Avro Shackleton WL796 Farnborough 9.53

Thanks Chris, what a life of flying!

I came across this thread by chance, however here is a tale:

I was 7 years old and at the BoB display in 1957. My father was a pilot in 224 squadron, and we lived in Gib. I was standing at the edge of the runway when WL792 did its high speed belly landing. It touched down about ¼ of the way down the runway and slid passed the audience. I still remember seeing the props curl under the engine cowlings and that the tail wheel came of and bounced along side the aircraft.

The display was intended to have Shacks fly past on 4 then 3, then 2 and finally 1 engine. Dad was flying Q Queenie and overflew the crash on a single engine. The entry in his log book is a rather laconic ‘Formation Flying’.

WL792 was repaired, if I remember correctly being re-built as a Mk3, but after a year was severely damaged in a fire It turned out the MPs had been draining fuel to sell to the ‘natives’. There followed a series of Court Marshals as MPs going back many years were returned to Gib and tried.

As some background my father was Olaf Cussen. He joined the RAF in 1940 and flew Whitleys for a tour of bombing ops. He then was moved to 138 squadron and flew ops dropping arms and resistance workers. In 1941 he crashed in south Portugal on the way back from Gib, due to double engine failure. After a brief internment he re-joined 138 and flew Halifaxes doing special ops. After a period being an instructor he then started a tour on Lancs. During the war he flew a total of 67 ops.

Post war he flew Yorks, then was an instructor for the air gunnery school before completing his last tour on Shacks in Gib. He stopped flying at the end of 1957.

He was awarded the DFC and bar, and the Dutch Flying Cross. He passed away in 2009 aged 93.

Thanks for that Scotty, didn’t realise that mis-handling had played its part aswel!
So ‘792 brings us neatly back to ‘796 then:)

There wasn’t a WL762, there was a ‘792 and this is the one that was written off at Gibraltar after prop problems in ’57. Is your motor associated with that aircraft?

Heh heh heh! And it went down in an embarrassing situation – BoB display at Gibraltar….

The prop problems caused overspeeding on No 3, but No 4 was feathered instead. WL792 then ‘performed’ what the crowd thought was an engine feathered display with extra special effects….. heheheheheheh. Incidently the undamaged rear of ‘792 was used in the repair of WL796 which had suffered a tail wheel assy failure on take off in Khormaksar, Aden.

Kind regards,
Scotty

There wasn’t a WL762, there was a ‘792 and this is the one that was written off at Gibraltar after prop problems in ’57. Is your motor associated with that aircraft?

Hi,
making some research on the Mk.III lifeboat and so I’m looking for photos of WL796 Shackleton MR 2 at the SBAC show, Farnborough, 9.53.
She had a Mk.III lifeboat mounted under the bomb bay for demonstration.

Martin

i am currently restoring a vincent 500cc 6-cylinder 2-stroke crossflow marine engine that may have been fitted in the life boat from a avro Shackleton,,

for my local aircraft museum in doncaster !!

do you have any pictures of shackleton wl762 ??

dave

HELP

Looking for Don Bacon ex warrant officer , now on long leave in the UK “somewhere” .
This chap has lots of detailed info on our shackleton lifeboat – anybody know his whereabouts, please let me know…

kris

we have pics of our project at this link…
http://picasaweb.google.com/krissteyn/ShackletonLifeboat

I will be adding to it as and when new pics arrive…

The Vincent Motor appears to be a “strange-one” …
6 pistons, 2 spark plugs, 3 cylinders
check out this link
http://www.thevincent.com/vinmisc.htm

kris

Restoration of the Cape Town lifeboat

We in Cape Town have a 50th anniversary Shackleton 1722 in excellent condition with a dedicated crowd of enthusiasts keeping her in trim.

Andrew Schofield was the enthusiast and photographer with the attached picture – Thanks Andrew !

As a maritime enthusiast, I am setting up a Special Interest Group to restore the lifeboat – currently in a hanger.
Any info or pictures would be greatly appreciated – we assume all the bits and pieces are there, but without more detailed info, its hard to tell.

I have heard a rumour that the launching from the aircraft was not always a success and that “interesting” variations of this event were recorded – any confirmation of these rumours would give us another reason to keep the spirit alive.

Kris Steyn
Cape Town

Yes, it’s at St Eval, with 228 Sqn.

Not WL796, but good detail of lifeboat fitting. I thought they were SARO Mk.IIIs?

