Shackleton WR972
Does anybody know anything about this aircraft and does anyone have any photos of it to share?
WR972 is an aeroplane that I've been interested in for a long time, and I always keep a look out for information and/or images of it, but sadly there isn't much around.
As Shackleton fans will know, it was the only aircraft of this type to have worn completely non-standard colours (excluding oddities like the ETPS aircraft with reversed maritime colours, etc.). It spent some time painted in standard grey/white colours but with liberal applications of dayglo orange applied to the tail, nose and wings. It then acquired silver paint and black/yellow stripes on the undersides. Finally, it was repainted in Blue, white and grey trim.
The aircraft appears to have been used on a variety of trials with the RAE, mostly connected with brake parachute development, for which a towing cable was attached to the underside, together with a more substantial attachment in the rear fuselage, where the tail cone clear fairing would normally have been fitted. Most notably it was used to test TSR2's huge (oversized in fact) brake chute.
I'd love to find out more about this bizarre machine and it would be great to find more images of it if anyone can help.
Last edited by WH904; 21st Aug 2013 at 07:47.