Maritime Monday

[CoffmanStarter]

Well we've had a bit of fun with Phantom Friday, Tornado Tuesday and WIWOL Wednesday ... so Mighty Hunter (now Maritime) Monday must be worth a go :ok:

Now I appreciate that our good friend Jetslut is going to claim further conspiracy ... so if anyone has some A2A Affiliation pics of the Mighty Hunter (Nimrod) and the Harrier ... it will make his day ;)

Hopefully we'll have the opportunity of seeing a few pics that have been lurking in logbooks, lofts and old Nav Bags for a good few years ...

Just to get things started ... a video from a long time ago

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOR_5Om34vc

Coff.

[dctyke]

Mighty Hunter? I was expecting to see a FGA 9................

[P6 Driver]

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[Chris Kebab]

....I mean, just look at it:confused:

[langleybaston]

There's ugly and there's U G L Y

[Shackman]

'Maritime Monday' might be a better heading, although it would open the floodgates to much more than TMH such as:

https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8769/18154161890_a72ccf697d_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/tEdPRd)120Sqn Liberators, Aldergrove

[CoffmanStarter]

Now Shackman that's a very interesting pic :ok:

Unless it's 'Secret Squirrel' stuff ... What was the purpose of the Horizontally Poloarised Yagi Aerial under the port wing ? I'm guessing it's a Vhf frequency given it's relative dimensions ... was there a corresponding aerial under the starboard wing ?

I'm guessing it would have been highly directional in receiving transmissions in a fairly narrow arc around the aircrafts heading ?

[ExAscoteer]

It's the port ASV radar receiver Coff, and yes there was one under the Stbd wing too.

[CoffmanStarter]

Cheers ExAscoteer :ok:

[Above The Clouds]

Just to get things started ... a video from a long time ago

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOR_5Om34vc


I hope it was poor editing of the video, in the opening scene they were cleared take-off left turn hdg 200 and the video shows a right turn out :eek:

[charliegolf]

The Liberator pic reminds of the meekest, humblest bloke one could meet, a friend of my parents. He was a Sgt pilot in the war on Libs. He told me a story about his first minelaying (I think) sortie against a northern France harbour - did the RAF lay mines at Cherbourg?. He said the flak was unbelievable- once the run started, everyone just did their thing- no-one said a thing on the way back.

The captain, a guy named Ensor (decorated, I believe) looked over and said, "Were you scared back there Taff?"; to which our hero replied, "Sir, I was f'ing ****ting myself!".

"Good, says Ensor, you can fly with me anytime. I'm never flying with anyone who wouldn't be ****ting it back there!" It was, he said, the best thing anyone could have said to a newbie having endured the defences they just had.

He came to talk to my school kids on one occasion too- they ate it up.

RIP Campbell Hanbury RAF (at a ripe old age tho' :ok:)

CG

[wub]

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h269/wub_01/nimrod_zps0jhq1j3q.jpg

[just another jocky]

Mighty Hunter? I was expecting to see a FGA 9................

Wot e sed! ;)

[jetslut]

Okay Coff, I'll nibble... :}

http://www.damir.co.uk/images/aviation/riat-2000/nimrod&2x-harrier1.jpg

[CoffmanStarter]

Great pic JS :D:D:D:D

[CoffmanStarter]

Mind you ... I thought it might have been this one ;)

http://i1004.photobucket.com/albums/af162/CoffmanStarter/image.jpg1_zpslwxhtbty.jpg

Image Credit : Hawker Siddeley 1971 : Promo Ad "The Peacekeepers of the Seventies"

[mr fish]

which was closest to service, if at all? AEW3 or MRA4.


Were the reported problems insurmountable.....given a ahem, reasonable budget?


just asking...FISH.

[Ivan Rogov]

Coff great idea, but can you rename it 'Maritime Monday' as suggested? That would stop the Hunter crowd getting confused and allow scope for more varied contributions.

