Douglas XC-47C / DC-3 on floats

This variant of the iconic C-47/DC-3 first flew in 1943. 30 sets of Edo-78-29 400 floats were produced with the plan of fitting on other aircraft. Only a few in the end were ever fitted with floats. The 42ft long floats were also fuel tanks that could hold 300 US Gallons. The 34,162 pound aircraft was a tricky handful for it’s pilots in Crosswinds and landing on choppy water. The floats cut it’s top speed by 30mph compared to a standard aircraft

One DC-3 N130Q (c/n 11761) was converted in 1976 and based at Greenville Maine Airport. It flew for a good number of years before finally being converted back to a standard DC-3.

DC-3 N130Q Photo by Henk Geerlings Airport-Data.com

The Short 'Shed' 360 Classroom

Pupils at the Kingsland Primary School in Stoke-on Trent have had their first lessons in their new classroom – a decommissioned aeroplane.
Pupils at the school were given the chance to choose what they wanted as an extra classroom and voted unanimously for an aeroplane. The decommissioned Short 360 plane used to fly to both Ireland and Spain as part of the Emerald Airlines fleet and was bought for around £11,000 from Retro Aviation, a vintage aircraft seller.
The project is a culmination of two years work and has been fitted with desks and laptops, with the first lessons taking place last week.Talking about the new classroom, head teacher David Lawrence said: “The children’s imagination has been fired up by the idea and they are enthused and motivated. We are sure this will lead to improved attendance, give us better and more opportunities for our creative curriculum and raise attainment.”

By Tony Worthington 20th July 2009



The old 'Shed' is looking good. I want one for my lawnmower!

 In it's old life. Short 360-100 G-SSWE c/n SH3705 29/5/2003 @ STN

The superb amphibious - ICON A5

Now you have watched the clip and now want one! It's yours for about £85,382.56! Read all about it:

http://www.carbonfibergear.com/icon-a5-carbon-fiber-plane/?sms_ss=blogger&at_xt=4ddd57ad5a071aa5%2C0

http://www.iconaircraft.com/index.html

Paramount Airways & Amber Airways (Amberair)

Paramount Airways (QJ/PAT) two new MD83s started charter services from Bristol Airport to Tenerife and Malaga on May the 1st 1987. In 1988 they added two more new MD83s and two 737-200s from the still newly formed Amber Airways that they had just taken over. Their main departure airports from the UK including their base at Bristol were Birmingham, Belfast, Newcastle, Exeter, East Midlands, & Glasgow.

More expansion came with the formation of Paramount Executive operating a Cessna 550 Citation II based at Birmingham.

In 1989 a new 737-300 was added & one remaining 737-200 still in the fleet was based at Manchester. They also leased a 727-100 from ATA for the summer and this was based at Gatwick. The Airline then started getting into financial difficulties. Paramount limped on for the rest of the summer until they finally ceased trading by October 89.

Fleet details:

McDonnell Douglas MD-83

 G-PATA c/n 49398

 G-PATB c/n 49400

 G-PATC c/n 49962

 G-PATD c/n 49663

Boeing 737-300

G-PATE c/n 24093

Boeing 737-200

G-BKMS c/n 22453

G-BOSA c/n 20808 

Cessna 550 Citation II

G- JFRS c/n 550-0569

Cessna 500 Citation

G-BHTT c/n 500-0404

Monsted-Vincent MV-1 Starflight.

The Monsted-Vincent MV-1 Starflight was built in Louisiana. The sole aircraft built first flew on the 1st of October 1948.  Powered by 4 Continental C-85 engines driving pusher-propellers and it could carry up to 6 passengers. The test results did not encouraged any potential customers and the aircraft was put in the Wedell-Williams Memorial Aviation Museum in the Patterson, Louisiana.

In 1992, the museum was hit by hurricane Andrew and MV-1 was virtually destroyed. The aircraft was relocated to a storage hanger and in 2005 the hanger along with the aircraft was leveled by hurricane Rita.

The museum moved to a new location in Patterson. I guess now the aircraft is still in bits and waiting for the next hurricane. Maybe they should of called it the MV-1 Hurricane?



Photos by: Eberhard Kranz

Hurricane hit number one:

http://www.jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=501213

Fouga CM.100

The Fouga CM. 100 was based on an assault glider the CM.10 that was designed just after WWII. Two CM.10 were built but no orders came in. The sole CM,100 powered by 2 SNECMA 12S engines first flew on the 19th January 1949. It was later tested with turbojets on the wingtips as the CM.101R. It still atracthed no orders and was scrapped.

CM.100



the same aircraft later called the CM.101R

Specifications CM.100

• Crew: two pilots
• Capacity: 14 passengers
• Length: 17.90 m (58 ft 9 in)
• Wingspan: 26.70 m (87 ft 7 in)
• Wing area: 71.9 m² (774 ft²)
• Empty weight: 4,540 kg (10,010 lb)
• Gross weight: 7,300 kg (16,100 lb)
• Powerplant: 2 × SNECMA 12S-02, 433 kW (580 hp) each
• Cruising speed: 245 km/h (153 mph)
• Range: 500 km (312 miles)

Bristol Lulsgate Airport - Picture Post

I have worked at Bristol Airport now for 23 years. Here is a selection of scanned snaps from the late 80's up to the late 00's. 

Hot Air Viscount



One brit & two two bobs

A busy day years ago







A lovely old Caravelle

Good old Dan-Air

7 twenty 7



IEA ended up being sold to Airtours



Paramount Airways was a Bristol based airline



One of the many operators that did Bristol-Toronto that went bust!




And now a few digital Pictures....

a fence shot!



Photo by Will Duffield

Conti's first flight arrival from NYC

All pics by and from The Aviation Anorak's box under the bed!

http://www.bristolairport.co.uk/