The Duxford Shackleton

mjr thanks for the details..what’s the chances of the Gannet XL472 running again?

runners

Canuck,

The runners are as follows.

1)Blackburn Buccaneer s.1 XN923. ran Boxing day 2003
2)De Havilland Sea Vixen FAW2 XS582. ran Boxing day 2003

3)Avro Shackleton mr3 ph3 WR982 ”J”. ran Nov1, 2003

4)De Havilland Venom fb.1 j-1605. Last full run 2002. Preparations to run soon.

5)Ercoupe 415D g-eghb. (airworthy) .

6)Westland Sikorski WS-55 whirlwind HAR10. XP398.

Airframes returning ‘live’

1) Percival Sea Prince T.1 G-GACA. approx 500 man hour re-build complete. To be run in the next 4 weeks for engine tests, followed by Taxi tests.

2) English Electric Lightning F53-671, ZF579. approx 4000 man hour Restoration ongoing. approx timescale for engine trials, a further 1500 man hours or end of 2005., which ever first.

3) Percival P65 pembroke C.1 XK885. approx 500 man hour restoration ongoing, no engine trials scheduled as of yet.

mjr,

What aircraft beside the Shack are runners and what might be future runners?

“6 aircraft are maintained for ground running, including jets and propped birds, along with another 3 aircraft in the process of being re-built and returned to ground running”

Remove the comma at the end : –

http://www.gatwick-aviation-museum.co.uk

mjr

The link doesnt work.

MOTF

visiting times

Dez,

general Open days are now closed over the winter, however the collection can be viewed any day bay appointment over the winter period, for individual visits or group visits. If you ring up a few days before hand,no problem.
The official opening times for the new year are posted on the website www.gatwick-aviation-museum.co.uk, along with any contact numbers you require.

Thank You Mike, 🙂

mjr, what are GAM’s opening times. my nephew lives in Cowfold so next time im down we will plan a visit!

Cheers

Dez

Just to add my two penny.

The Shackleton arrived at Duxford many years ago so it can not be described as an ‘unexpected arrival’. It was flown in (direct from RAF service ?) and was therefore in A1 condition, the lack of even basic care and maintance over the years is the reason why it is the state that it is in today. Comment is often made of the IWM aim of displaying items only related to active service or wars and that the Shackleton does not ‘fit-in’. Maybe Duxfords MR3 airframe has no war record but Shackletons were used in many overseas campains such as Malaya, Borneo, Aden, Suez. Their peace time role as patrol and SAR should not be under estimated

DOUGHNUT

shackleton

Dez,

I know you were not trying to rubbish us or any other smaller collection, you are welcome at GAM, as is everyone.We get hot under the collar at GAM when we see examples like the shack, in the state that they are, with the funding and resources that big collections such as DX have.

Please dont think I am picking on DX alone, for the most part DX do a good job, however many large collections are guilty of apathy. The shack is poignant ,since there are few left in the UK, the airframe isn’t beyond the point of no return, it will be in another 5 years though, corossion is becoming a serious problem on this airframe. Come on DX, if you are to save her,(and the victor) the old girl needs tlc now!!

Dont ignore it, cutting her up is not the answer, if you do it right,she can be saved outside with a lot less effort than you think!

They give the cost of being a friend, however I was always under the impresion that FOD and aircraft do not go well together 😀

http://www.tfod.org.uk/membership/costs.htm

I must get out more! (back to work on the 5th) I have just looked at the Duxford website & looked at DAS ‘Friends of Duxford’ page, http://www.tfod.org.uk/news/index.htm It’s nice to see they update on a regular basis!! I trust they are more up to date with their maintenance programe. I also notice they don’t publish the cost of membership to DAS or the friends of Duxford, seems a bit strange that.
Cheers…………… :confused:

Hi Bruce,

That’s an idea! Can you send a PM or e-mail with details?

Cheers, Happy new year. 🙂

WarbirdUK

You would be more than welcome to come and give us a hand at Salisbury Hall!

Working members pay £1 per year to keep things legal (insurance cover etc), and I wouldnt dream of giving you an induction course on working on aeroplanes!!

And its not as far as DX!!

Cheers

Bruce

Re: Nice first post.

Originally posted by Dez
Hello mjr and welcome to the Forum… im glad my post prompted you to reply

Firstly i must point out to you that i don’t like the way that the Shackleton has been left, however thats great news if there is a team of DAS volunteers starting work!

My post which you quoted wasn’t intended to rubbish Gatwick i was just tying to put across a balanced argument as to why the Shackleton has been left… I was hoping that someone from DX would back me up at this point however…:rolleyes: I don’t have the answers but i have mailed DX.

Does anyone on this forum know the ratio of volunteers to airframes at DX?

Ive not been to Gatwick yet however i have relatives who live nearby so a visit is on the agenda for next year… if you’ll have me! 😉

Anywho… Warbird UK, thats a superb idea however… Im pretty sure DX will ask you to become a DAS member first. Many reasons as to why but the main ones are Insurance related and all DAS members undergo police checks/Induction days etc… However with a bit of clout from ‘Flypast’ you never know…

I do hope that no one feels that my posts on this matter have been aggressive or distasteful, im just simply trying to look at the situation from another perspective not just my own… i think they might call it ‘Playing Devils Advocate’ !

Regards

Not aggressive or distasteful, just thought provoking.

Don’t be sorry! 😉

Just agreeing with your point!! 🙂

But seriously a name change has been discussed!

Originally posted by Dez
FLOOD, I think a name change was discussed a couple of years ago. Imperial War Museum hate the name, so its more commonly refered to as IWM. i think they were struggeling to come upwith a suitable alternative? … answers on a postcard…;)

Coo! I was joking about the reasons for why they might want to concentrate on certain types of exhibit, that was all.
Sorry!

Flood.

Sure, fine, but why should I have to pay towards it?? 🙁

Cheers………

If the airframe is to included in the new super hangar as a walk thru display..what is to become of the rest of the airframe..namely the wings and engines?

I think that some are missing the point, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) would come down heavily on the organisers and owners of the Shackleton at Duxford if there were to be an accident without suitable supervision and insurance cover.

I did hear a few years ago that the interior to XF708 was in need of attention and if the DAS boys are doing just that then I would hardly think they would be expending their valuable time in readiness to scrap her.

I’m afraid I will not pay for the privilage of working, for free, on someones museum exhibit, whoever they are, as stated before It will cost me enough to get there both in time & fuel, it’s somewhere in the region of a 300 mile round trip for me from Bristol & around 5 hours drive depending on the M4/M25/M11 traffic.
Also, I don’t think I need to attend an induction day before I work on dead aircraft, I’ve been around live ones for long enough!
Cheers………………