From speaking to the older Maritime generations the Rod was not as good as the Shack, and the Shack was not as good as the Sunderland. Having had the opportunity to see in all 3 I'd tend to agree

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d7/Short_Sunderland_Mk_V.jpg

[P6 Driver]

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[CoffmanStarter]

Hi Ivan ...

More than happy to change the Thread Title as requested ... unfortunately simply editing my original post won't edit the Main Title ... :(

Maybe a PPRuNe Mod could oblige given they have higher level editing privileges :ok:

[Ivan Rogov]

Thanks Coff, Mods?

In the meantime

http://m2.i.pbase.com/o9/17/747717/1/152262592.K92N7pXW.SS0002373.jpg

© airpicimages

with more images here Hawker Siddeley Nimrod MR1 & MR2 Photo Gallery by airpicimages at pbase.com (http://www.pbase.com/airpicimages/nimrod)

P.S. I'm not up on the regs of sharing photos from other peoples websites, if I am breaching any rules please let me know and I will just provide the links to the sites :O

[Guernsey Girl II]

http://1000aircraftphotos.com/Contributions/RyePeter/6866.jpg

Another vote here for Maritime Monday

[BEagle]

And, of course, there were 'other' Nimrods.....

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a341/nw969/Nimrod%20R1_zpsldlfs4lr.png (http://s14.photobucket.com/user/nw969/media/Nimrod%20R1_zpsldlfs4lr.png.html)

I took that photo 'somewhere over Saudi' during Gulf War 1. We'd just refuelled him and as he broke away, I managed one quick shot across the flight deck with the trusty Canon T70 / Tokina 35-200 zoom!

(The black splodge at top left is the windscreen heating 'click stat' on the co-pilot's side window)

[dragartist]

Ah BEagle, The love of my life (or just my life really) for 14 years. Almost knew every nut bolt and washer and lump and bump. My efforts during that period were quite rewarding.


I have the Keith Hill painting from 91 in my dining room but I don't think there are many pictures with the pods fitted.


One of my most memorable moments was taking off from Wyton and seeing the silhouette shadow having just broken through cloud similar to your picture. I mostly got a window seat!

[alisoncc]

Don't know what's wrong with you people. This is a mighty 'Unter. A little bit less so in this pic.

http://users.on.net/~alisoncc/hunter.jpg

[P6 Driver]

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[CoffmanStarter]

Many thanks to the Mod who kindly edited my original Thread Title to 'Maritime Monday' :ok:

As of next Monday ... let's see if we can get a few Logbook keepsake pics posted that haven't seen the light of day for some time ... I'm only too pleased to help with image posting if you're not familiar with the process ... just PM me ;)

Nice pic BEagle ... has anyone got an A2A pic of the 'Sidewinder' Nimrod ... (aka the largest fighter in the world) ?

Drag ... It's about time you started your own Thread covering all the aircraft mods you've been responsible for in your career :ok:

[servodyne]

I was part of the trials team on the AEW 3, it did fly well, it was equipped with a pretty clever radar cooling system but that's where the good news comes to an end. The 'Grimrod' was never destined for greatness.
The radomes came in handy though, they were good shelters at Woodford golf course!

[jetslut]

I did some work for the MR4 project and quietly asked what the engineering reasons for termination of the A/C.

I was told that one of the most insurmountable problems was that the airframes had all been built to DeHavillands / BAe drawings but, said drawings were used as a guideline rather than as rule during manufacture.

This led to each airframe being 'individual', almost bespoke and required that standard components were having to be tailored and modified to permit installation. (A case of having a jet-pipe manually adjusted with a hammer to enable its fitment and an issue of cabin floor beam location comes to mind).

Obviously, a costly and time consuming exercise in what should have been straightforward maintenance.

[brakedwell]

Monday morning blues?

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c32/sedgwickjames/aviation/ShackletonMk2Lajes.jpg

[Roadster280]

What advantage does the contra-rotating propellor arrangement on the Shackleton provide? I assume something specific to Maritime, the Gannet had it too, but the Shack's progenitors didn't have it.

