger space requirements? These were in the days before the rampant commercialism of Ryanair etc!