So you thought yours was a big project?

Absolutely nothing to do with cars (although the more eagle-eyed amongst you may spot Peter Wilson who helped build Lightweight Jaguar E-Types in period who joined me on the day - he is the grey-haired gentleman excitedly holding on to the plane's joystick ...), but I do know you like to hear of the odd plane's progress.

A small group of enthusiasts are working on trying to return this 1954 Avro Shackleton to the air. It is being rebuilt on a part-time/voluntary basis by these dedicated people in the open-air at Coventry Airport. Last Saturday I was lucky enough to be present in
the cockpit when all four Rolls-Royce Griffon engines were fired up together for the first time since the plane saw active service. These volunteers really do deserve our support.

Here is a 15-minute video showing the preparations and checks leading up to the running of all four engines. Some of the older folks in the video claim they actually flew these planes in active service during the Falklands War when we "disputed" ownership of the Falkland Islands with our Argentinian friends in 1982 (these planes were still flying as late as 1991).

YouTube - 1954 Avro Shackleton

Edited by Nev, 14 March 2013 - 07:55.

Absolutely nothing to do with cars (although the more eagle-eyed amongst you may spot Peter Wilson who helped build Lightweight Jaguar E-Types in period who joined me on the day - he is the grey-haired gentleman excitedly holding on to the plane's joystick ...), but I do know you like to hear of the odd plane's progress.

A small group of enthusiasts are working on trying to return this 1954 Avro Shackleton to the air. It is being rebuilt on a part-time/voluntary basis by these dedicated people in the open-air at Coventry Airport. Last Saturday I was lucky enough to be present in
the cockpit when all four Rolls-Royce Griffon engines were fired up together for the first time since the plane saw active service. These volunteers really do deserve our support.

Here is a 15-minute video showing the preparations and checks leading up to the running of all four engines. Some of the older folks in the video actually flew these planes in active service during the Falklands War when we "disputed" ownership of the Falkland Islands with our Argentinian friends in 1982 (these planes were still flying as late as 1991).

YouTube - 1954 Avro Shackleton

Thank you Nev!

Contra-rotating props!

Brilliant filum....unfortunately, spoiled by the overdubbed music...made it impossible to hear the pre-flight banter and the engines themselves....

"Cleared for Taxi!"

Edited by 275 GTB-4, 12 March 2013 - 10:01.

Some informed chatter on P-Prune:

http://www.pprune.or...ton-flying.html

Edited by elansprint72, 12 March 2013 - 17:51.

unfortunately, spoiled by the overdubbed music...made it impossible to hear the pre-flight banter and the engines themselves....

Whoever decided on the 'music' and at what volume it would be heard was on a filmistic suicide mission. I gave it two and a half minutes and gave up.

Whoever decided on the 'music' and at what volume it would be heard was on a filmistic suicide mission. I gave it two and a half minutes and gave up.

Yes I agree. Whoever made the video should hang his head in shame

I thought it was amusing at the time but I am now suitably chastised andhave been made to see the error of my ways. I don't know what could have possessed me. I may re-publish it sometime with a more appropriate soundtrack so as not to upset any more sensibilities on this august forum

Yes I agree. Whoever made the video should hang his head in shame

I thought it was amusing at the time but I am now suitably chastised andhave been made to see the error of my ways. I don't know what could have possessed me. I may re-publish it sometime with a more appropriate soundtrack so as not to upset any more sensibilities on this august forum ;)

Have to agree with the chaps above there is no saving that sound track.
Something smooth but uplifting and up tempo with a full orchestra, but playing at low level in the background

how about this

Yes I agree. Whoever made the video should hang his head in shame

Sorry Nev! You took it well though, so I've always loved the Shackleton, and it is a fascinating link between the big four-engined WWII bombers and the V-Bombers.

I made it to 5 mins before the same few jingly bars repeated over and over became intolerable and I had to mute the sound, which rather spoiled the effect.

When I was at sea in the late sixties/early seventies (flogging gin and tonics to bejewelled suburban houswives) we were usually greeted by a Shackleton that would roar up the Channel and "beat up" the ship to welcome it home-sometimes after six months away. We never had to listen to that bloody music though

Some informed chatter on P-Prune:

http://www.pprune.or...ton-flying.html

Interesting aerodynamics (or lack thereof) on the nose gunner's windscreen. It looks as flat as a brick wall. Does it really look like that?

I just fast forwarded til' I got to the bit where they started the engines, but even after watching the last 5 minutes.
I think I know now how Quasimodo must have felt, the bells, the bells......
to the guys for their dedication.

Nice pictures - shame about the sound track

Some of the older folks in the video actually flew these planes in active service during the Falklands War when we "disputed" ownership of the Falkland Islands with our Argentinian friends in 1982 (these planes were still flying as late as 1991).