[Frostchamber]

Others will doubtless correct me if I'm wrong, but I think it was something to do with coping with the power and torque of the Griffon engines without the unacceptable increase in propeller diameter that would otherwise have been needed.

[Shackman]

Roadster - where to start?

The simple explanation is that the contra-rotating prop enables more thrust to be produced from the engine than a single prop (think six blades instead of three). To provide the same thrust from a single prop you would need four or five blades (at the time the limit of technology) with a much longer span, thus increasing engine spacing and undercarriage length. There was also no torque effect from each engine, although assymetric laws still applied However, that isn't the whole story as there were also significant weight and engineering penalties as well (of note the Gannet was not strictly speaking a c/r prop on one engine, but two engines with a prop for each!). I'm sure someone else will come onto the thread to explain this in much more detail.

Of more importance was the engines were actually tilted down slightly (I seem to remember the figure of 18 degrees, but that seems a lot) so as to alter the thrust line and hence improve low level performance and fuel usage. There was a lot of quite clever design work to optimise the aircraft for the maritime role, although it still bore much commonality with its Avro predecessors.

However, lets get back to the pictures!

[Roadster280]

Cheers guys. So not really a maritime thing then.

[Sandy Parts]

see how edumacational pprune is! I'd always thought the props contra-rotated so there was always one handy to pull on when stumbling past the StM gate-guard after a few...:p

[Guernsey Girl II]

Campaigners buy RAF St Mawgan Shackleton aircraft - BBC News (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-32074859)

Now they have sold the Shac how is anyone going to know ex Kipper Fleet are on a SERE Cse?

[Shack37]

Farewell to Coastal

http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa163/exshack37/RIPCoastal2.jpg (http://s196.photobucket.com/user/exshack37/media/RIPCoastal2.jpg.html)

[reynoldsno1]

they were cleared take-off left turn hdg 200
aaah ... I wonder where the young lady is now ... she had what could only be described as the perfect rear, complete with nvpl ...;)

[RAFEngO74to09]

Roadster 280,


The Fairey Gannet had a Double Mamba turboprop driving the contra-rotating props. The gearbox arrangement allowed one engine to be shut down to save fuel and extend endurance without having an asymmetric effect. Engines would routinely be alternated on / off every 30 minutes to equalize usage. I always thought it was a nice little aircraft.


Fairey Gannet AEW3


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c2/Fairey_Gannet_AEW3,_UK_-_Navy_AN1952247.jpg

[Ogre]

Jetslut

[QUOTE]This led to each airframe being 'individual', almost bespoke and required that standard components were having to be tailored and modified to permit installation. (A case of having a jet-pipe manually adjusted with a hammer to enable its fitment and an issue of cabin floor beam location comes to mind).[QUOTE]

Another example, allegedly when the first MRA4 conversion was under way the new wing box did not quite match the fuselage. Measurements carried out across the fleet identified that the delta between the longest and shortest airframe was in the region of 18 inches! In those day aircraft were "coach built" by craftsmen forming pieces of metal, nowadays they are a kit of parts, and with modern manufacturing techniques every one of a particular part is exactly the same size!

[Rossian]

.....I believe that same problem afflicted the Victor tanker conversions; all those complex blended shaped panels were individually "fettled" to fit "that" aircraft and wouldn't fit any other. Must have been bloody frustrating for the guys doing the job - I have a mental picture of an overall-clad chap rootling about in wire cages of panels effin' and blindin' to himself as looked for a particular bit.

The Ancient Mariner

[teeteringhead]

Measurements carried out across the fleet identified that the delta between the longest and shortest airframe was in the region of 18 inches!
Reminds one of the (apocryphal?) tale of when the Tincanos first arrived at Linton.

There was to be (allegedly) a publicity photie with them all lined up neatly side-by-side on the pan.

