Short Belfast SC.5 - Part Three

Final part of the series.
Short Belfast SC.5s at London Southend Airport in the 1990s.
Former RAF strategic transport aircraft in civilian use by Heavylift Cargo Airlines visiting their maintenance base at Southend.
The two active aircraft, G-BEPS and G-HLFT are seen, together with G-BFYU, used for spare parts.
After Heavylift ceased operations in 2002, G-HLFT was sold and spent five years working in Australia, where it remains in 2018 at Cairns, Queensland.
The only Belfast remaining in the UK is XR371 'Enceladus', which was bought for scrap by Rolls-Royce when the type was withdrawn from RAF service, solely to recover the Tyne engines for further use. The aircraft was donated to The RAF Museum , and flown to RAF Cosford, Shropshire before the engines were removed. The gearboxes and propellers remain on the aircraft, so it appears complete.
Music;
Isolated by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (creativecommon...)
Source: incompetech.com...
Artist: incompetec
Photos of 'Hector' at Cairns in 2017 are used with kind permission of Chris Ottewell.
Other photos with Creative Commons licences by:
'YSSYguy' RP-8020 at Sydney, 2007.
Roland Turner; XR371 Enceladus at The RAF Museum, Cosford.
Video recording on VHS-C tape.

[@mrrolandlawrence]

such a shame the RAF were not permitted to buy more of this awesome aircraft. thanks for the upload. not often you get to see this beauty.

[@johncone9516]

Loved flying in these at Brize as a an ATC cadet.

[@craigpennington1251]

A crying shame that things are scrapped so fast over there. This was a very cool aircraft that still had lots of life left and could've been put to very good use.

[@gkvfr24]

I was an apprentice in barbour engineering when we made the framework for transnporting the fokker 100 wing from shorts belfàst to holland. My boss showed us photos of the belfast jacked up at the front to get it in.

[@gkvfr24]

@stephen turner cheers pal. Always wanted one. 😂

[@georgebarnes8163]

I also worked for a company called Barbour Engineering in Co. Down NI, same place?

[@gkvfr24]

@@georgebarnes8163 could be. It was in kiltonga then. Its since moved to bangor.

[@georgebarnes8163]

@@gkvfr24 Yep, same place.

[@chinbin2006]

As a Southend resident and PPL at Seawing Flying Club for 33 years, I remember the Belfast well. Seeing a JCB rip them apart was heartbreaking, wasn't there one Belfast called "Big John" ? You knew it was a Belfast by the low Hum of the engines, quite a sight! The video's show many familiar sights, G-Huff, OC, AP all lined up outside Seawing. 737's with JT8D's, a 707, a 1-11 and I think, a Caravelle to name a few now defunct aircraft. I know it's often said but "them were the days" !!

[@robinpinnock2678]

G-AOFW 'Big John' was a Carvair- unfortunately scrapped long before I had video!

[@spagoz2136]

Hector still sitting all forlorn at Cairns Airport waiting to be rescued. I remember Heavy Lift also had a couple of B727 cargo A/C operating out of Cairns as well as the Belfast. After the company folded one of them was chopped up & scrapped in situ alongside Hector. So glad the same fate didn't happen to it.

[@justadroid]

I witnessed engine runs being conducted on Hector today, engineers have been working on it over the last couple of months ...exciting to see after so many years sitting idle.

[@robinpinnock2678]

Good news..fingers crossed that Hector finds a home.

[@rubenomarbueno1134]

Creo que tenía más capacidad de carga que el Hércules.

[@jackiecollins6581]

What can I say? Engine failure No 4 engine 10th Jan 1995. Rejected t/o V1 - 4 kt. F/E was Laurie Evans who called fluctuating torque No 4, confirmed with slight swing to stbd. We stopped it from 94 kt going to ground idle all engines and reverse on the inboards, plus braking. In the end it was a none event even at Southend. The torque gauge was suspected and changed. During subsequent ground runs fuel poured out of the bottom of the cowling - split fuel pump casing. Following day positioned to Nice to pick up a load to take to the Shuttle Landing Facility at Cape Canaveral. A satellite? Went via Santa Maria, Gander and Bangor so it must have been heavy. Diverted into Orlando on return journey due to an alternator overheat on No 2 engine. Presumably we swapped the APU alternator for the u/s one and went Orlando direct to Belfast Harbour the following day - 11 hours 55 mins. An average trip with HLA. We all loved the aircraft and the work. Thank you for preserving such a memorable start to the adventure. Mike Collins.

[@robinpinnock2678]

Mike Collins. Always interesting to have the inside story on my videos ; it was certainly an impressively rapid stop, and in the rain too.!

[@robinpinnock2678]

I should mention that the scene following the rejected take-off, where the aircraft is apparently turning onto final approach, was an occasion when there was some doubt about the deployment or locking of the landing gear and they were making some passes for the tower to have a look. As far as I can remember it went off to Stansted where presumably it landed safely. The next scene shows a normal approach, as seen from my home in Leigh. Next, a missed approach training, the runway being closed that day for resurfacing work. Always annoying having to video against the sun, but dirt on the filter gave an interesting sparkling effect.!

