Avro Shackleton and Napier Nomad?

Thanks again everybody, it looks like I am going to be making yet another book purchase!:eek:

Chris Ashworths Shackleton book is a real must have, and would be a great bench mark for other single type books.
He was aircrew, enthusiast, historian and researcher.

Thanks again everybody, it looks like I am going to be making yet another book purchase!:eek:

The Nomad idea was certainly for long endurance, but also because the projected phase updates would see the Mk.3 struggle with Griffons, hence the Viper upgrade in the other thread! SAAF Shacks never had the updates, hence they didn’t require extra power.
The Mk.2 had an AUW of 86,000Ib, the final Mk.3s were operating at AUW110,000Ib, and the Mk.4 would have had 133,000 AUW.
The originaly proposed Mk.4 was to have four Nomads, but that later changed to Wright Cyclones.
Apparently RAF aircrews were mightily relieved that they wouldnt have to spend any longer in the aircraft than the maximum 18hrs that they were anyway!
The Shack/Nomad cooling systems were very neat, just using slits in the wing leading edge to feed the radiators.

Of course the Lincoln was very different, as the Nomad, was mounted in the nose,it could easily fly on that engine alone with the 4 merlins just providing weight and drag.

It seems a handful of Nomads survive, just to back up the theory that Napiers didn’t really like to make straight forward engines!
BTW, was it the first ‘eco’ engine?

Spose the Canadians had the right idea, remove the new fangled turbo thingys from a Brittannia, add piston engines, bomb bay and radar, and call it Argus.

Ive enclose a cutaway of the Nomad, courtesy of ‘Flight’

Chris Ashworths book (THE definitive book on Shackletons!) does have a whole appendix on the Nomad.

This link is basically
http://users.bigpond.net.au/Shackleton/nomad.html
a shortened version of the text.
There are also three accompanying photos showing the engine installation + the wing radiators.

Additionally there is some interesting info on this link (from the same site, thanks to Mo Botwood).

http://users.bigpond.net.au/Shackleton/mark4.html

Peter Mills

I do believe that Mk.2 WL796 was seen at at least one Farnborough air display with the Saro lifeboat underneath it, and was flying by with 3 griffons feathered – the only one turning was port outer…..

Who needed Nomads anyway? Heh heh!:diablo:

Regards,
Scotty

I think the increased endurance was a major factor too.;)

Bit of a beast…

I do believe that Mk.2 WL796 was seen at at least one Farnborough air display with the Saro lifeboat underneath it, and was flying by with 3 griffons feathered – the only one turning was port outer…..

Who needed Nomads anyway? Heh heh!:diablo:

Regards,
Scotty

As the devt of the mr3 shack resulted in a cracked mainspar and hence earlier retirement of the mr3 than mr2 then nomad as outboard unlikely really

but wdik

After much googling I have managed to find this picture of the Lincoln test bed fitted with the Napier Nomad engine, it is certainly not representative of how a wing mounted installation on a Shackleton would have looked but it is fascinating all the same……….enjoy……………

http://www.pbase.com/marauder61/image/45263339

Thanks for replies everybody! Fantastic knowledge base you lot have going here! Looks like I have found another one to add to my ‘should have been if only to satisfy that itch aviation enthusiasts get itch’ list.:D

Nomad Shakleton

Hi,
Barry Jones, in his ecxellent Crowood book, records that it was, in fact, VW131 that was sent to Napiers at Luton for a Nomad trial installation. Avros planned to use the Nomad in place of the outboard Griffons on the proposed Shak MR4.
VW131 arrived at Luton on 16 Jan 53 for installation of dummy Nomads. In Apr 54 a test Nomad was fitted to the starboard side, but the whole project was then cancelled in the summer of 54!
Interestingly, the Nomads would have required both new/additional cooling and fuelling systems. Avro was even planning an MR5 with four Nomads. Yet another projected Shak variant was to have used Wright Cyclone Radials.
Regards
Paul

SLL, I have seen a pic of a Shack with the Nomad installation, its inside a Hangar somewhere (Luton) and was painted white, I think it was a Mk.1. I will try and dig it out.
It also probably appears in chris Ashworths Shackleton book, that’s as comprehensive as it gets.

The Nomad Lincoln did make a very strange noise, but I guess most of those flying test beds did!

Edit, it was VW131, 2nd prototype

Thanks, I have read about a Lincoln being modified that way but I wasnt aware of the effects!:eek:

For what little it is worth Wikipedia also mentions that a Shackleton was lent to Napier for testing the Nomad……

http://users.bigpond.net.au/Shackleton/nomad.html

There was, I think, on one of the former DD Videos “Farnborough in the Fifties” videos, some footage of the Nomad Lincoln making a flypast at an SBAC show with all four Griffons feathered.

I wonder what the heck it must have sounded like! 😮

If I’m thinking of the correct testbed installation the Nomad was fitted in the nose of the Lincoln…

…and the aircraft could be flown with the four other engines shut down! 😀

Thanks, I have read about a Lincoln being modified that way but I wasnt aware of the effects!:eek:

For what little it is worth Wikipedia also mentions that a Shackleton was lent to Napier for testing the Nomad……

http://users.bigpond.net.au/Shackleton/nomad.html

Five-Engined Lincoln

If I’m thinking of the correct testbed installation the Nomad was fitted in the nose of the Lincoln…

…and the aircraft could be flown with the four other engines shut down! 😀

I found that site as well, however the one I linked in my original post describes in some detail an actual test installation on a Shackleton which does suggest that it did happen, even though it didnt fly?:confused:

According to this website….

http://users.bigpond.net.au/Shackleton/nomad.html
One Avro Shackleton was fitted with Napier Nomad engines as a testbed airframe, at the bottom of the page there is a description of the installation. I was wondering if there are any images, photos or artists impressions of the Shackleton with this engine?
Thanks in advance sealordlawrence.

’12cyl; Nomad 1, Nomad E 125, NNm.3; 2248shp@N/Arpm; 3000shp plus 320# residual thrust (for an equivalent shp of 3125) (TO); 1945-1953; Wt = 4200-4225#. Liquid-cooled, two-stroke cycle, turbocharged, direct fuel injection, compound diesel engine system geared to N/A as described above. BGE; BGP; J51-52toJ52-53; S; W52toW53.
Applications: (UK) Avro Lincoln (testbed), Shackleton (proposed); Blackburn and General Beverley (proposed).’
http://home.comcast.net/~aeroengine/Napier.html

What do you make of it?