Mk.III L/boat 806 was one of 34 built by Saunders Roe. Was at Calshot for trials and at St. Eval.

Martin

Thanks pagen01 and chumpy.
Martin

….will this do?

WL796 at the 53 SBAC show.

Cheers, Chumpy.

Not WL796, but good detail of lifeboat fitting. I thought they were SARO Mk.IIIs?

Pic (Photo by Harry Kerr/BIPs/Getty Images)

Thanks Newforest and T-21 and WL747 (please look – PM)
Martin

These airborne lifeboats appear to be designed by the great Uffa Fox. try a Google or this link :http://www.uffafox.com/airborne.htm

There are two photographs of airborne lifeboat No 804 on Page 68 of Postwar Military Aircraft No 3 Avro Shackleton by John Chartres. Guild Publishing 1985.

Also another good photo of WL796 leaving Woodford for the SBAC show on page 19 of The First Forty Years The Avro Shackleton by Harry Holmes 1989.

The Avro test pilot at Farnborough was Johnny Baker and the company photographer was Paul Cullerne.

WL796 and lifeboat

Martin,

The photos you require are in the Barry Jones Avro Shackleton book published by Crowood on page 72 and 73. The pictures show the lifeboat attached under the aircraft on the ground, and also a picture of WL796 performing a flypast with engines 1, 2 and 4 fully feathered and the lifeboat slung underneath!

I don’t know if scanning them in for you would be a breach of copyright or forum rules, but at least you know where to look.

History of WL796
First flown 23.8.53 and loaned to A.V. Roe & Co for demonstration at the SBAC show, Farnborough, 9.53 with Mk 3 lifeboat mounted under the bomb bay. Delivered Woodford – Aldergrove 5.10.53 and ToC by 23MU the following day. Allotted to MEAF 8.1.54 and issued to 38 Sqn 13.1.54. Coded U. Underwent mods and major servicing at Avro Langar l2.7.55 – 17.10.55, returning to 38 Sqn 24.10.55. Transferred to 37 Sqn 8.7.57 and coded J. Badly damaged in Cat.4 flying accident 2.11.57 when tailwheel assembly broke away on take-off, but repair at Khormaksar by Avro CWP was completed 10.6.58 and WL796 returned to 37 Sqn 22.8.58 still as 1. To Avro Langar 31.7.59 for Phase I mods and retained for completion of Phase II update, completed 22.5.61. Issued to 204 Sqn 25.5.61 and coded M. Cat.3 damage incurred 24.6.63 was repaired on site by 23MU, completed 6.8.63. Returned to 204 Sqn 8.8.63. Cat.3 damage 8.7.64 repaired by 71 MU 15.7.64 5.8.64. More Cat.3 repairs by HSA CWP 18-25.1.65 and 19.10.65 – 17.11.65. Transferred from 204 to 205 Sqn 13.10.66, arriving Changi 21.10.66 and coded C. Ferried to 27MU Shawbury 11.10.67 and declared NEA 1.11.67. Sold as scrap to H.H. Bushell of London 7.10.68.

WL786 MR 2
Sorry, no photo, just a potted history.

First flown 12.5.53 and A/Cn 28.5.53. To Hawarden 10,6.53 and on to 23MU Aldergrove two days later for storage. Allotted to MEAF and delivered to 137MU Safi 9.9.53 for service preparation. To 37 Sqn 26.9.53 and coded F. To CAPMF St Mawgan 1-12.3.54 and 137MU 23.8.54 – 7.10.54 for mods and a ‘special fitment’ 26.5.55 – 16.6.55, but otherwise with 37 Sqn until despatched to Avro 11.3.58 for Phase I modification, completed 23.4.59. Issued to 38 Sqn 8.5.59 and coded S. To Avro 23.5.61 for Phase II update, completed 19.3.62. Allotted to FEAF and delivered to 205 Sqn Changi 21.4.62 and coded B. Cat.3 damage 16.3.65 was repaired locally, WL786 returning to 205 Sqn 10.8.65. To HSA Langar 1.8.66 for Phase Il modifications. on completion of which the aircraft returned to 205 Sqn 23.8.67 and was recoded E. Ditched in Indian Ocean 5.11.67 120 nm west of Lhokkrket, Sumatra, en route Gan – Changi following an engine failure and subsequent fire. SoC 6.11.67.

Apologies for giving you the wrong history!