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BAC 221 in Detail
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The BAC 221. As befits a speed-record aircraft it is very
glossy in a pretty blue colour. Note the black and white
stripe over the back – the colours are reversed on the
other side – and the very prominent ejection seat
warning triangle. Under the wing the
Rolls Royce Avon engine is exhibited. Behind the aircraft
we can see the somewhat shabbier Hawker P.1127. |
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The pitot head with angle-of-attack indicators. Note the
non-glossy tip. |
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The cockpit was very difficult to get a decent picture of due to hood glare, this was the best we could do.
The BAC 221
already in its F.D.2 incarnation had a "droop snoot", just like
the Concorde, and we can make out the joint behind the
cockpit, but the seam, as all others, is so carefully made as
to be all but invisible. |
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Another angle, also showing the bulges for the engine air.
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Moving up a bit, unfortunately a bit dark. The black-and-white field
over the spine and its colour reversal is clearly visible. The
somewhat rusty "handles" on each side of the fuselage hint that the
aircraft probably has been displayed suspended from the ceiling at some
point, possibly during its period at the Museum of Flight at East
Fortune.
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Some antennas under the nose (the red strake visible in the background
can help with orientation).
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Raising our eyes a bit towards the cockpit.
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Turning right towards the port air intake. The air path is
highly curved, so you would not see much of the engine even was
it still inside.
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Here is the engine, a Rolls-Royce Avon 28R.
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The port wing. Note how the tail end part of the elevon actuator
fairing slides in almost completely seamlessly into the front
part. |
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Moving in under the wing, some hatches and exhausts. They are
mirrored on the starboard side.
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Just behind and below those hot air exhausts is a mysterious
hatch, just hinting at something interesting inside. This
picture also gives a good view of the landing gear arrangement.
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The jet exhaust and air
brakes. The exhaust has variable area but I believe it does not
reverse. The bullet above contains the braking parachute.
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A very impressive view from the rear – the air brakes seem
very capable of doing their job. Note the stencilling:
The black-and-yellow tapes are warnings added at
the museum. My guess is that the things sticking out from the
port side of the parachute fairing are
related to an anti-spin parachute added (probably) in 1965.
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A close look on the air brake mechanism. Here, too, we see
evidence of paint having blown in through cracks when the
aircraft was painted…
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The air brake actuators. The pistons look fairly scuffed and
worn, but it seems a fair part of the discolourations visible in
the interior is simply museum dust! |
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The top of the fin from the starboard side. The bullet contains a
cine camera for recording air flow over the wings, the window for
which can be seen underneath the front part. Note that it is
offset to this side.
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