When it was dicovered you could line up the front (prop) ......

..... or line up the back (tail) ........

..... but not both!!

Any truth in that? Good dit anyway. :ok:

[ExAscoteer]

No idea about that tale, but whilst I was on Doms at Finningley one of the TinCans took a birdstrike.

When the repair panels arrived from Shorts not one of them fitted!

[dragartist]

Do the rules permit adding content on a Phriday?


Re BEgles pic at #23. We had 3 aircraft at the time I was involved. I can't remember which one it was but one had an extra frame in the tail cone area just aft of the back hatch. It was at least 6" longer. and not recorded on the BAe type records or drawings. This came to the fore when we were doing a waveguide installation so ended up with a set of templates for all 3 aircraft. I think the hole had been cut between two frames for the horn to poke out through a little window (too small to see in any pictures) and the wave guide that had all been brazed up and silver plated would not reach. Thank the lord for the short flexible bits!


The TuRD installation was also impacted by this difference and covered by a note on the drawings "fettle to fit". I don't think TuRD was fitted at the time of BEagles picture. It would have been a few weeks later.

[brakedwell]

I was enroute from Lyneham to Akrotiri in a Britannia when number two engine tried to shed it's cowling near Rome one night. I diverted to Luqa where the engineers decided to replace the whole cowling with one from the spare Proteus stored in the MU at Safi. It took seven hours of filing, sawing and hammering to get the damn thing to fit. Sometimes, they told me, it was quicker to change the complete power plant due to manufacturing variations.

[Exnomad]

Nice to see the Sunderland picture. A civilised aircraft with a galley.

[brakedwell]

Nice to see the Sunderland picture. A civilised aircraft with a galley.

First aeroplane I flew in. CCF week at Pembroke Dock in 1953. Spent a lot time in the galley cooking eggs, bacon and beans for the crew on a primus stove.

[oxenos]

"Galley" ??? Wardroom, shirley.

[smujsmith]

Thank goodness, everything aforesaid suggests that just like Human beings (who fly them) aircraft are mostly individual. A situation that I'm sure keeps our professional yoke jockeys on their toes, and our media in "tales of how dangerous flying is"! The C130 was to all intents and purposes a mass production jobby, but I bet most Airframe fitters could tell a story or two about replacing a NACA (pronounced Knacker) duct intake on the RAF C130K.


Smudge :ok:

[NutLoose]

http://www.radfanhunters.co.uk/images/Air%20Sea%20Rescue%20launch-2767_Aden_03-64_RD.jpg


From

http://www.radfanhunters.co.uk/gallery8-3.htm

[P6 Driver]

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[Wensleydale]

Forgive a quick return to the Nimrod AEW 3, but to answer a question and to correct a couple of things said earlier....


The radar was rubbish and the aircraft was not anywhere near the standard to enter service. I believe that the performance of the mission system remains classified but it may well prove interesting when the 30 years since cancellation arrives in a year or so and the final "trial" results are released to the public. You may well see why it was cancelled.


Contrary to a previous comment - the mission system cooling system was anything but elegant! It was cooled by circulating fuel from the aircraft's fuel tanks - however, to keep it working you needed more than half fuel load! Not very good for time on task or indeed having to take up most of the RAF's refuelling capability to do so.

[Argonautical]

Newark, 2014 :-

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c2/argonautical/IMGP3755_zpsqmusyekd.jpg (http://s24.photobucket.com/user/argonautical/media/IMGP3755_zpsqmusyekd.jpg.html)

[John Botwood]

The jewel in the Preservation Crown!!


Mo

[CoffmanStarter]

The largest 'Fighter' in the World :ok:

http://i1004.photobucket.com/albums/af162/CoffmanStarter/image_zpsaf157dc7.jpg

Image Credit : Unknown

Any more similar pics out there ?

