Avro Shackleton WL790 "Mr McHenry"

RE: RAFM Shackleton MR.3/3

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 23-12-02 AT 08:10 PM (GMT)]Hi Andy,
From the pictures of the repaint that I’ve seen,the Shack was done by brushwork,although I guess they may have sprayed some of it.The pictures showed volounteers wielding dirty great foot-wide household decorating brushes.
From one pic of the YAM Victor repaint,it seems she was largely sprayed,with alot of tarpaulins and masking in place.The result was well worth the effort in both cases! 🙂
Dunno what was used on the Victor at Brunty though.

RE: RAFM Shackleton MR.3/3

That’s the picture I was looking for!! I just downloaded it off
airliners.net for my wallpaper..

Does look ready to roll doesn’t she..

With regards to painting static display like this Shackleton..do they do a respray or do they paint the entire airframe by hand/roller?
I had read that the HP Victor at YAM and Bruntingthorpe had been repainted in recent years and I was wondering how they did those also!!

RE: RAFM Shackleton MR.3/3

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 21-12-02 AT 03:18 PM (GMT)]Great Piccie of the grey lady Ant.. sure would be nice to see her take to the air once more. I wouldn’t half mind a set of those wheel covers for our Lancaster though!!

RE: RAFM Shackleton MR.3/3

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 21-12-02 AT 00:16 AM (GMT)]Here’s a piccy from airliners.net of WR963 as she looks at the moment in her new paint job.The caption on the photo says…
“Restoration of this aircraft is now well advanced and it is looking good to make its first flight in time for this years Coventry air display…That will be something very special to see.”
Now the problem with that statement is that the bloke who took the pic identifies her as WL790 instead of WR963,so whether he’s got the wrong airworthy Shack or whether ‘963 will take to the air again we can only wonder.Methinks it’s the former personally,but we live in hope…
Attachments:

RE: RAFM Shackleton MR.3/3

Doughnut – Shackleton WR974 was actually allocated to the RAFM for many years but for some reason this wasn’t actioned. It’s deeply regretable that she wasn’t kept at Cosford. She is now at Charlwood.

RE: SHACKLETONS

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 20-12-02 AT 07:56 PM (GMT)]Hi Lancman,
I think the idea behind the Superhangar extension is to provide a home for the majority of the museum’s Britsh aircraft,as reflected by the part funding of the project by BAe.This should mean a secure home for the Victor,Hastings etc,but the artists’ impressions of the new building show a dismembered and disected Shack on display.An ominous sign if ever there was one.Apparently the IWM want to put the fuselage down at ground level and make a walk-through exhibit of it.One wing and various other components would be spread round and about as seperate displays,eg fuel tanks,engines etc.

RE: SHACKLETONS

No offence meant to anybody, but I think the IWM are too happy being a UK American Air Museum, I don’t really think of Duxford as being a good place to see historic UK types. All the ones they do have are crammed mostly into the one hangar there. Why didn’t they give the huge new building over to UK types, not US?

RE: SHACKLETONS

Hindsight is a very great thing, but for the RAF to dispose of its last three Shackleton MR3 (WR985 to Long Marston, and two to Peter Vallance) was surely a short sighted move. The aircraft were already on site at Cosford and I assume were in reasonable condition, after all they are all still with us today. It was at about this time the RAF policy of one exhibit per base was started and I believe that this was extended to the RAF Museum so you will not see a Phantom at Cosford because there is one at Hendon, was the same applied to the MR3’s because a AEW2 was at Manchester ? I fully agree with the comments that Duxford should make plans for a ground restoration of their MR3, if necessary using the spares/ major components of another aircraft. They have showed what good work they can do with the American exhibits lets have a couple of really good British restoration projects for 2003.

DOUGHNUT

MR.3

I agree entirely with you Andy on that. We should at least have one undercover.

RE: Stored Indoors !!! Displayed you mean ?

Glad to hear about the future of the Manchester Shack.

And yes I guess “displayed” does sound better than stored!

It would be nice to see at least one the Mk. 3 preserved and displayed undercover for future generations to see.

RE: Stored Indoors !!! Displayed you mean ?

Andy – the Shackleton at Manchester has been on display in what was the Museum of Science and Industry since 1983. She still belongs to the RAF museum and as such she is assured a secure future

RE: I don’t share your views

Paul – You posted the topic ‘Long Marston Airfield’ on the 4th of August this year at 11.15AM . I distinctly remember it and having
just looked at the post and the threads coming from it I can state that nobody made those quotes.
If you actually read the post and the threads you will see that
most people actually support the work of Stuart Holder and realise that at best he is caretaker to the Shackleton and nothing else.

