Shackleton MR2 WR963
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: West Midlands
Age: 61
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Just a reminder that our Hangar Appeal is still looking for your help if you can please!
We're some way off the target figure to be able to book the space to get WR963 inside for the vital NDT checks to be carried out!
No NDT, NO chance of flying the Old Grey Lady.... it really is that vital that we can fund the costs of the hangar fees. Please donate if you can, and please share this post around on your profile, your friend's profiles, any aviation forums you belong to, in fact anywhere you can PLEASE!!!!
Fundraising Page for WR963 - Shackleton Preservation Trust
Hangar Appeal Logo by Pete Buckingham, on Flickr
We're some way off the target figure to be able to book the space to get WR963 inside for the vital NDT checks to be carried out!
No NDT, NO chance of flying the Old Grey Lady.... it really is that vital that we can fund the costs of the hangar fees. Please donate if you can, and please share this post around on your profile, your friend's profiles, any aviation forums you belong to, in fact anywhere you can PLEASE!!!!
Fundraising Page for WR963 - Shackleton Preservation Trust
Hangar Appeal Logo by Pete Buckingham, on Flickr
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: West Midlands
Age: 61
Posts: 72
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
An update on a moment in history!
Since our last review of activities, a lot of work has been ongoing in the background by our incredible volunteers. Months of planning came to fruition on Saturday April 9th when we made a little bit of history when we carried paying passengers onboard WR963 for not one, but two taxy runs carried out by our Chief Pilot Jon Corley assisted by our highly experienced onboard crew.
Prior to this momentous day, preparations had included a big wash day to remove accumulated algae and residue which had settled over the winter period and changed the white surfaces into a slight camouflage appearance! Much work has also been carried out on the engine issues which had bothered the team recently, with magneto and fuel pump niggles to overcome particularly on No.2 engine. Luckily for us, not only do we have spares available, but our own knowledgeable ex-Shackleton Chief Engineer Druid Petrie able to pluck essential data from his memory as if it was yesterday, rather than 1991 when he last had the pleasure of engineering outside in all the weather that Scotland could aim at him and his colleagues....
Several test runs of all engines were carried out in the weeks prior to the big day, and all seemed good for us to have a special reason to enjoy our moment!
Not content with dealing with just the aircraft, huge strides had been made by our illustrious chairman Dave Woods at meetings with the Airport Management at Coventry who have helped us enormously since the demise last year of the resident “Airbase” and “Classic Air Force” operations. We not only received sponsorship from the airport which is helping financially towards the costs of being on site, but we were also offered the use of a large portacabin which had previously been the Visitor Reception for Airbase! The airport’s help means that we finally have somewhere undercover to act as a welcoming visitor centre and shop, but also a crewroom for our hard working team to have a much needed brew....
Saturday 9th April finally arrived, and the arriving volunteer team who had travelled from far and wide were greeted with pleasant sunshine! We were busy right from the moment of arrival with a quick set-up of our new shop and crewroom facilities, as well as starting to prepare the aircraft. Well that should have been the plan, but your ever-busy publicity officer had other ideas, and made everyone stop and stare by arriving in our brand new support vehicle which has been loaned to us by our other new partnership with SsangYong GB. The pick-up truck is complete with sign writing and will appear at events towing our Shackleton nose section amongst other duties!
After a crew briefing, we all set about preparing WR963 to be towed out onto the concrete ready for her performances later on, and also greeted the visitors who had started to arrive for their unique experience...
Part of our plan involved pairing up public with key volunteers so that they could take an active part in some of the vital pre-taxy preparations themselves! That was hugely enjoyed by all, and gave a small insight into how hard we work to achieve just one day in the life of our aircraft!
The next stage was another unique treat – lunch with some of our crew onboard the resident DC6 Diner which has recently re-opened as both a cafe and formal diner! The public really seemed to enjoy chatting to us whilst gazing out across the airfield and eating a fine meal...
After lunch, the pace quickened as we finished off a few tours onboard, and finally got the teams mustered prior to start for the first of two taxy runs! All seemed to be going well until one of our crew spotted a broken brake hose, which couldn’t be changed right away, and so was capped and isolated from the rest of the system to the satisfaction of our pilot.
