No,sadly I’m not talking about Germaine Greer! The latest issue of Flypast has a section devoted to the Avro Shackleton and in it there is the suggestion that both ‘Mr.McHenry’ in the US and 1722 in South Africa are coming to th end of thier flying lives.It’s said that Mr.McHenry is now up for sale and is unlikely to attract a US buyer and that 1722 will almost certainly be laid up in the next few months (the article says it’s due to lack of skilled manpower,although I read somewhere else a while ago that she’s virtually time expired.)
If either of these possibilities became a reality,I’m wondering what will happen with the aircraft-presumably some space can be found for 1722 at the SAAF Museum,but what about Mr.McHenry? Would it be best to fly her home and preserve her here,perhaps in taxiiable condition,or would she find a suitable home over in the States?
Below is a pic of 1722 taken by Fanie Kleynhans at the Ysterplaat show on November 8th-was this her final flight?
By: Joe Kin - 3rd December 2003 at 11:14
** REMOVED BY WM **
By: Merlin3945 - 2nd December 2003 at 18:49
To be honest I dont think East Fortune would take the shack. I dont think they are actually building a new hangar because of building regulations but rather restoring the existing ones.
By: andrewman - 2nd December 2003 at 11:17
When is the Shack at Coventry going to do a taxi run ?
By: Yak 11 Fan - 1st December 2003 at 15:47
At the end of the day whoever stumps up the $750,000 asking price can park it wherever they like.
By: Andrew-O - 1st December 2003 at 15:27
I agree about East Kirkby
Any future permanent additions to East Kirkby have to be linked to WW2 Bomber Command.
East Kirkby is Bomber Command focused (being an old Lanc base) with a restoration project there for a Hampden as well as the resident Just Jane.
Why not boost East Fortune by getting a prize exhibit ?
By: Moggy C - 1st December 2003 at 14:14
I disagree.
The Shack doesn’t belong at East Kirkby.
East Fortune was a good idea. St Mawgan perhaps?
Moggy
Better than the axeman though!
By: Tony C - 1st December 2003 at 13:40
I know that this is not a real possibility but it would be nice to see Mr McHenry returned home and then kept at East Kirkby!
Just think, two of AVRO’s best and both being taxied.
4 Merlins, 4 Griffons, aaahhh I can hear the noise now, reverberating around the Museum…
We can but dream.
Tony
By: Firebird - 1st December 2003 at 12:32
It’s a real shame SAAFHF will stop flying 1722……..:mad: 😡
She does look in superb nic…….cracking photos!
By: Ant.H - 30th November 2003 at 23:54
Having done a bit of thinking on this one and following on from the earlier post about a Concorde going to East Fortune,it occurred to me that EF would make a very appropriate home for a Shack.The type served for many a long year from Scottish bases (Kinloss and Lossie) so she would fit right in.If EF were to go ahead with their plans to erect a new hangar,perhaps some thought could be given to displaying Mr.McHenry there,or perhaps the taxiiable machine from Coventry.Just a thought…
Also,in my earlier post I suggested that 1722 could go to the SAAF Museum but I was overlooking the fact that the museum already have 1721,so what ould happen with ’22?
By: topgun regect - 30th November 2003 at 18:38
Lets hope they dont end up going they same way as most of the other airframes – to be urned on some airfield fire dump or to go to T H E Scrapman. Nice pics though!
By: Ant.H - 30th November 2003 at 13:06
Couldn’t resist posting another one of 1722 at the Ysterplaat show…
By: Peter - 30th November 2003 at 12:30
Mr mchenry
Maybe Kermit will buy the shack as he has a better chance of flying this avro product than he does his lancaster…
By: RobAnt - 30th November 2003 at 01:12
Great shame.
The association I have with Shackletons, is that while posted at Lossiemouth in the mid-’70’s, I was more often then not, when on duty, the one responsible for transmitting their daily status to HQSTC/STCOC.
At the time I worked in the comcen there.
By: dhfan - 30th November 2003 at 01:04
Just read Flypast myself and I think it said that June next year is the current plan for the final flight of the SAAF one.
By: David Burke - 29th November 2003 at 22:45
I think the economics of the S.A.A.F might well be coming to the fore. As for the Shackleton – I cannot conceive of anyone paying the asking price to return her to the U.K for a grounded life.
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November 29, 2003 at 8:04 pm