Aeroplane Monthly 1988-07
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R.Williams - Armstrong Whitworth's unwanted airliner (2)
Striking photograph of Eric Franklin diving the prototype Apollo beneath Flight’s photographic aircraft in September 1949, shortly before its appearance tit the Farnborough SBAC show.
Breathtaking Charles E. Brown photograph of Apollo G-AIYN.
Apollo G-AIYN was allocated to the A&AEE at Boscombe Down and arrived there as VX220 on September 24, 1952, flown by Eric Franklin. The aircraft had flown nearly 308hr up to that point.
The Apollo’s somewhat short fuselage is accentuated in this photograph of the prototype.
The prototype Apollo in its new livery and fitted with four-bladed propellers on the inboard engines.
Apollo VX224 was allocated the civil registration G-AMCH, but these markings were never taken up and the aircraft spent much of its time at Farnborough. The RAE eventually used the Apollo for various structural water tank tests, and parts of the fuselage survived until the Seventies.
G-AIYN being demonstrated with the two nearside Mambas stopped - intentionally, by Eric Franklin, with a posse of pressmen aboard.
The Apollo’s cockpit, with tidy layout and all engine instruments grouped on the central panel, with trimmers and controls on the pedestal.
The Apollo’s cabin, looking aft.