[Guernsey Girl II]

http://charlesmccain.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Royal_Air_Force_Coastal_Command_1939-1945._CH8570.jpg
Another in a long sequence of pictures of Flight Engineers rushed off their feet :)

[Sandy Parts]

good pic - are you sure that is an 'Eng'? Can't see any pies (or ugly women) near by? :p

[TBM-Legend]

A Woodbine commercial I think!

[Guernsey Girl II]

Eng will be up and around as soon as he smells 'Grubs Up'
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm150/6134rdm/CH_000837.jpg

[Ivan Rogov]

Now that is a galley!

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee156/jimrodger_photos/NIMROD_FROMPERISCOPE.jpg

From here Nimrod thread. (http://forums.airshows.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=55&t=20701&start=50)

[Ivan Rogov]

Now... now... NO DROP!

http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q185/benash04a/shackcarrier.jpg?t=1274561376

Shackleton Carrier Landing Myth! (http://forum.keypublishing.com/showthread.php?100541-Shackleton-Carrier-Landing-Myth!)

[drustsonoferp]

Sometimes not available as per illustrated parts catalogue.
https://flic.kr/p/umTz2a

[drustsonoferp]

....or apparently not available at all. Is Flickr not supported?

[brakedwell]

Nice kitchen! I can only remember primus stoves in the Pembroke Dock Sunderlands I flew in.

[reds & greens]

Ah well, blissful days from Waddington

http://i1215.photobucket.com/albums/cc509/reheatmodule/Departure_zpsdin0vsxv.jpg (http://s1215.photobucket.com/user/reheatmodule/media/Departure_zpsdin0vsxv.jpg.html)

[Guernsey Girl II]

http://community.fortunecity.ws/silverstone/paddock/1496/pics/shack1.jpg
A delivery picture of the first 2 Shackltons for the South African Air Force in the summer of 1957. Judging by the 3 Vulcan B1s in the background,taken at Woodford.

[goofer3]

http://i981.photobucket.com/albums/ae294/goofer33/FD%20ShHINinADSh16X9%20850_zpslwnpcwnp.jpg

[P6 Driver]

Content removed

[Wander00]

The Shackleton carrier myth reminds me of a day in the lateish 60s when flying as a pair in T17s with a Naval pilot, Wedge Thorpe (who had coincidentally attended the same school as me a few years before my time there) in the lead we were exercising with the RN up off the North of Scotland, and Wedge decided it would be fun to refresh his carrier approach technique. He called me into long trail and set up a circuit, but as he started a descent the carrier guys started to get upset and there were several calls from them of "You are not, repeat NOT, to land". Seems light years ago now.

[BEagle]

Wander00 wrote: ...it would be fun to refresh his carrier approach technique...

During a KELTEX involving a Canberra and a couple of Gnats, one of the Gnat QFIs ('PV' L****, ex-Sea Vixens ) did the same thing, making all the appropriate calls. I gather that the RN types were most impressed as the diminutive little Gnat went scooting past after a 'low overshoot'...:E

P6 Driver, that isn't quite the worst Nimrod I've ever seen!

This is:

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a341/nw969/NimWACS_zpsv9yhn7ey.jpg (http://s14.photobucket.com/user/nw969/media/NimWACS_zpsv9yhn7ey.jpg.html)

Apologies for the poor photo quality - it was a scan of a print from a slide made a while ago. The NimWACS was making yet another "Due to enter RAF service shortly...." fly through at the Farnborough Air Show and I didn't manage to focus properly.

Next time I saw the hideous looking thing was during my AAR Cat check on the VC10K OCU. It made several climbing lunges at the centreline hose, before managing one successful contact....:\

Thankfully they were withdrawn from service soon after, but were still littering Abingdon several years later.

Who remembers this delightfully painted Nimrod:

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a341/nw969/Internet/XV246Flying****e.jpg (http://s14.photobucket.com/user/nw969/media/Internet/XV246Flying****e.jpg.html)

XV246 - the 'Flying $hite' - one of those RAF stories which no-one would believe if there weren't any witnesses to it!

