Lovely Avro Shackleton Footage.
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Thanks Gainsy!
Sounded like he was doing the "feathering" thing on one of the passes.
Just read they had 2 x 20mm cannons in the nose. Were they in a turret or fixed? Cant say I noticed them when I looked one over in the IWM Manchester a few years ago.
Sounded like he was doing the "feathering" thing on one of the passes.
Just read they had 2 x 20mm cannons in the nose. Were they in a turret or fixed? Cant say I noticed them when I looked one over in the IWM Manchester a few years ago.
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Akubra: This is not a very good photo, I lost the negative a long time back so cannot inprove on what you see here.
A Mk 2, taken in 1953 at the Coronation review of the RAF, you can just see the two 20mms poking out the nose pointing down.
(Edit, changed to Mk2)
A Mk 2, taken in 1953 at the Coronation review of the RAF, you can just see the two 20mms poking out the nose pointing down.
(Edit, changed to Mk2)
Last edited by henry crun; 17th Oct 2007 at 09:01.
Yes, Him
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Akubra, they were in a barbette and could be swung in azimuth and elevation. Unfortunately I only flew in Shacks a few times as a pax, but no doubt a Shack mate who knows the details will be along soon. 
Shackleton Turret
The two 20mm Hispano cannons on the Mk2 and Mk3 are fitted into a Boulton and Paul N type turret. This turret has an electro-hydraulic drive unit. A 28V DC motor drives a local hydraulic pump to provide zimuth and elevation control for the cannons.
This turret is a permanent fit, the guns are fitted into the turret as required.
A couple of blanking plates on the front are removed when the guns are fitted.
A joystick at the nose gunners position controls the movement of the turret.
I believe that the barbettes were originally fitted to the MK1 but were soon deleted.
What makes you thnk I've been renovating one of these in the past few weeks?
Fortunately the RAF Museum has a copy of the manual. Hopefully that will make getting it going slightly easier.
Peter Mills
Gatwick Aviation Museum
http://www.gatwick-aviation-museum.co.uk
This turret is a permanent fit, the guns are fitted into the turret as required.
A couple of blanking plates on the front are removed when the guns are fitted.
A joystick at the nose gunners position controls the movement of the turret.
I believe that the barbettes were originally fitted to the MK1 but were soon deleted.
What makes you thnk I've been renovating one of these in the past few weeks?
Fortunately the RAF Museum has a copy of the manual. Hopefully that will make getting it going slightly easier.
Peter Mills
Gatwick Aviation Museum
http://www.gatwick-aviation-museum.co.uk
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Nice photos Shack37.
Are those sonar buoys in the first photo? One looks vastly bigger than the other.
The second photo is a beauty. People, beach, picnic and low pass by a Shack. You couldn't ask for a better setting!
With the 3rd and 4th photos, Do the props line up at that same position in one rotation or is a it a time consuming job to get them aligned?
Great website pmills575! It explained to me when the transition of tail dragger's to trikes took place.
Are those sonar buoys in the first photo? One looks vastly bigger than the other.
The second photo is a beauty. People, beach, picnic and low pass by a Shack. You couldn't ask for a better setting!
With the 3rd and 4th photos, Do the props line up at that same position in one rotation or is a it a time consuming job to get them aligned?
Great website pmills575! It explained to me when the transition of tail dragger's to trikes took place.
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According to a book, which I should have consulted before my initial post, this is the nose of a Mk1
This is a Mk2 where the nose and mid upper turret can be seen.
Where were the barbettes positioned ?
This is a Mk2 where the nose and mid upper turret can be seen.
Where were the barbettes positioned ?
Akubra, thank you for the comment on the web site.
The picture below shows the second protype MK1 with the barbettes and the guns fitted. (From Chris Ashworths definitive Shackleton book).
Sadly the props did not fall into alignment on stopping, they were usually moved into alignment a few degrees by the groundcrew once the engines had cooled a little. Commonly known as "Dressing the props". And we still do it!
Peter Mills
The picture below shows the second protype MK1 with the barbettes and the guns fitted. (From Chris Ashworths definitive Shackleton book).
Sadly the props did not fall into alignment on stopping, they were usually moved into alignment a few degrees by the groundcrew once the engines had cooled a little. Commonly known as "Dressing the props". And we still do it!
Peter Mills
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Shackleton 20 mm
Most Shackleton crew members have had a go at firing the front turret at some time. Great fun but oh the noise and the smoke !
