CamlobeSorry folks. Doesn’t seem to be uploading. I’ll accept an offer to have them posted by Dave T. Wish me luck.
camlobe
CamlobeWooops!!
Virgin picture-poster alert. Sorry all. I’ll try again.
Doh
camlobe
CamlobeFeel like a party pooper here, so appologies now.
The tyres are Shack tyres. Yes I know the BBMF Lanc has them fitted. That is because they fit the Lanc and there are ‘plenty’ in stock. Not many serviceable original Lanc tyres around.
As an aside, back in the ’90’s, the then OC BBMF was having a bad time trying to stop his landings being ‘bouncers’. He even contacted former Lanc pilots (including wartime) in an attempt to find out what he was doing wrong, so concerned was he about ‘his mistakes’.
I went up to him on day and said ‘Hey, boss, I think I know what the problem is, and it’s not you’. He looked at me with both relief and wonderment.
Turns out that the tyre bay were fitting the tyres to the Lanc wheels but inflating them to Shack pressure i.e. 85 psi. OK for a Shack weighing 92000+ lbs. The Lanc was operating a lot, lot lighter than that. Can’t remember the average Lanc display weight now. Someone like Fluffy might be able to help with the figure.
camlobe
CamlobeRe-sparring WL790. Now that would be interesting. The fleet all had Major’s in the late ’80’s but wern’t re-sparred.
I can remember kicking around the blank (unmachined) spar bars in K17 hangar at Lossie for years. All sat in a row, stamped with ‘Ultrasonically tested’. They were dumped there when Stafford had a clear out. Then I can remember kicking them around at BBMF. Then they went up to Chadderton, got machined down and fitted to PA474’s centre section and wings. Then I joined a group of guys in St Athan and we bolted the Lanc back together. That was the last time I set eyes on them there spar bars. I know that the Panton brothers asked BAe if they could re-spar their Lanc, but they were told no.
So, my next thought is, was there enough blank spar material left to be able to do ’90, or while it require new material to be used? Anybody know?
camlobe
CamlobeHi everyone.
A little update since now I have woken up.
On Wednesday afternoon at 4 o’clock, the trailer owner said I could pick it up. Off I went with a friend. An hour later we were there. Moved the horsebox and boat out of the way. Then spent an hour freeing off the brakes and fixing the lights. Back to the airfield to load up and off to St Austell we went. Arrived at Henry Orchards at about 0830 Friday after travelling all night. Henry had a few guys assist us in loading the nose. The guys were very patient with me, repositioning the nose at least half a dozen times until I was happy with the balance. Strapped up ready to go, I sent a picture to Dave T (wich he has kindly posted at the top of this thread. Thanks Dave). Extended many thanks to Mr Orchard and off we went.
Routing through rural Cornwall on the way to the M5, it became obvious that we were attracting considerable attention. Anybody would think the locals had never seen a Discovery with a trailer before!! One poor chap became so fixated with Mr Rusty that he hadn’t realised that the car in front of him had come to a halt. So he used the boot of the car in front as a brake. Ouch.
Progress was very appropriate for a Shack. Sedate and unrushed. We were able to enjoy the views at great length as they didn’t change very quickly. The GPS did show 55 kts on one downhill stretch, but the average was between 45 and 50 MPH. Until we hit a hill. Any hill. Ah, well. What was the hurry. Mr Rusty has waited for many years to be rescued from the torch. Another couple of hours was nothing.
We managed to get to the M5/M6 junction at 1705 hrs. Only a one mile queue. Not too bad. Funny thing was, no-one around us seemed to be in a rush as they all slowed or stopped for a look. Must have been appreciating the paint job on my Disco. All of you who transport your cockpit sections around the countryside to various meets are probably used to it. I considered it from a different viewpoint. The government should hire cockpiteers and their ilk to drive around the road network with their cockpits in tow. The most effective mobile traffic calming measure I have ever seen.
The first time we stopped for fuel, I had a bit of a suprise. This was the first time I had seen the Disco/Shack combo since we left HO’s place, and that had been in the rain. Standing head, shoulders and chest above everything on the forecourt, I suddenly realised just how big it is. The continual barrage of questions every time we stopped for fuel were followed by appreciative and positive comments from
‘I don’t know what it is but it looks interesting’
to
‘my uncle/dad/grandad/father-in-law used to fly those’
and
‘good luck’
We had a lot of the latter, as the whole trip was as straight forward as one could hope for.