"Are you sure that's the colour Sir wants?"
"Yes it is, now get on with painting it!"
"But it doesn't look like the colour we were told about?"
"I'M A SENIOR OFFICER AND I KNOW ABOUT PAINT! DO IT!!"
(Some days later)
"Ah, errm, perhaps it'll change colour when it's dry?"
"It is dry, Sir and it hasn't!"
:\

I gather it languished at the far end of Trebalzue before Someone Very Senior saw it, asked what on earth it was doing in such a vile colour, before ordering that it should be repainted in 'proper' hemp forthwith!

[circle kay]

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7057/6902601503_329948568a_z.jpg
The infamous Sunderland that sunk in St Peter Port Harbour. Somewhere on the net is a cutting (with pictures) from the Sydney Morning Hereld.

[Haraka]

Who remembers this delightfully painted Nimrod:
Beags. Wasn't it due to a transmission error in paint spec numbers?

[P6 Driver]

Content removed

[Ivan Rogov]

http://www.ausairpower.net/USN/P-8A-Poseidon-Torp-Drop-USN-1.jpg
(US Navy)

[smujsmith]

Ivan,

Quite like that jobby, perhaps the tasking could be farmed out to EzyJet, using the principle of "getting more for the taxpayers pound". I'm sure the standing passengers wouldn't worry too much about their brief interlude of operational activity, especially as the Marguritas go down.

Smudge:ok:

[thunderbird7]

Nice pic, can't wait for the Airfix kit (the UK version ;) )

[P6 Driver]

Content removed

[Shackman]

Steam gets priority!

Liberator FL930 at Ballykelly - the only airfield that I'm aware of where the ATC controllers had to have railway signallers qualifications - and the trains had priority up to the day it closed.

https://c4.staticflickr.com/4/3736/18426414644_a69d3f2d3d_c.jpg" width="800" height="510"

Of note, FL930 sank three U-boats during its career

[Shackman]

A couple of 205 Sqn pictures:

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/377/18861220180_c5f36390e3_c.jpg" width="800" height="619"

Aircraft 'F' and 'A' on a day out

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/269/19043382282_3ea9f10b98_c.jpg" width="600" height="800"

The end of an era. 205 Disbandment parade 1972 :sad:

[oldpax]

"M"of 204 sqdn ,if it was WL745 then it had my name below the cockpit window as part of the 3 man servicing team!Gave you pride in your aircraft,I guess that picture was c1960/63?
I also heard that story but was told it was a squadron crossing the pond that did it line astern!!!

[Argonautical]

Duxford 2014:-

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c2/argonautical/P900_45_zpspzms8ox3.jpg (http://s24.photobucket.com/user/argonautical/media/P900_45_zpspzms8ox3.jpg.html)

[MOA]

http://s22.postimg.org/sxqzprmld/DSCF0340.jpg

http://s22.postimg.org/l3qe4desh/DP032100.jpg

PA2 returning after some Safe Separation work

[wub]

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h269/wub_01/IMG_7982_zpsbq3epd7j.jpg

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h269/wub_01/IMG_7953_zpsu1gv6fd2.jpg

[Shack37]

A little more nostalgia
Another low job in Majunga
Last Mk3 to leave ISK
Coastal Command Funeral on Sharjah Mardet

http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa163/exshack37/Shack%20advising%20arrival%20Majunga.jpg (http://s196.photobucket.com/user/exshack37/media/Shack%20advising%20arrival%20Majunga.jpg.html)

http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa163/exshack37/Last%20Mk3%20leaves%20ISK.jpg (http://s196.photobucket.com/user/exshack37/media/Last%20Mk3%20leaves%20ISK.jpg.html)

http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa163/exshack37/RIPCoastal2.jpg (http://s196.photobucket.com/user/exshack37/media/RIPCoastal2.jpg.html)

[Shackman]

S37

Is that the official LAST Mk3 to leave ISK or the one that came back u/s and had to hide in our hanger for a few weeks until it was mended and was then flown out 'surreptitiously'?

