The HFB-320 Hansa at Liverpool

[viscount]

VISITS BY THE HFB.320 HANSA JET TO LIVERPOOL

With the DH.125 and Mystere XX (Falcon 20) as main initial European contenders in the new biz-jet market sector, the Germans too designed an entry into this potentially lucrative market. One of the image problems that the earlier smaller biz-jet designs (Lear Jet, Citation etc) had was the obstructive, movement limiting, wing spar crossing the cabin. An answer was to design the mid-set wings with a forward sweep, the spar passing behind the cabin seating. The forward sweep was an interesting innovation, but proved to be something of a design dead-end.

The Hansa was a 10 seater, rear engined, twin jet design. First flight of the type was on 21st April 1964, with certification in 1967 followed by first customer delivery 1968. Production ceased 1973 after around 45(?) were built. Attrition was considered high for a civilian type, although the design was not considered at fault. No Hansa Jets remain in service today, with at least 7 now in museums, mostly in Germany.

The Hansa was never popular outside Germany, so it is of little surprise that the aircraft that visited Liverpool were all German operated. Visits ocurred over a time span of 15 years, most in just a 5 year span.

1970

The first Hansa Jet to call at Liverpool was D-CASU of Inter City Flug from Munich on 23rd February 1970. The aircraft was on a regular liasion flight for Panavia linking the MBB and BAe MRCA (Tornado) design offices, however Warton was closed by poor weather (probably fog). Later in the day the aircraft flew up to Warton once the weather had cleared.

1971

The next visit, nearly a year later, was again the MBB-BAe design team liasion service. This time D-CASY another Inter City Flug aircraft was involved, arriving from Munich on 11th February 1971 on weather diversion from Warton. Again the aircraft later flew upto Warton, once the weather had changed.

1972

The third visit occurred toward the end of the year, on 28th November 1972, D-CITO operated from and to Dusseldorf.

1973

Busiest year, with 5 visits, although all by aircraft that had already appeared at Liverpool. D-CASU operated from and to Cologne on 3rd April and again 19th June. While D-CITO appeared from and to Dusseldorf on 5th June and 25th September, and from and to Cologne on 29th November, when it was accompanied by HS.125 D-CFCF.

1974

There were 4 visits during 1974 performed by the same two aircraft that had been seen the previous year. D-CITO from and to Cologne 24th January. D-CASU on 7th March, 30th May and 25th July - on each occasion from and to Cologne. No further Hansa flights arrived at Liverpool for the rest of the decade.

1984

With just days to go before the tenth anniversary of the previous last Hansa to visit to Liverpool, another visit, this one proving to be the final, last visit of type occurred. In relation to the International Garden Festival (IGF) a West German Air Force example called on a VIP flight. 16+01 arrived from Munich on Monday 9th July at 1530, leaving on Wednesday 11th July at 0940 for Frankfurt. Used diplomatic clearance number 'DCN3210' as a flight call-sign.
Photo: www.derbosoft.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=history&action=display&thread=1606

In Conclusion

Just the 4 aircraft appeared:
D-CASU, D-CASY, D-CITO & 16+01.

When I set out on researching visits, I had expected further visits into the later Seventies. However, I'm fairly certain I've found all the visits in the records. A brief chapter, but one involving an interesting, innovative design.

Can any biz-jet specialist supply the operators of the aircraft at the time of their visits? Fates of the aircraft? Confirm the number of Hansa Jets built? First flight dates, C/nos etc. Thank you.

Actually, one fate I know without needing to consult a production list is D-CASY which crashed at Squires Gate on 29th June 1972 into the Holiday Camp as it failed to lift on take-off. How do I know, I was there only shortly before with my new, very basic Practika camera. See below

Again, if anyone can illustrate with shots at Liverpool, feel free to do so, because I can't!

As usual the type details and photos can be found on www.wikipedia.com

[Beemer]

posted by Beemer for Viscount.

From the Brian Jones collection. Two views of HFB-320 Hansa D-CASY at Blackpool, a little over a year after its only visit to Liverpool.



D-CASY Hansa Jet 

[viscount]

Although the two photos above are not particularly brilliant and were taken at Blackpool, they do illustrate an aircraft which visited Liverpool, on what may otherwise remain an unillustrated thread.

These shots of Inter City Flug's D-CASY were taken on 29th June 1972, around an hour before the aircraft was destroyed. I had to wait while a crew member performed a slow and thorough external checks and got out of the way (even so he can be seen below the aircraft on both shots), while I was watching for my 4 pm bus to arrive. At the time I wondered if I should submit the photos to the AAIB, but it was quite a while after by the time I finished the film. The following year the press reported that the crash was due to elevator locks not being removed. I felt quite guilty sometime after, when looking through my slides and noticed I had evidence of a through external pre-flight inspection, and wondered again, even years later should I contact the AAIB. It was only very recently that I found an on-line link to the AAIB report covering the crash and discovered that the elevator gust lock was applied internally.

At 1710 hours the aircraft attempted to depart from 28 at Blackpool, however did not rotate. Take-off was aborted (according to the AAIB) too late and a retarding parachute not released quickly enough. The aircraft ran onto grass, across a railway line, through a fence, collided with concrete block chalets in the Holiday Camp before coming to rest in pieces and on fire. Only one of 8 occupants (a passenger) was thrown clear and survived, although badly injured. The aircraft was on a twice weekly charter on behalf of MBB Gmbh, into BAe Warton, but had used Blackpool on this occasion due to a lack of Customs cover being available at Warton.

[viscount]

I have now located a print of a Hansa Jet at Liverpool. There is no photographer credited on the reverse of what appears to be a home developed print. There is no clue either as to which visit. Despite the quality worth posting, as no one else has yet come up with a photograph of a Hansa Jet at Liverpool. The unusual forward sweep of the wing does not show up well on a ground shot.



Hansa Jet D-CITO clearly on the north airfield apron, seen from the balcony. It is not known which of the three visits, 1972, 1973 or 1974 this was.

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    IMG00257 (2) by Frank Nicholls, on Flickr

Many thanks to Frank Nicholls who initially posted this as 'thread drift' on another section in 2021!