without wishing to pull the fangs out of the high G brigade (who have my envy and admiration)., the Hastings had to be one of the worst ac to fly in the circuit. It was originally designed as a tricyle (hermes), but the army insisted on in being re-equipped as a tail-dragger. Consequently the C of g was in the wrong place--to go up put the power on and push like hell forward,and vice versa going down which made landing a bit tricky insofar as the pilots coulndt handle the trim change on a go-around without the eng doing the power.
Unfortunately, these unusual characteristics lead to the Abingdon fatal accident when the elevators fell off because they were carrying loads for which they had never been designed.
Shackletons ? PAH!-for pansies.(despite the cold dark nights over the oggin)