Standard practice before firing was to open the two clear vision windows on either side of the windscreen to suck out the cordite fumes.
These windows also provided a very effective suction ash tray.
Standard practice before firing was to open the two clear vision windows on either side of the windscreen to suck out the cordite fumes.
These windows also provided a very effective suction ash tray.
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Shacked up?
Anyone recall Farnborough 1949? Shack Mark one possibly No.1 flew.
Took off with two props feathered and then maintained height on starboard outer. Charles Gardiner, the BBC aviation correspondent was doing the voice over and quipped that she would do the next circuit purely on the windscreen wipers!
Anyone confirm?
Took off with two props feathered and then maintained height on starboard outer. Charles Gardiner, the BBC aviation correspondent was doing the voice over and quipped that she would do the next circuit purely on the windscreen wipers!
Anyone confirm?
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Paphos Shackletons
The Paphos airport manager called RAF Akrotiri for some help in moving their 2 Shackletons in April 2005 - as OC Eng, the request was past to me. The aircraft had been parked years earlier by a Cypriot collector who ran into problems while importing them into Cyprus (bureaucracy catches all). As the airport terminal expanded over the following years, the space available to drag the aircraft out reduced until the authorities realised that the aircraft were effectively stuck!
The aircraft were moved as carefully as possible to the NW of the airfield, as can be seen on Google. Unfortunately, they were in a sorry condition and are certainly not being maintained or preserved.
The aircraft were moved as carefully as possible to the NW of the airfield, as can be seen on Google. Unfortunately, they were in a sorry condition and are certainly not being maintained or preserved.
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Huge thread creep, looking at the sad shack at Nicosia, in Dec 1973 I was a member of a crash team from 103 MU Akrotiri sent up to Nicosia to remove a crashed TU104 from the runway, the aircraft suffered engine failure on take off and went of the end, no casualties. The aircraft was cleared to one side to allow the airport to operate, and then the aircraft was purchsaed by a local to turn in to a bar/cafe, we raised the aircraft on air bags to permit him to insert some very home made trolleys under the fuse, with the intention of towing several miles across the most rugged bondu to the main road north of the airport. anybody know what happened after that? the fuselage was red and silver if thats a clue,
best regards,
om15
best regards,
om15
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This will be the one.
http://aviation-safety.net/database/...?id=19730829-1
Last I can trace at the moment the remains were still there Christmas eve 2006
http://www.airliners.net/open.file/1159667/M/
Hope it helps
Be lucky
David
http://aviation-safety.net/database/...?id=19730829-1
Last I can trace at the moment the remains were still there Christmas eve 2006
http://www.airliners.net/open.file/1159667/M/
Hope it helps
Be lucky
David
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David,
Many thanks for that, my memory must be playing tricks as the notes confirm it was a landing incident, not a take off. The intial accident was in the summer, and the second trip was in Dec to lift the aircraft on to the home made trolleys, looking closely at the second photo I can see the red corroded frame work of the trolleys at the front of the aircraft and around the back forward of the empennage. the aircraft looks to be in the exact location where we lifted it, so the trip to the road was a non starter.
We were up there for about a week I think, with BA ( or BEA?) Tridents doing touch and goes crew training very close to us, very noisy.
many thanks,
om15
Many thanks for that, my memory must be playing tricks as the notes confirm it was a landing incident, not a take off. The intial accident was in the summer, and the second trip was in Dec to lift the aircraft on to the home made trolleys, looking closely at the second photo I can see the red corroded frame work of the trolleys at the front of the aircraft and around the back forward of the empennage. the aircraft looks to be in the exact location where we lifted it, so the trip to the road was a non starter.
We were up there for about a week I think, with BA ( or BEA?) Tridents doing touch and goes crew training very close to us, very noisy.
many thanks,
om15
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I suspect that OM15 is correct about the attempt to move it. As of a few weeks ago the wreckage was some way from the runway. The wreckage can be seen on Google Earth in position 35 deg 09'59.39N 33 deg 16'09.69 (how do you do a 'degree' symbol on a computer?)
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Quote from Captain Airclues
I dont know but if you post the location thus 4°14'58.03"S 15°14'57.01"E as cut from properties in google earth a simple cut and paste into the flyto box gets you there.
Hope it helps
Be lucky
David
P.S. The above is the CL44 7Q-YMS at Brazzaville.
(how do you do a 'degree' symbol on a computer?)
Hope it helps
Be lucky
David
P.S. The above is the CL44 7Q-YMS at Brazzaville.