Single Fin Shack

One of the proposals for a Mk 4 Shackleton replaced the twin fins with a single large unit.

When the GAM open days were part of the Southern Counties Vehicle show we used to be able to get insurance cover under their standard public liability policy. This changed a few years ago and we were told that a specific policy would be required to cover any insurance claims. The quotes for this policy ran into thousands, there was no way that we could afford these costs and any entrance charges would not come anywhere near paying for it. This had a demotivating effect on the crew keeping 982(J) running and as a result it has had only small amounts of work done on it for the past 4-5 years. Only in the last few months have we started work to bring her back into full running condition. This is partly in anticipation of WR982s birthday (she was “born” on the 11th of June 1957, according to the data plate in the nose wheel bay). The decision as to what form the celebration will take is still to be made, for the reasons given above this is very unlikley to be a public occasion.

We would like very much to share the sound of 4 griffons growling above the noise of departing airliners, but……

TSR2 Engines

Gatwick Aviation Museum have TWO TSR2 Olympus engines in their engine shed, I believe that that they are both zero timed.

Peter Mills

Gatwick Aviation Museum

In a recent communuication to Gatwick Aviation Museum the council admitted to having received “hundreds of letters from all around the world” in support of the museum. This made little or no impression. In the GAM case it is naive to believe that it is a simple matter of the council being obstructive. As always, there are other vested interests at work here, some who clearly have more political sway with the local authorites. I suspect this is more often the case where there is a problem being granted planning permission. Do not be misled into believing a few letters from a number of disparate people will achieve anything. It may, but.

Political clout is the only real way to produce results, stand for your local council, county councils and then use your influence. Lobby politicians, local and national, hassle them enough, with enough people and they’ll take action just to get rid of you! Use the system like all well orgaised, loud voiced minority groups do, there are plenty of examples of a small group getting results when they “shout” loud enough. If you can change the system even slightly in favor of aviation preservation your efforts may be worth a whole museums contents of airframes.

There was a recent photo taken by some army guys sitting on the nose of the the shack at Nicosia, not sure but it may even have been on this forum.
So, yes it’s still there, heavily robbed and on its belly.

Hmmm,

I’am sure Keith Smith will be interested to know that he’s retired!

Marine Salvage may not exist but he is most certainly still trading, though he doesn’t have any(many?) Lightning parts.

The wing sections that are covered are a part of ZD400, I believe this was a GR5 that had an accident at Wittering some years ago. Unfortunately the fuselage has not survived so well.

Here is a recent photo of the same airframe.