So… 2015 is here and what have we been up to? Well, we’ve mostly been hefting propellers about, and on a Shackleton there’s plenty of them to go around.
Investigation into the No 4 prop oil leak revealed some issues that had long been hidden from years gone by; probably during her time as WL790’s propeller test bed. This included fitting a vital part that had either perished and been destroyed, or may have been overlooked when the prop was fitted – an O-ring that goes right next to the rear propellers rear cone. So with a team comprising of one ex-Shack engineer (camlobe), a rigger turned grollie (hunterxf382) and plenty of willing hands, the propellers from No 4 engine were removed, cleaned, and refitted.
Then it was onto No 3. This propeller had a badly cracked backplate on the front propeller, fortunately we had a few spares in store.
With the team getting better at prop removals, this was the site that met visitors after an hour or so of us being on site…
While it was off it allowed the cleaning of a lot of accumulated oil and grime. 24 years worth by the look of things inside this spinner shell.
We were also able to clean around the rear propeller and translation unit.
It seems trivial, but it helps massively with tracing any leaks if and when they happen. Once things were as they should be and with the new backplate fitted it was time to get the whole lot back together again.
All the other props are now being checked for similar issues, which has turned up some stiff/seized spinner latches, and and no other problems.
Around the rest of the aircraft the ongoing saga of the hydraulic hand pump resulted in a second attempt at fixing it. We ended up fitting a brand new one, as the ex Elvington one kept things working long enough to get to the end of teh year, then suffered a similar failure to the last one meaning it wouldn’t pump fluid around the system. Despite it being funny to watch new volunteers trying to pump the bomb doors open with it, something had to be done and replacing it was the speediest way to solve the issue. Both old pumps are being rebuilt to provide a source of spares should we need them in the future.
Fitting the new pump meant we could inspect the flap operating jack and if necessary replace it, as there has been a telltale weep of fluid from around that area.
Thankfully the weep was nothing serious and the jack won’t have to be replaced. We did find that the rubber gaitors that take the flap operating tubes through to the wing have perished and fallen away though, so we’ll be back in here again at some point soon once replacements are found.
The front bomb bay doors are now open, as we’re reviewing our options as to how best to reinstate these, and the way forwards is looking to be using the drawings and a significant amount of manufacturing new half ribs to fill the gap. Even with a chunk missing, the full length of the bomb door does look rather good, and eases the servicing of the throttle and pitch control systems.
So thats the aircraft. Now what of her future?
Well, in 2012 the Shackleton Preservation Trust announced the decision to attempt to return a Shackleton to the skies and since then most of what has been done since has been maintaining the aircraft in a ground running condition. Three weeks ago, things took a significant step fowards and following further discussions with Civilian Aviation Authorities, the green light has been given to proceed with the restoration to flight.
As a consequence the way we have been doing work, recording it, and the way we will be doing things as we take things forward is under review to meet the requirements of the authorities. The majority of pieces in the puzzle are in place (hangarage arrangements, spares, tech documents and manuals etc, etc) and there is feverous activity happening behind the scenes in getting the word out and chasing up more support. This will hopefully allow us to make swifter progress towards our goal, and we’ll increase our efforts accordingly to step up the pace of work on the Shackleton herself.
Regards,
Rich W
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