Meanwhile, some of the team haven’t been able to make it up to Elvington as often as planned (That would be me then.)
So, deciding homework was a good plan, I turned my attention to a couple of bits of very prominent woodwork – the engine nacelle intake rings. Armed with a bit of research into their construction, a good selection of decent quality ply, and a healthy dose of optimism I got stuck in. I know its ply rather than mahognay, but this is a first go and we can always upgrade later.
Here goes…
Marking out was started with a homebrew compass to get the correct radius for the inner and outer diamter of the rings, as measured from the aircraft itself. There’s going to be four layers of the ply, and each layer is in four pieces.
This is the first three layers roughly cut out and placed together. You quickly get the idea how it goes, and realise at this point there’s going to be a LOT of sawdust..
With all the layers together and glued, shaping can begin.
I used a fibreglass template that had been made at YAM some years ago to get the profile right, and also to test by fitting the newly made wooden ring into it to see if I was anywhere close. By the time I’d got to this point –
I was pretty confident I was doing the job right. Final shaping was achived by rotating the ring on a bearing and locating any high spots as it went around. Then it was into the car with it, and off to Elvington to test it up against the aeroplane itself.
I was barely a millimetre out around the top right quarter, the rest was spot on. To say I was happy would be an understatement! I put my success purely at the door of my milk chugging, take no messing about crew chief, Charlie. He tells Daddy how to fix stuff, and it seems to work.
So, back to the Meteor parts making facility on the Derbyshire border for finishing off the first ring, and manufacture of the second.
I’ve also retrieved the gunsight mounting tray, as the newly located gunsight needs something to sit on, and I can’t let blue_2 keep having all the fun fixing bits of jet. Next trip up will hopefully see me taking the pair of intake rings for covering and a last test fit with proper fixings, some new tube for aileron control rods, and a soldering iron to start doing some wiring jobs that WS788 so desperately needs.
Regards,
Rich
Whatever anyone wants to call YAM’s aircraft, she looks, feels and smells enough like a Halifax for me. I was fortunate enough to get on board last year.
Its an experience I’ll never forget.
Hi all,
Another month, another update on WR963. Although the weather at Coventry yesterday was absolutely Baltic cold, there were four of us braved it and got some work done.
First up was stopping the oil leak on No 1 engine. It was thought to be the timing plug, but turned out to be another plug further up on the engine block above it, with a perished gasket. Cleaning it up and refitting it cured the leak, and the cleaning up of the lower cowlings took longer than the repair itself!
Next up were some general airframe tasks, and as we were going around more stuff got noticed and added to the list. Things that could have been done over the last year or so but were missed, half done or ignored. Here’s a selection of what’s going to be keeping us busy over winter.
Blocked drainholes. Never a good thing, and probably the easiest bit of servicing to do. This very noticeable one on WR963’s front bomb bay bulkhead has blocked up and corroded pretty badly. We’ll be grinding it out and treating it as soon as possible.
DZUS fasteners on the cowlings. Several on No 4 engine have departed this life altogether, and I provided the tools to fit new ones shortly before my hiatus.
Over on No 2 engine, someone’s had a go at replacement but done it in a bit of a half arsed way. The new fastener is latched, but not rivetted on as the remains of the broken clip are still in place.
Last but not least, No 4 engine’s front spinner has picked up some new large dents, by way of a heavy blunt object, applied with violence. Likely done to try and ‘persuade’ the spinner to latch (rather than servicing the latches) its now rather deformed and tight so we’re going to replace it.
So, we decided a trip to the stores was in order, as we had a bit of a shopping list! We managed to find most of the items we need, as well as discovering the contents of some of the larger boxes were a brand new fuel tank. amd another tail fin/rudder bringing the total in stock to a pair. Someone was suggesting we start trying to put VP293 “Zebedee” back to a full Shackleton again, but I think we need a few more bits yet… We also managed to find a couple of surplus coolant radiators, so if any of our Gatwick friends are reading this you need to drop my Dad a message.
One of the boxes in the store had some interesting writing on it which gave us much amusement when we opened it. All the way from Avro, half way around the world, and back, never yet used.
I metion him in passing further up this post, and we’ve not been neglecting “Zebedee”, work has started again on more restoration for him. I got on board during a quiet moment and removed the Engineers panel blank, ready to get it cut for fitting some new switches and gauges. A nice find was in the cleaned up drawer below it, the master fuse list is still there.
Gareth Morgan is our glassfibre/composites expert, and he has taken on restoring the DF Loop fairing which came adrift earlier this year. The next few photos are his and show some of the work he’s started bringing it back to a good condition.
A lot of the new work starting on Zebedee is helped by the recent gift of an AP for the MR MK 1 Shackleton.
So there we are. We’re going to be sitting out November while we get a few more bits done, so the next run up will therefore be the dusk/early evening run for Timeline Events on 3rd December. The reason for deciding to get the work done now is that we want to start next year by taxying WR963 again. To make the taxying goal, there’s a few bits like the brake line which blew back in April (which showed that they all need going through) and a cunning plan in the works to keep the brake pressure up to implement.
One last thing.
WR963 now proudly wearing her poppy in Remembrance of the 156 aircrew lost in Shackleton aircraft.
Regards,
Rich
Hi all.
Just a quick drop in by me to remind you all about the 9th July approaching, whch marks 25 years since WR963 touched down at Coventry and entered preservation. She’s come a long way, and a short distance in that time. Usually you can find her providing shade for visitors and occasionally killing the grass in patches when the Griffons are run up just across from Hangar 7, Coventry.
Then occasionally she takes a stroll. Its only been once or twice a year so far, but the bar is being pushed. The 9th July will see another taxy run, and there’ll be more this coming year once this event is past. The intent is to try an bring her serviceability up to be capable and reliable enough to taxy once a month, something the team is pushing hard to achieve. I got lucky last year – I was Engineer for the taxy run in the Vulcan day. ONce everything was behaving I took a chance and got these two shots from the window, but the memory will last forever. A couple of chaps on the recent taxy run in April got even better footage… a chance that others can take advantage of too incoming months!
One thing that struck me when I visited recently was that although I’ve removed myself from duties with SPT; I still want to see WR963 fly and I still believe it can happen. I want to see this taxy past, become a turn onto a runway and off into the blue yonder. Hear the Griffon growl and watch ‘963 become a distant speck in the distance.
SPT have got a hell of a long way, and managed to secure funding for the NDT work, then when everything seemed to be a done deal they then had a new problem in having to find the money to rent hangar space after our long time friends at Air Atlantique decided to start ceasing activities. So far without resorting to endless chain e-mails or campaigns, they’ve already got over half way. Please support the SPT, as visitors are still welcome as ever. Go and watch a ground run up, or visit. Book a taxy ride when the spaces become available. Or, if you have a spare minute online and fancy donating to help go here: http://www.avroshackleton.co.uk/fundraising.html
A Shackleton will fly again, and your help would make it happen that bit faster.
Regards,
Rich
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