Here's an oddity

Hello HP 81
As far as our records show the two Eagle Britannia’s CF and CG had ex military 252 freight doors and VF and VM had the larger doors fitted. I think its correct to say that the smaller doors were 72”X88” and the larger ones were 76”X 122.75.
The first door mod took six months to complete and total hours were 67,000 man hours. In addition to the door the floor beams were reinforced. The basic weight of the aircraft was increased by approx. 300lbs. Both CF and CG had very low flying hours when purchased from Transcontinental SA. The first aircraft cost £150,000 that also included a maintenance check 4.The aircraft could carry as follows
5 pallets plus 37 passengers
4 pallets plus 61 passengers
3 pallets plus 7 passengers
2 pallets plus 103 passengers
1 pallet plus 121 passengers

All freight 8 pallets Pallet size 108”X 88”

My only flight in a British Eagle Britannia was from Heathrow to Singapore. I wonder if this could be the same plane. It was a very enjoyable flight until she hit an air pocket and dropped so quick she hit me, and others, on the head. The Captain then decided to tell us to secure our seat belts. I’ll always remember the close encounter with the Alps and coming into land over Palm trees at Columbia Airport, Ceylon, as it was then.
Coming home a few years later in a VC10 was a very different experience(via Ghan).

DIdn’t ‘NCF and OVF have different sized freight doors?

Re the VC 10 periscope…there was one on the roof to check for ice on the tailplane…is that the one being mentioned?

Wasn’t that the cockpit one? I seem to remember the back one went through the floor.

Ahhh memory refreshed as to them all

http://www.vc10.net/Technical/oddities.html

I certainly remember being told that the ATL door was bigger (wider) than the RAF door, but whether Eagle used different size doors on their conversions I have no idea. CF & VF were both eagle conversions, I believe CD, CE, VS and may be others were ATEL conversions.

DIdn’t ‘NCF and OVF have different sized freight doors?

There were two sizes…the ATL which was took the larger pallets and the Bristol one which was smaller and of a type that would have been built into the aircraft if fitted during production but added later to some aircraft. In other words the standard (Bristol) door and the ATL mod.

I seem to remeber seeing a pic of ‘CF and ‘VF parked together at Manston with Invicta and noticing they had a different freight doors…long time ago now.

Re the VC 10 periscope…there was one on the roof to check for ice on the tailplane…is that the one being mentioned?

Hello 43-2195,
Much of this kind of information is recorded. Anything that relates to the Eagle Group of Companies which includes British Eagle is recorded in the groups archives which covers all aspects of their operation. Also a small part of it can be seen on their website britisheagle.net. Any items related to the Eagle group are most welcome. In the first place myself as the archivist on [email]britisheagleint@aol.com[/email]

Consul and Viscount, I am extremely impressed by both of your depths of knowledge on this matter. I strongly suspect that you both have anoraks hanging on coat hooks near your respective front doors. In fact Viscount sounds like he may also have a log book with First Officers name and flight time recorded. I hope all this information is recorded somewhere other than the internet.

Many thanks Tony for posting the picture of Britannia G-AOVF its a gem. Although I was never based at Liverpool the picture brings back many memories of when we converted the first Britannia into a freighter at Heathrow,now the subject of a long term restoration at Liverpool. One only hopes that the future of VF is secure at Cosford. Viscount is right we at Heathrow converted G-ANCF and G-ANCG. Liverpool converted G-AOVM and G-AOVF. although both were supervised by Eagle staff from London and from Bristol Fliton.
Eric Eagle Group Archivist

looking on the back there is a stamp
in blue
Les Waterhouse
then some unreadable faded red text ending “Street”
then in blue Warrington Tel 31044

and some feint pencil writing i cannot read

ok scanned the bits

that might read 22/4/ *8 ?

Clearly British Eagle’s Britannia 312F, G-AOVF “Friendship” undergoing large freight door installation as already identified.

Although I did not recognise the hangar at first, looking at my notes and at other photos, the location is quite certainly in Liverpool Speke’s Hangar No.1. G-AOVF arrived for freight door installation on 28th February 1968, flew an air test 12th August and returned to Heathrow for service 15th August – which presumably puts a date on the photograph circa April/May ’68. Some sources state that British Eagle’s freighter conversions were all undertaken at Heathrow are wrong – indeed G-AOVM was also converted at Speke before ‘VF. Only seen one other photo of a Britannia undergoing freighter conversion with British Eagle Engineering at Liverpool, so can you go through the pile of junk again? Good find despite the creases.

Bloody hell Tim, what colour socks was the photographer wearing.., I take it you have seen it before?

Grey :D. Not seen the photo previously.

Tim

It wasn’t always practical to change them back for normal civilian flights.

You wouldn’t be able to turn them round as they are stressed differently, same as the VC10 one… Speaking of which, the article about the periscope in the rear of the ten in Flypast is wrong, it wasn’t to look at the engine intakes, but to look into the rear baggage hold as it had smoke detectors but no fire bottles, so it was to check if it was actually on fire. You could see the intakes out of the windows.

That brings back memories. My first ever flight in an airliner, was with my parents in a British Eagle Britannia. From Heathrow to Innsbruck (I seem to remember).
Must have been an ex-RAF aircraft, as it had rear facing seats.

None of Eagles Brits were ex military but they did do a lot of flights with military families and troops etc positioning from and to their postings overseas.
There was a requirement at that time for all seats to be rearward facing if carrying military personal etc.
It wasn’t always practical to change them back for normal civilian flights.
Not sure what year it stopped being mandatory though?

It depicts British Eagle’s Britannia G-AOVF which was named “Friendship” and was converted to a 312F freighter in 1968. Later flew with a series of UK and African independents before withdrawal from use. Surprisingly it survives (painted in spurious RAF colours) at Cosford where is masquerades as XM497.

Tim

That brings back memories. My first ever flight in an airliner, was with my parents in a British Eagle Britannia. From Heathrow to Innsbruck (I seem to remember).
Must have been an ex-RAF aircraft, as it had rear facing seats.

Bloody hell Tim, what colour socks was the photographer wearing.., I take it you have seen it before?

It depicts British Eagle’s Britannia G-AOVF which was named “Friendship” and was converted to a 312F freighter in 1968. Later flew with a series of UK and African independents before withdrawal from use. Surprisingly it survives (painted in spurious RAF colours) at Cosford where is masquerades as XM497.

Tim

Looks like a Britannia conversion.

Now, open wide, this won’t hurt a bit …