Please remind me again what "active" service the Shackleton undertook in the Falklands War.

These volunteers really do deserve our support.

Here is a 15-minute video showing the preparations and checks leading up to the running of all four engines.


Some of the older folks in the video actually flew these planes in active service during the Falklands War when we "disputed" ownership of the Falkland Islands with our Argentinian friends in 1982 (these planes were still flying as late as 1991).

YouTube - 1954 Avro Shackleton

A minor pedantic note I do not believe we ever "disputed" ownership of the Falkland Islands. Though we did get into a conflict with those of our friends who did.

Please remind me again what "active" service the Shackleton undertook in the Falklands War.

Give me a break! I may know a little about cars (and one in particular) but I don't pretend to know anything of the history of this plane and was simply repeating what was told to me by an older gentleman present on the day and involved in the project. Are you suggesting he lied to me? I am sure there are people on this forum with detailed knowledge of this plan's history. Anyone know whether or not the plane actually supported the Falklands War?

I tried to upload a revised video but it failed (twice). It is much more than 1GB in size and the upload curled its toes up each time. I'll persevere .... it won't beat me!

Edited by Nev, 14 March 2013 - 07:56.

Nev - ignore the knockers (what am I saying?) and please pass on immensely well-merited congratulations to all involved with reviving The Shack. How big a heart does that take? Music was crap - but we have a volume control, and the project is what counts. FANTASTIC!

DCN

Give me a break! I may know a little about cars (and one in particular) but I don't pretend to know anything of the history of this plane and was simply repeating what was told to me by an older gentleman present on the day and involved in the project. Are you suggesting he lied to me? I am sure there are people on this forum with detailed knowledge of this plan's history. Anyone know whether or not the plane actually supported the Falklands War?

I tried to upload a revised video but it failed (twice). It is much more than 1GB in size and the upload curled its toes up each time. I'll persevere .... it won't beat me!

While we are patiently waiting Nev....some eye candy....not the real thing...but you get the idea





and another image tht you may like....

Give me a break! I may know a little about cars (and one in particular) but I don't pretend to know anything of the history of this plane and was simply repeating what was told to me by an older gentleman present on the day and involved in the project.

The point is, Nev, unless you are a World Expert on a subject, or have months in which to investigate it, you will inevitably get something wrong, and if you are a WE or do the leg-work, you will still be open to cricism from other experts, or recently-discovered data, or differing opinions.

Doug is right, of course, in saying that there is a volume control, but then we lose the comments and sound track. Good luck!

Give me a break! I may know a little about cars (and one in particular) but I don't pretend to know anything of the history of this plane and was simply repeating what was told to me by an older gentleman present on the day and involved in the project. Are you suggesting he lied to me? I am sure there are people on this forum with detailed knowledge of this plan's history. Anyone know whether or not the plane actually supported the Falklands War?

Just be grateful Commander "Sharkey" Ward is not on here! He's quite an authority on the RAF's contribution (or, according to him, lack of it) to Operation Corporate...

Now, Nimrods (one's parked near that Shackleton) went south. How far south, I'm not sure I can say, even at 30+ years distance (but why did Margaret Thatcher later take tea in Wentworth with that ........Pinochet when he was under house arrest?).

Edited by RS2000, 14 March 2013 - 22:55.

Please remind me again what "active" service the Shackleton undertook in the Falklands War.

The "shack" never went near the Falklands. At the time the only Shackletons in RAF service were the remaining half dozen AEW Mk.2s. There was no way that these could be got anywhere near the South Atlantic as they were, of course, incapable of being refuelled in flight, even if the RAF had had a tanker able to carry Avgas and fly slow enough! The lack of AEW cover was a serious problem for the task force and led to the development of the AEW Sea King.
Good luck to the team, it would be good to see and hear "10,000 rivets flying in close formation" again.

Yes, the closest anyone could claim the Shackleton got to that conflict was to be still around to prove the AEW2's ex-Gannet radar still worked and was therefore a candidate for fitting other spare sets to SeaKings to provide some AEW for the task force (although they didn't make it there in time).

I wouldn't accuse Nev's "older gentleman" of telling lies, just of spouting bullsh*t, which, on a more serious note, is not the way to go about seeking funds for such projects (and not something usually experienced with the very knowledgeable enthusiasts who are to be found taking on such things).

The Shack's true active service record includes quite a bit of work in Aden. A former pilot who flew the MR2 when it had twin 20mm in the nose (as seen in the early part of the video) told me a short burst would pull the nose down 15 degrees, which was "challenging" when at near zero altitude to practice firing at surfaced submarines.

Edited by RS2000, 15 March 2013 - 19:51.