Only commercially operated example of the type that is airworthy today. As some of you know my preference is for propliners, so the chance to get this monster again was one I wasn’t going to miss… Hopefully I’ll be there for the departure on Tuesday.
Andy
By: Skymonster - 20th July 2004 at 21:53
The thing is amazingly noisy from the front, but VERY quiet from behind, as I experienced when it too off… Really surprising
A
By: Skymonster - 20th July 2004 at 21:50
It was booked to take a Rolls Royce Trent 900 (the engine that will go on the A380). It also took a Trent 700 for an A330 and a V2500 for an A320 seeing as there was space in the hold. I am told that there are three more Trent 900s to go to Toulouse in the next month or so, but no idea at this state whether they will air-freight… Watch this space!
A
By: Dazza - 20th July 2004 at 21:34
I was there tonight as well to watch the departure from crash gate three, an absolutely awesome sight and sound!
What was so unreal was the almighty racket the beast made when facing towards you and then the sudden drop in sound, (sorry, racket!) as it passed by, those contra-rotating props make a wonderful noise, it was even sucking up moisture from the runway as he ran the engines up against the brakes! 😎
What was the cargo by the way?, thought I heard someone mention Rolls Royce engine/s?
-Dazza
By: Skymonster - 20th July 2004 at 21:26
And regarding the departure… He said he was too heavy to make the climb gradient on the SID, so radar had to offer him additional vectors around high ground!!!
A
By: Skymonster - 20th July 2004 at 21:25
Thought that the light was bad last night for its arrival… That was nothing compared to the departure time tonight!!! 😡
By: HP81 - 20th July 2004 at 16:25
Nice pictures, as usual, Andy. We have seen this monster several time at Stansted recently & I always try to pay it a visit, it’s an amazing machine. I heard it upset the locals on its last departure from here though. The rate of climb was quite leisurely 😀
By: wysiwyg - 20th July 2004 at 14:02
Bet it makes an awesome sound! Designed by committee, flown by a committee as well!
By: LBARULES - 20th July 2004 at 13:03
Fantastic photos, I agree not the best looking machine ever but still looks awesome in the same way the A380 does.
By: Arabella-Cox - 20th July 2004 at 12:26
Canny photos you have there, that aircraft has been to Stansted before as mentioned in Airliner World a few months ago.
By: Pablo - 20th July 2004 at 10:19
Nice photos. Not the world’s most graceful aircraft but I guess it’s very functional.
By: Bmused55 - 20th July 2004 at 09:37
looks like an “AN-12” on steroids… lol
Papa Lima, great description. It does look purposeful. Still an ugly SOB though 😉
By: Papa Lima - 20th July 2004 at 09:17
To me it looks purposeful – “I will get airborne, whatever they’ve loaded into my belly”
By: Bmused55 - 20th July 2004 at 07:38
though I have respect for what it is, it sure is an ugly beast.
By: MANAIRPORTMAD - 20th July 2004 at 00:09
Nice! Love that aircraft!!
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July 19, 2004 at 11:57 pm