Thanks Bruce! This one should have sorted the issue, but its good to know more are out there.

Hi all,

Just a little update, other than that not much to report. Shackleton and Nimrod teams took VP293 “Zebedee” to Halfpenny Green over Easter, and despite the weather enjoyed the event and got quite a bit of interest in our efforts with both aircraft!

WR963’s hydraulic issue goes a little deeper than we expected, there’s at least one stuck none return valve in the system, which has damaged the hand pump in the starboard wheel bay. Its essentially created an idling circuit through the pump, subjecting it to more pressure than is good for it – and probably what creates a lot of the shrieking noise. We have to get this fixed before we run up WR963 again, or it could create more problems and a complete loss of function of the hydraulics.

I am told Nimrod XV232 will be running on Saturday 3rd May for anyone that wants to come along.

Regards

Rich

I was holding off from posting about the 5th, as it was Classic Air Force’s opening and didn’t really want to steal their thunder – what with the ads in aviation publications over the past few months I thought there would have been a little more on the forums leading up and immediately after. I have to say, the silence is quite baffling.

However..

From the Coventry end of things, it looked to go well, I had a quick look across the grass at one point and there looked to be about 100 people waiting to see WR963 and XV232 run.

WR963 behaved for the most part, the priming pump situation has improved; by isolating the pump’s supply after every run we’re trapping good fuel inside it and preventing any collected water from settling. We’ll be looking for a suitable way to eliminate this measure as its obviously a temporary solution rather than a cure. All engines started easily and ran up to 2,200rpm and about 45″ boost. No 1 engine went into feather during its propeller checks, so we have investigation to do there as the pitch lever wasn’t through the gate. The CSU controls this, so the immediate suspects are a worn linkage somewhere between the lever and the engine control pantograph, or a blocked filter.

We also have some hydraulic work to do as a couple of persistant weeps are starting to become noticeable, in that we’re having to top off the hydraulics too often and you can hear air in the system (the shreiking when the engine starts in the video DragonRapide posted) – so we won’t be running again until we’ve sorted this out as we don’t want to damage things. The weeping parts are on the tailwheel, and the rear starboard bomb bay ram, both of which we have spares for. On the electrical side, our PTR 1751 bench set has been very useful, and substituting components has allowed us to get together a working set and about 75% of another, so WR963 will be fitted with PTR 1751 again very shortly, with the control box going into the pilots overhead panel instead of the AEW operators – we’re fitting the less useful PTR 175 back there in its place.

A welcome boost to our fundraising has been the introduction of new merchandise based on the old 8 Sqn RAF items. T-shirts of a caricature Shackleton with the “Old age and Treachery” and “8 Screws” slogans, mugs of the same, and re-issues of the “Gone but Not Forgotten” and “Bear Hunters” embroidered patches seem enthusiatically sought by the public! Computer mouse mats and other items are still on the list to be added to the range, and we welcome other suggestions. There are a couple of bigger projects lined up – but they’re a couple of years down the line, and still in planning with the people concerned, so I can’t say too much.

The return to flight work is still progressing, but hunting through the mass of drawings we have for drawing no’s F13634, F13217, F13639 is proving quite a task. These particular drawings show the location of intersecting bolt holes in the spar booms and are specific only to one aircraft out of 185 – WR963! The drawings are needed in order to be able to carry out the SI’s and STI’s in a manner in which we can get results to show the true condition of the booms. Fortunately the SI’s and STI’s are all contained within one folder, so I don’t have to go hunting for those!

Picture updates will return with maintenance activities… I have been a little preoccupied with starting WR963 on my last few visits, the next ones will be a welcome return to getting covered in oil and Griffon bits!

Regards,

Rich

Not Shackleton, but the neighbouring effort –

On Saturday 29th March, Nimrod XV232 had all four engines running. A massive effort by the Nimrod Preservation Group at Coventry to meet the opening date of for Classic Air Force, so well done to them! Many (myself included) wondered if given the deterioration and lack of regular maintenance since 2010 meant it was going to be external lights and at best the APU running. Not so!

As a result of their hard work, 5th April should see two generations of the UK’s Maritime Patrol aircraft live and running at Coventry Airport.

Regards,

Rich