The crew may have been nervous inside, but showed little sign of that as they climbed onboard with our first group of public. As soon as Jon Corley had obtained clearance, it was time to start those mighty Griffons! All went well, and after clearing the start crew and equipment away, Jon eased WR963 out onto the taxiway and trundled slowly down to Bravo Apron, turned, and then came back! Of course we couldn’t just leave it there, so whilst alongside the “Airlock” gate adjacent to the old Airbase hangar, Jon stopped, and opened up the throttles for a few minutes of “Griffon Growl” resonating across Coventry, and shaking the ground where our groundcrew stood....
Once back at our allocated parking area, the aircraft was shut down for a brief rest, and once the entire onboard crew and public were disembarked, a group photo was taken in front of the star of the day!
The crew carried out a turnaround check on the aircraft whilst the public passengers went off to get their souvenir certificates and have a brew with the rest of our team.
Second group were mustered, crew found from their hiding places near the tea urn, and it was time for the second taxy run, or so we thought!
Once we had got everyone onboard and secured the door, Jon started going through the usual pre-starting checks.... only to pause when it came to requesting our usual fire cover from the airport’s fire station only a few hundred metres away. After what seemed like an age, the welcome sight of a fire truck who had been rather busy on a tea break meant that we could carry on with our rigorous checklists.
Engine start seemed to go ok on the starboard side, but when it came to the port side, No.2 engine was reluctant to start! Knowing that we may have faced a ‘hot start’ situation with a small risk of exhaust fires, we were being extremely cautious with this second start. After starting No.1 engine whilst resting the starter motor on No.2 engine, this was tried again, and finally came to life, albeit with a resounding backfire that gave a brief scare to our crew-chief standing only a few metres away on the comms lead....
With all four running, it was time to go for another trundle around the taxiway, which followed the same pattern as the first, almost! On the return stop by the airlock gate and the higher rpm blast – the watching team wondered why No.2 Engine seemed to be running slightly rougher than the others, which soon manifested itself into a premature shut-down of that engine! With due consideration given by the team onboard to the prospect of slow taxying being made difficult with asymmetric power, it was decided to also shut down No.3 engine too, leaving both outboard engines to provide the means to taxy back the short distance to the parking area...
Once all had gone quiet again, the entire onboard crew and public posed once more for the group photo, and the public made their way over to our crewroom as the weather had declined somewhat during the late afternoon. This left the crew to debrief with our pilot on the engineering situation with our beloved aircraft...
Typically for aircrew, the engineers gave him a near perfectly serviceable aircraft to go and play with, and it came back with a list of ‘snags’ which aircrew expect to be easily fixed in time for their next sortie...... but we really like our pilot so we are only too happy to get dirty once again and repair the issues, test it all again, and get WR963 ready for her next starring role!
To summarise the issues left with us as our pilot made his way home:
No.2 engine ignition issues to be investigated as not only was it reluctant to start, but ran rough on the second run, before finally shutting down completely.
No.1 engine seen to develop a small oil leak underneath, which needs investigating by closer inspection with the cowlings off.
One brake hose to be changed
Hydraulic system to be investigated as we found that the handpump handle locating bracket had sheared off and caused the handpump handle to strike an adjacent hydraulic pipe resulting in a breakage and subsequent total loss of the hydraulic system.
Anyone familiar with aircraft will know that these engineering challenges are just part of what we expect when dealing with a 62 year old airframe, and we will just fix her up and carry on smiling as usual!
After an exceptionally long day, the last few team members left the site after 8pm leaving WR963 resting in her usual parking position on the grass. It took a few days for most of us to recover from this one, but we would do it all again without question!
By creating this event, we hope to have given an insight into just what is involved in maintaining our Shackleton, and given the paying public a real hands-on experience that they won’t forget in a hurry! Every single person onboard went home smiling, despite the weather change in the afternoon, and some are coming back for more now that they have experienced the appeal of the Avro Shackleton close up!
Without doubt, the day was a success, and raised vital monies towards keeping WR963 alive and moving towards our long-term goal of return-to-flight! We are fully aware that she needs to be run on a regular basis to keep all systems healthy, and are already planning more events like this throughout the year! Our website and social media will give more on these as soon as we can!
