Shorts Belfast – Australia

Ouch! Thats not going to do any of them any good at all. 

The Belfast is currently  getting a “bottom wash” in the cairns airport flooding.

You have to wonder what is so big  and not needed in a hurry, that they need the Belslow to lug it round. 

Politician’s ego? Sense of disappointment at the rugby union team?

Really hope this comes to fruition, it would be amazing to see. It might also widen the possible locations for eventual retirement when the time comes, couldn’t see it having much of a long term preservation future at Cairns. 

Farnboroughbob…

Your rumor/hypothesis makes sense since there are no other aircraft in the country which use Tynes….

But….and there is always a “but”…

-The purchaser/importer of the C-160s has said they plan on converting the aircraft into firebombers. (Per Wiki).

I guess they see them as a “poor man’s” Hercules.

if someone knows the condition and hours of those 3 airframes, it would help determine whether that C-160 firebomber plan is:

A. really feasible, (are there other C-160s in that role anywhere?)

B. a pipe dream…like a lot of other aviation plans

C. or a falsehood concocted in order to provide a cover a Belfast resurrection… but why the need for subterfuge?

-I would suppose that any flying Belfast would have to work for a living (as opposed to just doing historic events), so you would have to determine whether there is a market for an outsized cargo carrier in your region. And I would guess converting it into a fire bomber is out, it would take a lot of engineering (and paper) work to make it practical for one aircraft. 

I’ll believe when I see as she’s had false dawns before,  but I would LOVE to know that a Belslow is trundling the Airways again. 

I wonder if this is linked to the sale of 3 ex German C-160’s, and a large number of spares to Australia? Of course both share the same engines, could be completeley unconnected of course.

No way.. really… that’s absolutely amazing news. I had feared the worse for the ole girl. Obviously time will tell if this actually happens but it sounds positive!

Thanks for the reply, Mark.

It is being reported on various facebook pages that it has recently been placed onto the US civil register and is undergoing active overhaul to return to flying operations.