[Shack37]

Is that the official LAST Mk3 to leave ISK or the one that came back u/s and
had to hide in our hanger for a few weeks until it was mended and was then flown out 'surreptitiously'?


Shackman, I couldn´t possibly comment. Mostly because I don´t have the answer. I can´t recall where I found the photo but the caption came with it.

[Ivan Rogov]

http://www.asisbiz.com/il2/Sunderland/RAF-201Sqn-NS/images/Short-S-25-Sunderland-MkV-RAF-201Sqn-201-A-DP198-River-Thames-1956-01.jpg

[Ivan Rogov]

And now for something completely different...

https://turkishnavy.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/sub_b871_081.jpg

[O-P]

Why did they bolt the back end of a boat to the front of a ship?


I'll stop drinking the gin now.

[Shack37]

Why did they bolt the back end of a boat to the front of a ship?


It´s a convertible:)

[Shackman]

S37

Sorry, that was somewhat tongue in cheek. I think what happened was that there was an official 'farewell to the Shackleton' event at ISK where they were all due to fly off to either Cosford or Kemble, but on the day one was u/s so they put in what was to become 8 Sqn's first hangar. It was still there being worked on when we started arriving in November '72, but soon departed on its one way trip (although we on 8 were tasked with delivering some of the Mk3s from Kemble around the country for airfield fire practice - after we had left them; who remembers the 'Save the Shackleton, Burn Valley' campaign?)

[olddog]

Shackman, Shack37, I believe it was the last official departure. There may have been other airframes remaining at Kinloss. I was the Co Pilot. Selected members of the Press were "treated" to a last fly round the Moray coast and after they had been dropped off we carried out this flypast for their benefit and ferried the aircraft to Cosford. This was an interesting exercise as the weather was below limits for the Cosford NDB approach. We tried an "Offset SRA" from Shawbury given by an infamous lady Air Traffic Controller (Shi**ey Gr**ve) before giving up and going to Shawbury for the night. The departure from Shawbury next day was (thankfully) delayed by the weather (most of the crew were "under the weather" after sharing a grog or 2 with various characters including said lady controller and my QFI from BFT. Eventually WR974 was delivered to Cosford. We returned by Civair. The BEA crew were not impressed by 6 Shack crew wearing bone domes and LSJs playing Kirkey round the tables at the front of the Viscount. The passengers were even less impressed when we diverted to Kinloss (because of fog at Inverness) and the RAF Chaps said "Ta very much - Goodnight" before walking off into the darkness.

[Shack37]

Shackman, Shack37, I believe it was the last official departure.


olddog
Thanks for that clarification. I would love to have been on that Viscount.

[camlobe]

Shack an asked "who remembers the 'Save the Shackleton, Burn Valley' campaign?"

I do with great clarity. When WL754 arrived at Valley after a 'gentle' beat-up, the engineering team followed, swapping the good engines and props for life-ex ones, prior to the aircraft being towed to the fire dump. This was at the time of the UK governments "Save It" campaign to reduce electricity consumption. The personnel at Valley stirred the locals into quite vocal and written contempt of the planned demise of this once fine aircraft. A huge "Save It" sticker appeared on the rear fuselage, and articles appeared with continued enthusiasm in the North Wales papers.
Harry Staish relented, and the Shack was displayed beside the Blister hangars (home of the MRD's) for a good couple of years, easily viewed by an appreciative public.

During the campaign, there was noted to be a concerted effort by 'the management' to quell the uprising amongst the unruly uniformed personnel..which only stoked the fires. Anonymous posters and memo's appeared in many corners, both on the camp and in the local villages, promoting the "save the Shack-Burn Valley" campaign.

Happy days.

Camlobe

[Rossian]

......one of the very first female air trafficers. Best known for her cry of "Mine's a Bells" for which she seemed to have an endless capacity.