RE: Avro Shackleton WL790

Paul – Indeed the Shackleton is in very poor condition but the actual facts are very different to what’s usually stated.
The Shackleton was dismantled at Cosford and moved to Long Marston in the late 1980’s. When she arrived she wasn’t fully reassembled and wasn’t kept in a compound. As a member of the Stratford Aircraft Collection she was subjected to what’s best described as ‘spares recovery’. The actual ownership at the time was thought to be with two active aircraft dealers. The Griffon 58’s are
a commoditity and hence by circa 1993 the two outboards had disappeared along with the majority of instrumentation.
With the demise of SAC the Shackleton was left to her devices and generally just deteriorated in the middle of the field.
Stuart Holder formed the JAPG with the aim of carrying on from SAC and rescuing some of the aircraft on site. This he carried out
and eventually with the help of the landlord a fenced area was allocated to Stuart. The Shackleton and Canberra were moved in and
this really saved them from the scrapman.
Since the demise of SAC it’s thought unlikely that any rent has been paid on the Shackleton and it’s more than likely that she is now in the ownership of the landlord. I have to state that by the very description of his group Stuart doesn’t have a large interest in the Shackleton and in all fairness if the owner doesn’t even bother with
it why really should he waste his efforts? I and he have seen so many cases where a machine is on loan to a collection but suddenly disappears abroad and all the efforts of the collection members are wasted with no reward.
I have tried repeatedly to acquire the Sea Prince on site for a reputable U.K museum but I get nowhere. If you are wealthy for instance you can afford to have something sit and rot and it’s value isn’t of any relevance.
So in a nutshell if the Shackleton hadn’t been moved into the compound I am sure it wouldn’t be still here. It isn’t a wonderful situation but at least she is still here – the chance exists that
maybe she can be saved but it’s extremely difficult to deal with the owners.
All this does ofcourse detract from the efforts of Stuart and friends but I don’t see that you can expect any more of him than he has already done. How many forum members would be prepared to work on an aircraft when the is little chance of money for spares,paint and general upkeep and the chance exists that when you have restored her she will be moved for a large profit with nothing in your hand ?
The current situation is desperately sad – I really wish Duxford would see the light and acquire her to assist in the restoration of their MR.3/3 but I am a realist and I feel that the Duxford machine will continue to deteriorate to the point that she is no longer viable to restore.

RE: Avro Shackleton WL790

With regards to WR985 at Long Marston..what happened to the outer engines?..it looks like just the engine bearer remains on one side and the other outer engine is stripped back to the firewall..

RE: Avro Shackleton WL790

Re the Long Marston airframe: I put a profile on a few months ago also mentioning it’s state and was slated for it! being informed that it was “in preservation” and “under long term restoration” by a “committed and dedicated preservation group”.

I’m glad to see that at least someone shares my “ill informed” views……!

Paul.

RE: Avro Shackleton WL790

It must be a challenge to keep Pilot’s current on the
SA’s Shackleton given it has about 100 hrs left on it..

It doesn’t leave you with many hours to work with!

RE: Avro Shackleton WL790

The two shackletons at Gatwick Aviation Museum in Charlwood, Surrey are both MR3’s. WR974 has not been run since it arrived and all engines are seized. WR982 has all of its Griffons in a runable condition. As may be expected with machines of this age kept outdoors, there are problems with all engines. It would be greatly beneficial if a regular monthly run could be carried out. Sadly due to fuel expense and availability this is not possible. Currently number four has a spinner missing, this came adrift during the summer when carrying out a maintenance run. Anyone who has a spare spinner please contact GAM! The MR3 in S.A has less than 100 hours left.

RE: Avro Shackleton WL790

Well hopefully all is not lost with regards to WR963..a new coat of paint might help to keep the scrap man at bay. I am guessing that she is stored outdoors which doesn’t help any static airframe in the UK.

To bad no Shackleton’s were preserved at Bruntingthorpe..would have been a treat to see one fire up all four RR Griffon’s and give a fast taxi run….

It does look like only one is preserved indoors at this time…but we can still hope Duxford will find somewhere for theirs.

Here is a list of what might be surviving complete airframes.
WL747 Cyprus
WL757 Cyprus
WL790 Minneapolis St Paul – Air Atlantique – Flyer
WL795 RAF St. Mawgan
WR960 Manchester – Musuem of Science – stored indoors!
WR963 Conventry- Air Atlantique – Could be ground run?
1717 South Africa
1719 South Africa
1720 South Africa
1721 South Africa – SAAF Museum
1722 South Africa – Flyer
1723 South Africa
WR974 Gatwick – PG Vallance Collection
WR982 Gatwick – PG Vallance Collection – Ground run also?
WR977 Newark Air Museum
WR985 Long Marston
XF985 Duxford IWM

RE: Avro Shackleton WL790

The coventry Shack is capable of running its engines upis it not though? anybody know when this last happened? Are the two in Surrey which were/are near Gatwick still run up occasionally.

How many preserved Shacks are safe and under cover? im only counting one so far (manchester museum of science and industry)

, steve

RE: Avro Shackleton WL790

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 17-12-02 AT 09:41 PM (GMT)]Hi Restorer,
According to Aeroplane,Air Atlantique ARE apparently hoping to have Ermintrude taxiable alongside MrMcHenry at the Classics show next June.I think she’s actually owned by a group called The Shackleton Preservation Society,who originally bought MrMcHenry aswell,but passed him on to Air Atlantique,although Ermintrude does also get alot of support from AA.
I don’t have a scanner at the moment Andy,so I’m afraid I can’t put the piccy up.Sorry about that. 🙁