Date Posted: 8/09/03 21:55:53 Author: Pete F Subject: Re: Handley Page Hastings Aircraft In reply to:
John 'Gary' Cooper
's message, "Handley Page Hastings Aircraft" on 9/02/03 20:50:27
This has come in today and is surely worth sharing with you:
Just found your excellent Hastings site, terrific! I served on FEC's 1960-62 as a 'flying spanner' on TG507 and WJ333, both modified to VIP standard.
I was very interested to read of Hastings engines cutting out. One morning I arrived late to work as TG 507 was taxying out for a post service air test. We heard the engines being checked out at the end of the runway, a slight delay, then power for take-off, we thought, a few seconds later, silence! We waited for the crash, nothing. Then we were told by the tower to go and tow her back to dispersal. After much investigation, it was discovered that the Graviner system had been incorrectly set during the service, and the vibration of the engines had set it off, killing all four engines! Fortunately there had been a mag. drop, and the pilot had tried to 'burn' it off, we estimated that had the mag. drop not been there, the aircraft would have just got airbourne before the engines cut. To add to the drama, as there were insuficient 'ballast boxes availeable, half the squadron ground crew were on board.
regards Pete
I can't recall the specific Hercules engine on a RAF kite, Hastings, Bristol Freighter, or Valetta where if the engine was coughing & spluttering we would do a full plug change and if that didn't cure it when ground running said engine we would turn off both magneto switches simultaneously, huge BANG. But it seemed to work, I guess always out of ear shot of engineering officers and the ilk as this was strictly against the rules!
