'Griffons' growl again.
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Eastbourne, UK
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IIn the RAF News dated 19th December 2008 it was announced that an Avro Shackleton owned by Air Atlantique was handed over to new owners at Coventry Airport. It is the WR963, made a taxi run with the tail wheel lifting off briefly and plans are to return it to flying condition.
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: ascot berks uk
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Ah the comfort of the Shack 2and 3 we of stronger stuff flew Gib , El Adam , Aden, Negombo [Ceylon ], 2weeks training with British and Asian navies , then Negombo Karachi ,Cyprus , Gib, all in Shack 1s with a full aircrew and 6 ground crew when I was with 224 squadron in 1952? 5 other Shacks loaded the same with all spares wheels and tyres and more spares we thought the R.A.F. ever had, very enjoyable, but were deaf as posts for days afterwards average times per sector 9 to 10 hours, seemed like days servicing the a/c during refuelling 
I suspect the only way 963's wheels will leave the ground is when it's on jacks. How are the new owners going to get over the spar replacement requirement? Then there's the insurance to consider, which I've heard would be well upward of the £30,000 mark. If an airworthy Shack was viable in the UK, Air Atlantique's aircraft wouldn't be languishing in an American museum.
WR982 runs again
On the 6th of December Shackleton MKIII WR982 successfully ran all four Griffons again. Unfortunately this was a private run and the fuel cost came close to £600! She's now wrapped up for winter, we hope to run here again publically in 2009.
Video of the run on the 30th of March here:-
YouTube - Shackleton WR982 Anniversary engine run
A DVD of all of the runs, including internal views, is being produced and should be available "soon".
Gatwick Aviation Museum would like to say a big thank you all of our visitors and members for the continuing support during the past year. Hope to see people in the new year. The political situtation still blights our efforts to get these airfames under cover, but we will do our best to mitigate the damaging effects of the weather/time.
Peter Mills
Gatwick Aviation Museum
Video of the run on the 30th of March here:-
YouTube - Shackleton WR982 Anniversary engine run
A DVD of all of the runs, including internal views, is being produced and should be available "soon".
Gatwick Aviation Museum would like to say a big thank you all of our visitors and members for the continuing support during the past year. Hope to see people in the new year. The political situtation still blights our efforts to get these airfames under cover, but we will do our best to mitigate the damaging effects of the weather/time.
Peter Mills
Gatwick Aviation Museum