Finally, and on a nice note to finish with, it was especially wonderful to see Richard Woods pay is a visit to see how we were getting on! Richard had been a vital part of the team for many years before personal circumstances meant that he had to take a break from the constant travelling to Coventry, but couldn’t resist a return to see how the old girl was behaving!
George Aldrich by Pete Buckingham, on Flickr
Andy Rowlands 1 by Pete Buckingham, on Flickr
George Aldrich 4 by Pete Buckingham, on Flickr
George Aldrich 2 by Pete Buckingham, on Flickr
Aaron Hiscock 2 by Pete Buckingham, on Flickr
Ian Preece by Pete Buckingham, on Flickr
Andy Jones 1 by Pete Buckingham, on Flickr
George Aldrich 5 by Pete Buckingham, on Flickr
SPT Edit by Pete Buckingham, on Flickr
Hope you enjoyed this very brief review of our historical day, and we hope to see you all down at Coventry soon!
Regards
Pete Buckingham
Publicity Officer
Since our last review of activities, a lot of work has been ongoing in the background by our incredible volunteers. Months of planning came to fruition on Saturday April 9th when we made a little bit of history when we carried paying passengers onboard WR963 for not one, but two taxy runs carried out by our Chief Pilot Jon Corley assisted by our highly experienced onboard crew.
Prior to this momentous day, preparations had included a big wash day to remove accumulated algae and residue which had settled over the winter period and changed the white surfaces into a slight camouflage appearance! Much work has also been carried out on the engine issues which had bothered the team recently, with magneto and fuel pump niggles to overcome particularly on No.2 engine. Luckily for us, not only do we have spares available, but our own knowledgeable ex-Shackleton Chief Engineer Druid Petrie able to pluck essential data from his memory as if it was yesterday, rather than 1991 when he last had the pleasure of engineering outside in all the weather that Scotland could aim at him and his colleagues....
Several test runs of all engines were carried out in the weeks prior to the big day, and all seemed good for us to have a special reason to enjoy our moment!
Not content with dealing with just the aircraft, huge strides had been made by our illustrious chairman Dave Woods at meetings with the Airport Management at Coventry who have helped us enormously since the demise last year of the resident “Airbase” and “Classic Air Force” operations. We not only received sponsorship from the airport which is helping financially towards the costs of being on site, but we were also offered the use of a large portacabin which had previously been the Visitor Reception for Airbase! The airport’s help means that we finally have somewhere undercover to act as a welcoming visitor centre and shop, but also a crewroom for our hard working team to have a much needed brew....
Saturday 9th April finally arrived, and the arriving volunteer team who had travelled from far and wide were greeted with pleasant sunshine! We were busy right from the moment of arrival with a quick set-up of our new shop and crewroom facilities, as well as starting to prepare the aircraft. Well that should have been the plan, but your ever-busy publicity officer had other ideas, and made everyone stop and stare by arriving in our brand new support vehicle which has been loaned to us by our other new partnership with SsangYong GB. The pick-up truck is complete with sign writing and will appear at events towing our Shackleton nose section amongst other duties!
After a crew briefing, we all set about preparing WR963 to be towed out onto the concrete ready for her performances later on, and also greeted the visitors who had started to arrive for their unique experience...
Part of our plan involved pairing up public with key volunteers so that they could take an active part in some of the vital pre-taxy preparations themselves! That was hugely enjoyed by all, and gave a small insight into how hard we work to achieve just one day in the life of our aircraft!
The next stage was another unique treat – lunch with some of our crew onboard the resident DC6 Diner which has recently re-opened as both a cafe and formal diner! The public really seemed to enjoy chatting to us whilst gazing out across the airfield and eating a fine meal...
After lunch, the pace quickened as we finished off a few tours onboard, and finally got the teams mustered prior to start for the first of two taxy runs! All seemed to be going well until one of our crew spotted a broken brake hose, which couldn’t be changed right away, and so was capped and isolated from the rest of the system to the satisfaction of our pilot.
