Hastings Wash And Brush Up

Very nice, thanks for that, I did wonder if they might be a running Freighter lurking about somewhere!

How about the Bristol Freighter ZK-CPT in NZ with a nice pair of running Hercs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXDw_670JJk&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFXn5JzGljc&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vGPJDbvUEM&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClWyrpK_qQE&feature=related

Paul..

p.s Not enough hercs though…. Would love to see four running in a Hali or Stirling!

Lovely, I’m guessing that is the only way to see a Hercules running now, ie no flyers, ground runners in aircraft etc?

Here`s a little bit of Hastings still alive and kicking. . . .
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6Q0zTyvtaw

Pete

Very nice. Is that a Varsity exhaust collector?. If the engine had Hastings stubs, it would have very unkindly spat boiling oil all over the two nice clean gentlemen…….I love sleeve valves!!:diablo:

Ooooooooooooooh! Time to get car with towbar methinks… 😀

thats a bit rubbish 🙁 would be great to see her started up again 🙂

Here`s a little bit of Hastings still alive and kicking. . . .
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6Q0zTyvtaw

Pete

Yes the evening engine runs were a special time.

It’s nice to report that TG517 is greatly ‘loved’ by the museum and appreciated by the visitors who regularly look round her!

The external cleaning slowed a bit over the winter – the wet ground conditions made it slightly awkward to safely position the ‘giraffe’ to enable the volunteers ‘to reach parts that other cleaning teams can’t reach!’ 😀

Hi Twin Otter!

My favourite NAM aeroplane! A fabulous machine and I was lucky enough to be there when it ran at the museum. A pity (but not too sad) that only No.s 1 and 2 engines were workable. No.3 was well and truly seized, and in any case, No.s 3 and 4 propellers were already too corroded at the roots to consder starting the engines. All that and a long list of stiff and groggy ancillaries after just five years of standing. Another twenty eight years on…anyone feeling old yet?

What’s most important now is that she is loved by her owners, gets as much attention as they can manage and looks forward to a future under cover….Not too distant future I hope.

Still – two out of four wasn’t bad. Oil soaked parka, smoke – lots of smoke, and endless armfuls of guano! Happy memories.:D

I too would like to see everything inside but I also take a slightly more upbeat viewpoint.

When the Hastings was flown in and placed on loan with NAM in June 1977, the museum had 3 or 4 aircraft under cover. (As an aside one of those airframes is now a flier!)

In 2009 there are 44 protected from the elements and displayed inside (28 in Hangar 1 and 16 in Hangar 2) but with 26 still outside. A full breakdown of what’s where is given here! ** Another alt – 29 now in Hangar 1, following the Jaguar cockpit going inside!! **

To be perfectly honest there were several people that said this number of aircraft couldn’t be put inside and the museum remain viable – but it’s been a very satisfying experience to be part of a team of volunteers that has proved those doubters wrong! 😀 😀

Also let’s not forget that NAM is fortunate to have good and supportive staff. 🙂

That said there will always be more that should, can and will be done; providing NAM receives ongoing support from as many people as possible – I would encourage as many forumites as possible to make it their aim to support their local aviation museum this winter and in the years ahead! 🙂

Twin – yes indeed, it may well be that the various versions of the Hastings’ life at Newark which were told to me might not be strictly accurate! It is a shame though that the aircraft was allowed to deteriorate so much having arrived in perfect condition.

Dave – yes I mean the parachute door.

I agree it would be great to see the aircraft back in running condition but I guess it’ll never happen. I’d be content just to have the aircraft indoors and protected from the elements before she deteriorates any further. Mind you, that applies to the Canberra T19, Vulcan, Shackleton and Lightning too!:D

I am sure it is not all doom and gloom and given the financing I bet she could once again become a runner if not taxiiable once more?

I believe there’s a phrase – “Location, Location , Location!”

There’s nowhere on the present museum site(s) suitable for the safe ground running of TG517.

Also having witnessed the effect of once ground running an ‘AN-2 Colt’ 😮 during a Cockpit-Fest / Aeroboot event I’m not sure the trustees would actively consider the possibility, certainly not in the foreseeable future.

Regarding the financing I know of one national body that wouldn’t even consider an application for funding of such a scheme.

As a consequence I don’t recall seeing ‘ground running TG517’ on any ‘To Do Lists’ at NAM!

I am sure it is not all doom and gloom and given the financing I bet she could once again become a runner if not taxiiable once more?