The winds were as forcast i.e. strong. For most of the trip, the winds were side or tail. Until we turned West off the M6 onto the M54. Headwind all the way home. That’s 40 MPH to you. It took a very, very long time to travel along the North Wales coast.
Back safe at EGCK, we unhitched and went to bed. A 41 hour day, but worth every minute.
Today, the first bit of TLC in fifteen years. Cornish moss hangs on with superglue. A couple of hours later and the outside is now Faded Battleship Grey. A friend came along with his HIAB and we were able to able to lift the nose off the borrowed trailer and position it onto my four-wheel trailer, the intended permanent mount. Once the trailer has been refurbished to road legal standards, it will allow me to move Mr Rusty in and out of the museum and around to some events, should I get it a bit more presentable.
The collection of Shack items I have will slowly find their way into Mr Rusty. Pilots instrument panels, engineers panel, Bomb aimers cushions etc. Although not complete, the instrument panels will fill up with the passage of time.
If any of you have Shack gear that is cluttering up your garage/shed/attic and you are looking for a home for it, drop me a line. I know a welcoming home.
Hope I haven’t bored you all to death. Happy New Year to you all.
camlobe
CamlobeWho knows. Now that I’ve got the Shack cockpit back here (at last) maybe, just maybe…
camlobe
CamlobeHi everyone. Just a quick couple of words. Been a long (41 hour) day.
Mr Rusty has arrived safe and well at Caernarfon. There were a few incidents that I will post about tomorrow.
Off to snore now. Thanks everyone for your words of encourage and support.
Nite nite.
camlobe
CamlobeHi folks.
Sorry I haven’t responded earlier. We have been finishing off a rebuild on a wood and fabric wondership (DR400) and I’ve just finished the first check-flight. Oh, she flies lovely.
I digress. No it isn’t here yet. The tales of woe regarding transportation would fill a book. Truck promissed – didn’t come. Disco failed MOT so couldn’t tow. No one out our way has a 7 1/2 tonner flatbed to hire. Second truck goes same way as the first. Disco gets MOT and then trailer expires. AAAARRRRGGGGHHHH. Add false promises and work committments and it has been tragic so far.
Anybody got a 7 1/2 tonner flatbed that I could hire at a sensible rate? It is for a good cause (well, I think it is).
CamlobeHome at last
Hi Neil.
Glad to hear that it is finally home. Well done to all. An excellent result following a lot of hard work.
Good to see you again at EGCK a couple of weeks ago. Give my best regards to Heather and hope to see you both again soon.
camlobe
CamlobeWell, we’ve got it tough up over here. Nothing quite as exciting as what most of the previous posters enjoy.
I had my office positioned allowing a view over both runways. Throughout the year, during daylight hours on the airfield, we have to put up with every PFA type you can imagine, more microlight types than you can shake a stick at, every GA single you could think of, most GA twins around including an interesting Apache Geronimo, a vast cross section of corporate twin turboprop and jet types, the aerobatic guys who come here to practice a number of times a year, the training and SAR helo’s from the nearby RAF base, the Army Apache helo’s including a recent detachment based on the airfield for a week, every sort of piston and turbine civil helo etc, etc. Overhead, a vast array of Mil fast jets and heavies.
During the dark hours, and I mean dark i.e. midnight etc (I know, we are sad being here at these ungodly hours, late working, honest) we enjoy overshoots and landings from certain C130’s with ‘interesting’ callsigns amongst others.
Interesting things have included the Chinook air-lifting out a SeaKing after it had an engine cooked, the ‘local’ Spit regularly practicing his display routine, AN2’s, C47’s, Twin Pin, Rapide, Anson, Moths various, lots of biplane types etc, etc, etc.
OK, so who’s got the best view now?
CamlobeBest of British luck to everybody Roy. Can’t make it myself 🙁 . I’ve got to put a Chippy engine back together.
Hope you get the weather and the numbers.
Oh, and by the way, arn’t you aware that the hi-viz jacket is a major contribution to aviation safety?
No?
I don’t believe it either. 😀
CamlobeAnybody got a picture taken five seconds later?
CamlobeSeems to be a popular habit with a less than desirable part of the population, trying to sell aircraft they don’t own. I know a couple of ‘respectable’ guys who are trying to do this right now.
Nice piccy of the Rearwin though.
Camlobecolhot. Slightly off thread, I know, but, want to share the story?
CamlobeGlad to hear this news. Used to know these two ladies well.
Wonder if there are any surplus spares available? Particularly from the back of the pilot’s seats forward?
Well, don’t ask, don’t get.
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