The crew may have been nervous inside, but showed little sign of that as they climbed onboard with our first group of public. As soon as Jon Corley had obtained clearance, it was time to start those mighty Griffons! All went well, and after clearing the start crew and equipment away, Jon eased WR963 out onto the taxiway and trundled slowly down to Bravo Apron, turned, and then came back! Of course we couldn’t just leave it there, so whilst alongside the “Airlock” gate adjacent to the old Airbase hangar, Jon stopped, and opened up the throttles for a few minutes of “Griffon Growl” resonating across Coventry, and shaking the ground where our groundcrew stood....
Once back at our allocated parking area, the aircraft was shut down for a brief rest, and once the entire onboard crew and public were disembarked, a group photo was taken in front of the star of the day!
The crew carried out a turnaround check on the aircraft whilst the public passengers went off to get their souvenir certificates and have a brew with the rest of our team.
Second group were mustered, crew found from their hiding places near the tea urn, and it was time for the second taxy run, or so we thought!
Once we had got everyone onboard and secured the door, Jon started going through the usual pre-starting checks.... only to pause when it came to requesting our usual fire cover from the airport’s fire station only a few hundred metres away. After what seemed like an age, the welcome sight of a fire truck who had been rather busy on a tea break meant that we could carry on with our rigorous checklists.
Engine start seemed to go ok on the starboard side, but when it came to the port side, No.2 engine was reluctant to start! Knowing that we may have faced a ‘hot start’ situation with a small risk of exhaust fires, we were being extremely cautious with this second start. After starting No.1 engine whilst resting the starter motor on No.2 engine, this was tried again, and finally came to life, albeit with a resounding backfire that gave a brief scare to our crew-chief standing only a few metres away on the comms lead....
With all four running, it was time to go for another trundle around the taxiway, which followed the same pattern as the first, almost! On the return stop by the airlock gate and the higher rpm blast – the watching team wondered why No.2 Engine seemed to be running slightly rougher than the others, which soon manifested itself into a premature shut-down of that engine! With due consideration given by the team onboard to the prospect of slow taxying being made difficult with asymmetric power, it was decided to also shut down No.3 engine too, leaving both outboard engines to provide the means to taxy back the short distance to the parking area...
Once all had gone quiet again, the entire onboard crew and public posed once more for the group photo, and the public made their way over to our crewroom as the weather had declined somewhat during the late afternoon. This left the crew to debrief with our pilot on the engineering situation with our beloved aircraft...
Typically for aircrew, the engineers gave him a near perfectly serviceable aircraft to go and play with, and it came back with a list of ‘snags’ which aircrew expect to be easily fixed in time for their next sortie...... but we really like our pilot so we are only too happy to get dirty once again and repair the issues, test it all again, and get WR963 ready for her next starring role!
To summarise the issues left with us as our pilot made his way home:
No.2 engine ignition issues to be investigated as not only was it reluctant to start, but ran rough on the second run, before finally shutting down completely.
No.1 engine seen to develop a small oil leak underneath, which needs investigating by closer inspection with the cowlings off.
One brake hose to be changed
Hydraulic system to be investigated as we found that the handpump handle locating bracket had sheared off and caused the handpump handle to strike an adjacent hydraulic pipe resulting in a breakage and subsequent total loss of the hydraulic system.
Anyone familiar with aircraft will know that these engineering challenges are just part of what we expect when dealing with a 62 year old airframe, and we will just fix her up and carry on smiling as usual!
After an exceptionally long day, the last few team members left the site after 8pm leaving WR963 resting in her usual parking position on the grass. It took a few days for most of us to recover from this one, but we would do it all again without question!
By creating this event, we hope to have given an insight into just what is involved in maintaining our Shackleton, and given the paying public a real hands-on experience that they won’t forget in a hurry! Every single person onboard went home smiling, despite the weather change in the afternoon, and some are coming back for more now that they have experienced the appeal of the Avro Shackleton close up!
Without doubt, the day was a success, and raised vital monies towards keeping WR963 alive and moving towards our long-term goal of return-to-flight! We are fully aware that she needs to be run on a regular basis to keep all systems healthy, and are already planning more events like this throughout the year! Our website and social media will give more on these as soon as we can!
Finally, and on a nice note to finish with, it was especially wonderful to see Richard Woods pay is a visit to see how we were getting on! Richard had been a vital part of the team for many years before personal circumstances meant that he had to take a break from the constant travelling to Coventry, but couldn’t resist a return to see how the old girl was behaving!