It is a shame that the Hastings wasn’t kept in better condition – I recall that Jacko Jackson occasionally used to run-up her engines therefore it seems sad that the aircraft was eventually allowed to deteriorate. When I’ve asked NAM guys about this before, they claim this was because it was given to an ATC Squadron to “look after” and they eventually just got bored with it?

I guess there’s no chance of ever getting the magnificent machine flying again after having sat there for so long. Shame though – would make a great cargo aircraft strangely enough! I only ever saw one in the air and that was over Ladybower when they flew one as a camera ship for a Lancaster flypast over the Derwent dams. Everyone was looking at the Lancaster but I was looking at the magnificent Hastings roaring round the hillside with the cargo door open – just brilliant!

I hope NAM get this hangar project moving soon. Be great to get the Hastings indoors, along with a few others. One big hangar and they could get all of the remaining outside exhibits under cover at last! Oh well, maybe folks will be more inclined to donate to such a project when they finally stop sending all the money to Dr Pleming’s retirement fund…

Or was that the para/entrance door that was open? The outwards-opening cargo door(s) were not flyable when open – we had to remove them both for large cargo drops which was a bit of a pain: this left a very large hole in the port side of the aircraft. However, it was good fun to stand at the rear of the aircraft (behind a curved barrier) to watch a load rolling down the tracks and then smartly disappearing through the aforesaid hole:D – a bit draughty though!!

This morning I was putting together a Powerpoint presentation when I came across the attached scan of TG517.

It was taken on the evening of 22 June 1977 about 5 hours after the aircraft had landed – I missed the landing itself on account of taking one of my last A-Level exams! 🙁

Never mind seen and done a lot more at NAM since then! 😉

I’m afraid that your recollection’s going on this one Chox.

I’m almost certain that the last contact ‘Jacko’ had with operating controls on TG517 was on 22 June 1977, when he switched them off after the delivery flight. The engines weren’t run again until Joe Petroni and his follow volunteers came along several years later (see the links in post #20 ). This was well after the museum site and aircraft had moved across to the other side of the showground.

The local ATC Squadron ‘adopted’ TG517, with the initial aim of cleaning it down etc from recollection their CO worked for one of the local Council’s and had access to a cherry picker. 😮 Sadly they also undertook some unsupervised and unplanned work, which contributed to the inboard engine issue; TG517 was then taken back into museum ‘care’.

In the late 1980s and 1990s a major internal refurbishment programme was undertaken by a museum member and his wife, which was featured in FlyPast.

‘Jacko’ did return and record some video interviews in TG517 during the mid 2000s, which were included in the Virtual Museum CD ROM.

As mentioned earlier on the thread the third Hangar is sadly away off. This is due to the need to become more self-sufficient on the Southfield Site and hence the planning for the construction of a new Visitor Centre.

It is a shame that the Hastings wasn’t kept in better condition – I recall that Jacko Jackson occasionally used to run-up her engines therefore it seems sad that the aircraft was eventually allowed to deteriorate. When I’ve asked NAM guys about this before, they claim this was because it was given to an ATC Squadron to “look after” and they eventually just got bored with it?

I guess there’s no chance of ever getting the magnificent machine flying again after having sat there for so long. Shame though – would make a great cargo aircraft strangely enough! I only ever saw one in the air and that was over Ladybower when they flew one as a camera ship for a Lancaster flypast over the Derwent dams. Everyone was looking at the Lancaster but I was looking at the magnificent Hastings roaring round the hillside with the cargo door open – just brilliant!

I hope NAM get this hangar project moving soon. Be great to get the Hastings indoors, along with a few others. One big hangar and they could get all of the remaining outside exhibits under cover at last! Oh well, maybe folks will be more inclined to donate to such a project when they finally stop sending all the money to Dr Pleming’s retirement fund…

At least that sounds positive! 🙂

We’re not entirely sure yet, though there are a couple of ideas that ive come up with that i shall be proposing next time i see the guys 🙂

Its not as bleak an outlook as it seems 😀

Ill be starting a project thread for WR963 when ive got some more info and photographs together to show you all 🙂

Several years ago I spent an enjoyable morning inside WR963 when she was ground running and I’ve just about got the hearing back!!

What are the possible implications for WR963 from this? http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=96097 🙁

WR963 is taxiable, but shes in need the TLC that we’re doing out best to give her! 🙂