[@joelkipling2587]

You must know my dad , Alan Kipling

[@billybellend1155]

Wow Southend Airport in the 90’s had some classics.

[@curtiss1000]

Very good Robin and more good memories.

[@flybobbie1449]

Fascinating what Britain could have done aircraft wise. I saw a book once which showed all the designs that Bristol was coming up with in the early 1950's. Every aircraft we have seen built was in there. A C130, Galaxy with t tail, Boeing stol blown wing concept, VC10, Trident, Concorde were all being sketched out as ideas. Even flying body space ships.

[@georgebarnes8163]

It was not built in Britain, the name of the aircraft gives that much away, it was built in Belfast in the same way that the UKs first VTOL aircraft (Short SC1) was also designed and built in the Belfast UK.

[@flybobbie1449]

@@georgebarnes8163 Short Brothers is a company in NI propped up with UK money.Has been for years.

[@flybobbie1449]

@@georgebarnes8163 A customer of mine said he piloted the Belfast for Heavy Lift. He said it was rare to cross the Atlantic without having to shut down one engine.

[@georgebarnes8163]

@@flybobbie1449 Short Bros was a UK company that has not existed for 30 years, do try to keep up.

[@flybobbie1449]

@@georgebarnes8163 I know.

[@jetfueljp4]

Still more payload than a C130j but they are more reliable. Love the engine sounds. I'm guessing RR darts.

[@robinpinnock2678]

RR Tynes.

[@CanadairCL44]

RR Tyne 512's

[@rubenomarbueno1134]

@@CanadairCL44 Este seudónimo me recuerda a CARGOLUX . Década de los 70' . Saludos!!!

[@rovercoupe7104]

Excellent video, many thanks. M.

[@user-yy1rs3df3q]

I didn't know the British once produced a C-130 equivalent though the SC.5 looks somewhat wider.

[@77Neville]

Only 10 of them built by Short Brothers in Belfast (now owned by Bombardier) for RAF Transport Command in the 1960s.

[@joelkipling2587]

It was bigger and better , by some of the experts . A brilliant aircraft

[@dreamdiction]

Lockheed C-130 payload 19,000 kgs. Short Belfast payload 35,000 kgs.

[@Bogeyatyour6YT]

@@dreamdiction Wow

[@georgebarnes8163]

You could put the little C-130 inside the Belfast.

[@carlosballesteros4670]

Can't believe it

[@ronnieince4568]

The RAF complained crews suffered from scurvy on long fights as it was so slow -later the tail was modified to reduce drag and increase speed.

[@CanadairCL44]

Yeah, those two vertical fins fitted under the rear of the fuselage, we called them the "fast back" Belfast after the mod!

[@davidhunt3808]

Used to see one of these at Brisbane international and I think it finished its days at Cairns .

[@tommyasquith]

Still at Cairns airport (GA side) all-white, no identifying logos, and essentially the property of Cairns Airport for non-payment of airport charges.

[@carlbillingham2670]

Still present at Cairns airport, Qld, Australia when I flew out last weekend. I actually thought it was Russian so nice to find these videos to set the record straight.

[@melvyncox3361]

Could be plenty of work for 'Hector' with the upsurge in the cargo market,an opportunity not to be missed.l assume she is still at Cairns?

[@flybobbie1449]

Father of one of our trial flight customers flew for Heavy lift. He said we rarely managed to cross the Atlantic on all four engines. At least one would need to be shut down.

[@rayjames6096]

The UK was never a threat in the world order as exemplified by this aircraft.

[@rubenomarbueno1134]

Ray, no olvidemos La Batalla de Inglaterra. Saludos.

[@bwacuff169]

Looked like a slow, tub of lard rolling down the runway but she sure lifted off like she wanted - and was ready - to fly.

[@robinpinnock2678]

Takes a bit longer with a 35 ton payload..!

[@trevortaylor7702]

Rt plane wrong engines, should have had rr tyne turbo props

[@robinpinnock2678]

They are Tynes... should have gone ahead with proposed jet development.

[@marxxmann8758]

Those engines look so tiny for the size of the aircraft

[@joelkipling2587]

At the time , the most powerful turbo prop engines ever built

[@marxxmann8758]

@@joelkipling2587 im just saying look at the size ratio of the engine to the craft i looks so small but yet it packs a big punch

[@CanadairCL44]

@@marxxmann8758 Around 5000 Estimated Shaft Horsepower I believe. (5095 on the engine data plate if I remember correctly)

[@marxxmann8758]

@@CanadairCL44 small axes cuts down big trees and as small as they are it's packing a big punch for it's size

[@CanadairCL44]

@@marxxmann8758 Great engines, although they did have some serious problems with the HP turbine bearings.

[@prestonsnowbird5410]

Kinda like a C-130.

[@robinpinnock2678]

Except they could carry a C-130 fuselage inside a Belfast.

[@firefightergoggie]

Difference is the C-130 actually worked.

[@frankgraham3415]

Flew on them with 53 Sqn for 6 years until end of their RAF service, Huge loads to all 5 continents. Excellent safe aircraft, and enjoyable times...

[@joelkipling2587]

Probably 1 of the best turbo prop cargo planes ever built