While cooped up in the house, I’ve been perusing some recent book purchases, among them this magnificent volume covering the history of British airlifters, from the immediate post-war period (when the RAF actually had to make us of captured Japanese transports) through to the A400M. There is coverage of a great many unbuilt designs, which will delight any “what if” fan.
Some highlights:
Chapter 2: Fetch and Carry: Holds, Wheels and Engines A look at airlifter technology, with diagrams including: Hold sizes or various types, including the Brittanic, C-133 and C-130. Cross sections overlaid with a square showing the max square load of the Belfast – many types, even the 747F and DC-10F, could not handle this. Visual explanations of the Khe Sanh approach, LAPES and GPES.
Chapter 3 Transports for the Austerity Years Color shots of a York and Hastings C.1 3-view of a projected Hastings outgrowth with a revised rear fuselage incorporating a tail ramp. Diagram showing the evolution of the X.30/46 glider into the Beverley. 3-view of the Stage 2 Beverley with Tyne engines, with close-up drawings of the Centaurus and Tyne installations. Stage 3 Beverely with Napier Elands Several depictions of the Blackburn B.107
Chapter 4 An Argosy Abandoned – OR.323 Medium Transport 3-views include: Airspeed AS.60 Ayrshire and AS.67 – these would have used the wings and tail of the Ambassador. Bristol Type 167 “flying boxcar” type design Shorts’ PD.16 Scottish Aviation Turbo Pioneer AW.660
Chapter 5: Strategic Freighters Round One 3-view diagrams for the C.132/OR.315, including the HP.96, Vickers Type 716 and V.1000, Shorts’ DH and Avro contenders. Comet 5 3-view Bristol 175, 187 and Brittania 100 3-views. Coverage of planned hypersonic successors to the VC.10, including an artist’s depiction of the HS.1019/A5
Chapter 7 To Singapore by the Cable Route – AST 364 Covers the post 1957 efforts to provide a long range strategic transport to help the UK fufill its obligations to nations in Southeast Asia. Reaching Asia in a post-Suez world was a challenge – as many nations in Africa and the Middle East might not grant overflight rights. A solution was to use the “cable route” around the Cape of Good Hope – named for the Victorian era telegraph route.
Included: The HP.117 flying wing strategic transport projected for the 1970s. VC.10 with revised forward fuselage for front loading Brittanic 6 with VC.10 wings Jet Belfast with C-141 derived wings BAC VC.10 derivative with high-mounted wing and swing nose Coverage of UK deliberations on a C-5A purchase, including a photo of a Galaxy model in RAF colors
Chapter 8 Theatre Transport Replacement Aircraft: OR.351 Details the effort to replace the Beverley and Hastings with a new tactical transport that would be capable of STOL operations from austere forward airstrips
Types covered include: BAC Warton EAG.3198 with lift fans Avro Type 773 C-130 look-a-like with variable-incidence wings and Tyne turboprops BAC 208 BAC.222 C-130 derivative with a larger fuselage and Tyne engines Tactical Belfast with blown surfaces HS.681
Chapter 9: Blown Away by the Chinook – Light Cargo Aircraft
Includes: Avro 758 HP Military Herald HP.127 Jet Herald
Chapter 11: South of Suez and a Return to the East FIMA/FLA/Euroflag alternatives
