EuroWheenie
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jan 15, 2005
- Posts
- 2,487
One more vote for the SH7 - Shorts Skyvan. Build around a Land Rover and 4 trooper for the Irish Army, it bears close resemblance to a 20ft container with the edges roughly cut off. Cruises at a staggering 150 kts, and is perhaps the most efficient fuel-to-noise converter this side of an Apollo rocket. I should know; have spend quite a few hours in the thing. A special feature was the FO holding an umbrella during T/O if the bird had been sitting outside in rain for a few hours. Water would congregrate in a hidden cavity above the cockpit, and upon rotation would expell contents in FO's lap. Hence, wet TO were SOP'd to include an umbrella for the Flap Operator. I kid you not!
Flew like shyte it did, especially horrible in x-winds. On the other hand, it only needed a few feets to get airborn, and a few less for landing. Also quite cool for dropping meat bombs, as you could leave the rear door open for flight. We used to take members of the Danish Special Forces up to the staggering height of 15k feet and dump them 14 at a time. Cheper than a Herky-bird I suppose. Took us ages to get up there though, albeit the descent were rather more sporty.
Always got bugged by ATC on the approach, when we'd be screaming in with both donks firewalled. All of 170kts we could get out of it, which is something like Vne less a knot or two. Didn't fit in too well with the other guys and gals pulling "180 to 5" and we were regularly sent hither and yonder to make space for the more visually appealing, and somewhat faster, flying machines.
Ahh, Shorts!
Flew like shyte it did, especially horrible in x-winds. On the other hand, it only needed a few feets to get airborn, and a few less for landing. Also quite cool for dropping meat bombs, as you could leave the rear door open for flight. We used to take members of the Danish Special Forces up to the staggering height of 15k feet and dump them 14 at a time. Cheper than a Herky-bird I suppose. Took us ages to get up there though, albeit the descent were rather more sporty.
Always got bugged by ATC on the approach, when we'd be screaming in with both donks firewalled. All of 170kts we could get out of it, which is something like Vne less a knot or two. Didn't fit in too well with the other guys and gals pulling "180 to 5" and we were regularly sent hither and yonder to make space for the more visually appealing, and somewhat faster, flying machines.
Ahh, Shorts!