George Aldrich by Pete Buckingham, on FlickrAndy Rowlands 1 by Pete Buckingham, on FlickrGeorge Aldrich 4 by Pete Buckingham, on FlickrGeorge Aldrich 2 by Pete Buckingham, on FlickrAaron Hiscock 2 by Pete Buckingham, on FlickrIan Preece by Pete Buckingham, on FlickrAndy Jones 1 by Pete Buckingham, on FlickrGeorge Aldrich 5 by Pete Buckingham, on FlickrSPT Edit by Pete Buckingham, on FlickrHope you enjoyed this very brief review of our historical day, and we hope to see you all down at Coventry soon!
Regards
Pete Buckingham
Publicity Officer
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: West Midlands
Age: 61
Posts: 72
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One long month and one huge update!
Since our previous double taxi runs that took place April 9th, an awful lot of engineering work has been carried out by the amazing team of volunteers that work hard to continue the success of WR963’s public appearances!
Going back to the runs – we suffered a few technical issues which required careful analysis after the event which then required the following work:
The hydraulic handpump decided it did not like being part of the main hydraulic system and let go in spectacular style including shearing off its handle attaching bracket! The internal seals had ruptured and subsequent high pressure fluid flowed around the system before dumping itself overboard.
The Pressure Relief Valve and Handpump were skillfully rebuilt by one of our resident engineers Mark Ward who regularly surprises us with his ability to make old parts like new again!
Mark Ward 3 by Pete Buckingham, on Flickr
Mark Ward 4 by Pete Buckingham, on Flickr
Even Richard Woods assisted by dismantling the long-removed original handpump to find the same problem had occurred before....
The system’s filters had been long suspected of being a culprit in this problem, and on subsequent removal they were found to be totally clogged up and unable to filter anything in the system at all!
George Aldrich 3 by Pete Buckingham, on Flickr
George Aldrich 2 by Pete Buckingham, on Flickr
Once the gauze / mesh filters were cleaned up (for now), fresh hydraulic oil was replaced in the system, and after a very long hand-pumping session the entire hydraulic system was bled through and systems checked to make sure they all worked again. This work involved some very long hours and extended beyond our normal Saturday work days too, with good weather helping some of the team who worked mid-week on the system too...
George Aldrich 1 by Pete Buckingham, on Flickr
Water ingress in the No.2 Fuel Tank has been another long standing issue to be dealt with, which was suspected of causing a premature shut-down of No.2 Engine during the taxy run, and on a subsequent test run too.... The fuel system is drained of water each time we attend to the aircraft, but the water ingress also crept into the fuel pump, so a suitable drain tap was installed to help us drain the water efficiently rather than continually having to dismantle the pump each time.
Water ingress may also be the culprit on the overhead panel above the pilot’s head, where the engine magneto switches are located. Previous corrosion had been found on the contact points of these switches which led to the belief that water was getting in – more noticeable after a downpour!
On the taxy runs, it rained between the two runs, and we then experienced problems on start-up for the second run. In the long term, we will need to replace the bank of switches of course (if anyone happens to have an example as illustrated that they wish to donate then please get in touch!), but we also need to address the water ingress itself. Our Chief Engineer (the one and only Druid Petrie of ex-8 Sqn Shackleton fame) assures us that the correct method involves an application of Cellulose Dope around the Escape Hatches, so that is being looked into as we speak once we source the correct Dope of course....
On various engine runs, the crew noticed that the Radiator Shutters were not working as they should on No.2 engine, so a replacement “Inching Controller” box has been installed to hopefully sure the problem. Another test run will confirm this.
Mario McLaughlin 1 by Pete Buckingham, on Flickr
Nitrogen... a vital gas to top up the pneumatics system used on the Shackleton to provide braking etc. Well despite the aircraft not having any major issue with its own system, our portable trolley decided it required attention as it was leaking badly from behind the inflation control panel.
So another of our intrepid engineers, Mario McLaughlin took the panel apart, sourced and repaired the leak, and even repainted the control panel while he had five minutes to spare! These trolleys were a common sight at any RAF Airfield, but never before did one look so shiny as ours does now!
