Cyprus Shackeltons

Thats hell of a way to propel a Merc Sprinter along!

. . . . backwards!

Ben, we took the rest of the cowlings off so that the engine is visible. I have always resisted the urge to cowl them up as it defeats the object. At the end of the day it is always up to the customer, who in this instance wanted it big and flash! (Not immediately obvious from the pic, but the props are 9ft dia.)
By the way, I didn`t know that the CSU operates right down to 1100rpm or so, no wonder they called it the Growler, I wish I could do that with a Merlin, it sounds amazing.

Pete

“..and in other news… a pioneering new anti tailgating device has been tested to the delight of aviation enthusiasts.”

Merlinpete.. I bet people stay well back!

well now you mention it!

Also james, its clearly a ford transit minibus :diablo:

You need to get out more, next you will be telling me that is a Rolls Royce Griffon!

Pete do you intend on cowling that engine up? We have plenty of spares if you’d like! 🙂

Also james, its clearly a ford transit minibus :diablo:

Thats hell of a way to propel a Merc Sprinter along!

Look at the state of those spare prop blades they are ocmpletely useless for runnign now?!

Oh yes?

Pete

….mmmm, don’t know what I’m doing wrong, hope this works….

Pagan01

Yes I do have one, been trying to upload it but not had much joy…will give it another go.

You could ask the elders of the population of Wick.
In 1957 we deployed 9 Shacks from 269 Squadron for the NATO Autumn Exercise.
Our dispersals adjoined the walls of the back gardens of the Main Road houses.

I’m sorry Mo, I can’t let this one pass, but did the noise get on their wick!…:o

Got any pictures of the Lightning to share here Adrian?

RichW

My friend took the attache picture of the EE Lightning at RAF Akrotiri in 2008. It looks quite good. I pass Rochester Airfield on a regular basis and they have another in similar colours by close to the fence near BAE Systems.

Blue_2

You could ask the elders of the population of Wick.

In 1957 we deployed 9 Shacks from 269 Squadron for the NATO Autumn Exercise.
Our dispersals adjoined the walls of the back gardens of the Main Road houses.

We were given the “Scramble and get out!” call at approx 2320. At 2325 the first of 36 Griffons burst into life with the last joining in about 2 mins later.

Not happy RAF! Fortunately; Wick had been our Squadron’s WW2 base, and there were a couple of old friendships still active.

We never convinced them that we also thought that time of night was not a civilised time to start an 18 hour flog. Seven years later all 3 squadrons did the same thing at Ballykelly with 21 a/c (on a pleasant summer’s afternoon)

Mo

So I’m guessing here Peter, you might have had four Shackletons at Gatwick?:)

Sadly I can only guess what that lot fired up would have sounded like! 😀

I didn’t mean to infer there was no UK interest, but that obviously the guy in Cyprus really wanted them and was going to pay the price.
What seems a shame to me is that the MoD couldn’t see what would really be quite obvious (maybe more so in hindsight), that there really wouldn’t be a great demand to see a Shack flying or displayed in Cyprus (and thus not producing any income for its operator), versus taking a bit less money for UK display.
The bit I can’t get my head around is how they also supplied so many engines, spares, and the procedures trainer, that must have been a huge task in its self. Was the disposals system swayed by something else?

So I’m guessing here Peter, you might have had four Shackletons at Gatwick?:)

When the two Shacks were put up for sale there was interest from at least one UK bidder. The identity of whom may be guessed! He was outbid by a Mr Constanides.So lets not start a “no UK interest” inaccurate theme, it tends to get quoted as fact some time later.

When they first arrived in Cyprus they were looked after by an ex RAF fitter who was supposedly working on a return to flight status. There was actually one sortie flown with a scratch RAF crew. There was some discussion after about who had the authority to clear that flight. As a consequnece it was never repeated. Shortly after the owner went bust and disapeared. The current status is a result of the owner going into hiding! Had he not been so keen on buying them at almost any cost they would still be in the UK, well maybe.

That link to the spares is damming ecidence as to the lack of interest to the Shackletons as a whole. Look at the state of those spare prop blades they are ocmpletely useless for runnign now?!

Sorry yes for later I was talking Mk.5’s etc . As for the AS.7’s and the like unfortunately most are probably rotting offshore of Llanbedr.

The later Fireflies used Mk.74’s.

74s were used up to the Mk.6, the late types (AS.7) with the anullar chin radiators had 59s – not that it matters, as there arn’t many of those likely to fly anytime soon!

I thought the later Fireflys (AS.7 on) has a similar Griffon?

Firefly Griffon (74) is closer to a Spitfire XIV Griffon (66), being two stage, two speed. Shack Griffon is a single stage engine (no intercooler).

Bruce