aviation

’367 (G-BFYU) were sold to

Transmeridian Air Cargo/HeavyLift

Cargo Airlines. Aircraft XR362

(G-BEPE), XR368 (G-BEPS)

and XR369 (G-BEPL) were also

acquired. G-BEPL and G-OHCA

were subsequently used for

spares recovery by HeavyLift.

Converting the Belfast military

transport into a civilian aircraft

was a hard task, as it did not

have civil certiication. Shorts

had originally embarked on the

process and had lown 800 hours

towards civil certiication, but had

abandoned it owing to the lack

of sales. Shorts was unwilling

to take on the task of achieving

civil certiication for its design, so

HeavyLift took this on itself. Smiths

Industries designed a stick-pusher

system and Marshall of Cambridge

assisted HeavyLift with the design

and light-testing. The British type

certiicate for the Belfast was

obtained after some 120 hours

of light-testing, 20,000 design

manhours and 25,000 engineering

manhours. Certiication work

began in July 1979, with test lying

being carried out at Stansted,

Essex. Two Belfasts were used

for the light trials: G-BEPS and

G-BFYU which carried ‘B’ class

registrations G-52-14 and G-52-

15, respectively.

CIVILIAN USE

Transmeridian Air Cargo/HeavyLift

brought G-BEPE and G-BEPS

into service in 1980 and then

G-BFYU in 1982. G-BEPE was

withdrawn in October 1984,

but G-HLFT replaced it from

May 1985. Ironically, the RAF

46 Aviation News incorporating Jets November 2018

Above: An unusual view of a

Belfast’s cockpit with the seats

removed. Although it looks dated

now, the transport’s light deck

was considered state-of-the-art in

the 1960s.

Left: The light engineer’s highly

complex panel.

Below: Transmeridian Air Cargo/

HeavyLift Belfast G-BEPS. It

previously lew as XR368 with

53 Sqn.