The Duxford Shackleton

Its a flaming disgrace they let it get into that state in the first place.
It might not be as sexy as some of the higher profile airframes, but its an important part of our aviation heritage just the same.:(

David Burke, i know what you mean but i’d imagine its difficult to prioritise. with the AAM project having taken up most of there resource during the 90’s. I just wonder what commercial pressures IWM Duxford are under??

Warbird UK, Would straightening the prop make a great deal of difference given its current condition? (How easy is it to straigten a prop???) perhaps its easier to wait until theyve got there hands on it. i havent asked anyone at Duxford but id imagine if the airframe has no future then i doubt they would just let it sit and rot? maybe???

As for still collecting airframes, id imagine that some of IWM’s aquisitions come out of the blue and IWM don’t proactivly look for some types. again i don’t know the answer just trying to look at the scenario from IWM’s point of view.

My understanding is that care and maint of aircraft is mainly carried out by DAS volunteers with a small team of full time engineers?
I suppose Robbo’s thoughts on this one hit the mark, Join the DAS! (Granted thats easier said than done!)

All in all i agree that the Shackelton scenario is frustrating, however im not sure that IWM are to blame????

Originally posted by Dez
I doubt that the IWM have deliberatly left this Shackelton to rot! I can’t imagine the conversation along the lines of “What shall we do withthe Shackelton?” , “Ah, Let it rot we don’t care!”:confused:

Well who else controls the care of the airframes on display?? Look at the facts, the prop damage happened in 1987, 16 years ago & still the prop has not been straightened!

Look how much duxford has changed over the last few years, think of all the airframes that have recieved attention! I agree the Shack is in a sorry state and this sort of thing shouldn’t happen but we don’t have an ‘IWM Utopia’ Duxford like any other Museum has a resource and more so these days has to be run in a commercially sound way. I bet that Duxford would love another conservation hanger and a team of skilled people to go in it, but this just aint gonna happen. In the meantime lets just hope the Shack makes it 🙁

.So why do they still collect airframes for display??

Is there no charge to view the collection at Duxford ? I’ve only been there either with an aircraft at an airshow or on business.

Dez – you could also argue the point that many aircraft have arrived since the Shackleton and received far more attention than her. The fact that she is a 1950’s maritime patrol aircraft
doesn’t mean that she is any less significant than any of the other
aircraft.

I doubt that the IWM have deliberatly left this Shackelton to rot! I can’t imagine the conversation along the lines of “What shall we do withthe Shackelton?” , “Ah, Let it rot we don’t care!”:confused:

Look how much duxford has changed over the last few years, think of all the airframes that have recieved attention! I agree the Shack is in a sorry state and this sort of thing shouldn’t happen but we don’t have an ‘IWM Utopia’ Duxford like any other Museum has a resource and more so these days has to be run in a commercially sound way. I bet that Duxford would love another conservation hanger and a team of skilled people to go in it, but this just aint gonna happen. In the meantime lets just hope the Shack makes it 🙁

This is disgusting

There is absolutely no NO excuse for an aircraft to be treated like this. We are having a hard enough time over in canada keeping a lancaster in good shape and she is 26 feet off the ground mounted on a post!
At the very least, they could have repainted her..!

Duxford Shackleton

Sad to see, & this is at one of the major aviation museums in the UK so what hope have we for lesser museums maintaining exhibits? It’s all very well grabbing all these airframes but if you can’t maintain them in an acceptable condition what is the point?
I also see what look like ‘Green rivets’ (magnesium) in the Shackleton so does this mean it has even less time with us than expected?
A sad sight to see, but even sadder to see is that the IWM appears to be an uncaring custodian of our historic aircraft.
I suppose the original owner gains brownie points from the preservation community & it’s less messy to donate a surplus airframe to a museum than to allow the scrap man to wield his axe while it’s left on site.
I also feel it’s quite insulting to the folk who cared for & maintained these aircraft while in service, When ever I saw these Shackletons at an air display they were always clean & tidy not how they are portrayed now looking little better than an item in a scrap yard.

XF708 is looking very shabby. I flew in 708 to Gibraltar on 24th June 1960 7 hours 55 minutes (Navex) and returned to St Mawgan on 27th June 1960 12 hours (Ship Recce). This was when she was on 201 Squadron and had a call sign ‘Oscar’, marvellous kites!

Originally posted by SteveYoung
Not quite sure what’s happened here…

That would be the result of the argument between the Shackleton and Graham Warner’s (ARCO / BAM) Broussard (G-BJGW) during the gales in October 87. The Broussard was blown over the fence into the Shackleton. Interesting that the Broussard is back flying and was at one point in Africa whereas the Shackleton hasn’t moved an inch.

Last one, you’ll be delighted to know. This is an open access panel on the underside of the port wing.

So we’ve got bent prop tips, corrosion in various stages of advancement, an airframe which hasn’t been properly sealed. I doubt that she’s long for this world. Someone please tell me I’m wrong. 🙁

Bottom of the port rudder. Corrosion’s done a bit more here than just set itself in… 🙁

Corrosion’s setting in…

Port outer

Not quite sure what’s happened here…

Can anyone explain why the bomb bay doors are hanging half open?

Nosewheel leg’s looking a bit tatty…

Through the nose glazing…

A view from the front…