She'd be about 90 now, at least - depending on the preservative qualities of Bells.

The Ancient Mariner

[andrewn]

Random query i know but would any of you be able to explain the significance of the callsign MODD (Mike Oscar Delta Delta), used to be heard quite regularly back in the 80s/90s but not heard now for a long time. Reason for asking is pure curiosity 😀

Thanks

[P6 Driver]

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[wub]

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h269/wub_01/scan0003a_zpswr4zw9ct.jpg

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h269/wub_01/scan0056_zpss0tjmqy0.jpg

[Wander00]

One of them on a pole outside what is now the National Gendarmerie School in Rochefort, and which used to be a major French Navy air base. Nice little Naval aviation museum there as well

[P6 Driver]

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[wub]

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h269/wub_01/scan0097_zps14z8o0de.jpg

[Rossian]

....but can you shrink them a bit so I don't have to keep sliding them from l/r to see the whole thing and read any script. Ta!

The Ancient Mariner

[wub]

I'm surprised you are having trouble viewing the pics. The 'regulation' width for pics on Prune is 850 pixels and that's the size I have posted, (unless my photo editing software is telling me fibs). Sorry if you are having difficulty viewing them properly.

[Lonewolf_50]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d4/PBY_Catalina_landing.jpg/300px-PBY_Catalina_landing.jpg
Old school Maritime ... which helped win the Battle of Midway (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Midway).

[Ivan Rogov]

http://i.imgur.com/kJL9Z7c.jpg
Credit to
网络最新曝光图片显示，历经多年的艰苦研制，Y-8 GX6“海蝎子”终于列装人民海军航空兵。
(I think!)

China seem to have a decent design in development, need to work on the name though, Y-8 GX6 :\

[P6 Driver]

Content removed

[wub]

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h269/wub_01/t_zpshmtpulhw.jpg

[Ivan Rogov]

Another Flying Boat!
http://members.casema.nl/fam.bonder/foto/foto3-1.jpg

From Nakomelingen van Derk Harms Bonder (http://members.casema.nl/fam.bonder/foto/brequet.htm)

[Shackman]

Time for another FEAF one:

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3261/2349195081_6a011aa247_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/4zAeRt)

205 Sqn Disbandment Parade formation practice

[MPN11]

"um, Lead, are we going to alter course to avoid that?"

"No need, it will run away when it sees us approaching"

[Shackman]

Unfortunately lead didn't!!!!!

Oh what fun we had for a few minutes.

[Lyneham Lad]

At a mid 80's BoB Day at Abingdon.

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f84/Lyneham_Lad/Aircraft/Catalina_Abingdon.jpg

[MPN11]

Lyneham Lad ... if I ever had the money/skills/time, that would be the Warbird I would want. Perfect for family holidays, if you're not in a hurry to get there ;)

[Lyneham Lad]

Lyneham Lad ... if I ever had the money/skills/time, that would be the Warbird I would want. Perfect for family holidays, if you're not in a hurry to get there ;)

Had the same thoughts about a classic car (Healey 3000, anyone?) but thoughts of a classic aircraft never troubled my meagre grey cells. :ooh:

And we now return you to the thread...

[Shack37]

Something a little older. From the Belfast Telegraph:

Video: RAF sink German U-boats off Antrim coast in 1946 - footage from the Belfast Telegraph archives - BelfastTelegraph.co.uk (http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/archive/events/video-raf-sink-german-uboats-off-antrim-coast-in-1946-footage-from-the-belfast-telegraph-archives-31215151.html)

[Arclite01]

Just hassled my Dad - some pics of 37 & 38 Sqn Shackletons at Luqa to follow shortly

Arc

[Shackman]

Bit quiet on here at the moment, so here's another FEAF one - duty SAR cab at Gan:


https://farm1.staticflickr.com/648/20411764313_58256589fa_b.jpg