just john Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 Maybe a bit to go before MOL starts to worry, but could there be a different 'door to door' ferry service?(Shades of Bristol Freighter Service Southend on Sea to Le Touquet)?20 minutes to move a shipping container from Milton Keynes to London by HAV, 2 days to New York, plans for craft to eventually carry up to 1,000 tons.A stalled technology is cruising back to the future, American Department of Defense have handed a £315 million contract to design and build the world’s largest flying object to a small British company based in Bedfordshire. Having beaten aviation giants Lockheed Martin, Hybrid Air Vehicles will build the craft.http://www.hybridairvehicles.com/militaryheavylift.aspx Thunderbirds are go! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gardian Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 Interesting story JJ. Hope that something comes of it.I found the link to old footage particularly interesting. It brought back memories of using the Le Touquet - Lydd service back in (about) 1970. Just 3 cars on the aeroplane, rattled like hell, 20 mins ride at not much more than 2000'. We'd taken my 'pride & joy' - a white Sunbeam Stilletto with black vinyl roof.I just don't know how those services were ever viable - by that time, they weren't. I suppose that it was zero capital expenditure, low fuel costs, relatively high fares. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
just john Posted February 23, 2011 Author Share Posted February 23, 2011 With todays (and tomorrows) fuel prices, changing venue requirements to anywhere without special facilities, even old airports, if I was an investor . . . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pierre ZFP Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 That's fabulous! Do you think they'll paint one green with a large red '2' on the side? [:D]I remember the aircraft at Lydd, Carvairs weren't they?I wasn't much more than an ankle-biter but I clearly remember standing in the 'viewing area' watching the front of these 'planes opening up to load/unload cars and thinking it was wonderful. I also remember a lot of brand new Alfa Romeo sports cars at Lydd. Did they import them there in the early 60's? I promised myself an Alpha when I grew up - still waiting.......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
just john Posted February 24, 2011 Author Share Posted February 24, 2011 http://www.airliners.net/photo/Falcon-Airways/Aviation-Traders-ATL-98/1234479/L/HAV's make the old flying freighters look like minnows, as mentioned, too little cargo to make investment worthwhile, whereas fuel and road transport times change all that today.Fantasy? - It could be possible, say, from an old small airport like Thruxton in the South of England drawing on the Catchment area from Bristol to London, and Birmingham to Portsmouth, then 4/5 hours later, the time of a ferry crossing, to deposit them in the middle of France somewhere like Tours! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 How about Manston in Kent.One of a few airports long enough to take Concorde.Would be handy for me to pop back to see family in Kent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
just john Posted February 24, 2011 Author Share Posted February 24, 2011 See? you bought a ticket already and it's not even built yet[:D]p.s. It only needs a 'runway' three times it's length, be it tarmac, or ploughed field, mind you it's quite big! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gardian Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 [quote user="Pierre ZFP"]I remember the aircraft at Lydd, Carvairs weren't they?[/quote]The ones on the film were Bristol 170 freighters. Carvairs were a heavily modified DC4 which came in much later (60's) than the earlier aeroplanes.There was an old story about a 170 freighter flying in to Heathrow. ATC told him to "Descend to (whatever) height, heading x, maintain 220 knots."The answer came back, "OK with everything else, but will you settle for 150 knots - best we can do!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anton Redman II Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 If I was looking for a start up route I would try Dublin Bordeaux. Based on the number of 4X4s we see registered in the Irish Republic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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