Mario McLaughlin 2 by Pete Buckingham, on Flickr
On the subject of pneumatics, we had a brake hose fail on us, which was spotted before we taxied the aircraft. Suitably isolated to carry on the taxy runs, the hose was subsequently replaced with a newly manufactured one by Mark Ward once he had sourced the correct fittings needed.
Mark Ward by Pete Buckingham, on Flickr
Engine Ignition issues continued to give the team a good reason to keep checking the points gaps on all engines, which is no easy task when you compare the average family car engine with the huge Griffon V12 ones we have! Nevertheless, another job tackled by our team of course!
Not content with the technical items that formed quite a list of jobs to do, other work has been carried out on site.
The prominent red spinners on WR963 had started to look rather faded, so Andrew Clarke volunteered himself to polish them all up again with the assistance of young George Aldrich. They now look stunning in the sunlight again!
Mark Ward 2 by Pete Buckingham, on Flickr
“Zebedee” or VP293 our loaned Mk1 nose section received some attention prior to heading out on the roads for the first time in a long while! This season will see Zebedee appear at various events away from Coventry, so a good tidy up inside was in order, plus making sure the trailer he is mounted on was ready for the journeys ahead. There is ongoing progress with the nose section itself too, with more internal refit of original equipment to take place soon, which will get the interior looking more authentic as well as replacing parts which famously vanished during a period of storage at another venue before we took charge of the nose on behalf of the owner on a permanent loan basis. Keep an eye out for a Shackleton Nose on the roads this year!
And finally....
A personal touch to raise a smile or two.
Ongoing crew training has resulted in another person able to operate the Engineers Panel during ground runs / taxy runs, giving us more flexibility with crew availability, with another member currently in training....
However, the post taxy run banter amongst our crew deserves sharing if only to show that we are all human (friendly ones of course).
Our crew training has been undertaken by our highly experienced Chief Engineer who apparently knows a thing or two about Shackletons, and has accumulated many hours / years of sterling service on the aircraft up until the end of service with Number 8 Squadron up at RAF Lossiemouth. We are constantly amazed at the depth of his knowledge, and he teaches us all an awful lot, which gains him the respect he fully deserves!
So picture the scene when the first taxy run was completely successful with a slightly nervous newly qualified Engineer on the panel throughout....
However, on the second taxy run, our well respected Chief Engineer decides to have a go, and brought back an aircraft on two out of four engines running; a hydraulic failure; and a suspected electrical generator fault too!!!!
We thought he was trying to recreate the pressure the Squadron were under back in the 90’s when faced with QRA alerts on an old aircraft – whereas we were told this was just to test our ability to work under pressure
And then there is other BIG news too!
Number 8 Squadron (Royal Air Force) Reunite with The Avro Shackleton!
In the summer of 1991, the RAF said goodbye to a long-serving eye in the sky when the Avro Shackleton bowed out after 40 years of operational service – the last 19 years of which were with Number 8 Squadron at RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland. Replaced by the state-of-the-art Boeing E3-D “Sentry AEW MK1, Number 8 Squadron continues to serve our country to this day.
July 9th 2016 marks two special anniversaries which we are happy to announce!
25 years ago to the day, our Shackleton WR963 flew in to Coventry Airport for preservation, and in the same month, it has been 25 years of operational service for Number 8 Squadron’s Sentry AEW MK1 aircraft!
The Trust were delighted to hear from a representative from Number 8 Squadron recently, and even more excited when hearing that the current squadron wanted to establish a formal working relationship with us, as we are looking after one of their old airframes!
Number 8 Squadron themselves have a long history, first forming on 1st January 1915 as part of the Royal Flying Corps as a Fighter Squadron. Over the years, the Squadron have operated many aircraft types ranging from the Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2c, through De Havilland Mosquitos, Hawker Hunters, and of course the Avro Shackleton.
Despite operating a high tech aircraft in the current RAF, Number 8 Squadron have always acknowledged their long history, to the point of having an Number 8 Squadron Hawker Hunter as their current Squadron “gate guard” outside their HQ at RAF Waddington.
Our own Shackleton served with the Squadron right up to the end in 1991, and we do our part to keep its history alive too.
Our partnership with Number 8 Squadron means a lot to us, and the Squadron will be coming over to Coventry on July 9th to help take part in our special 25th anniversary celebrations, although sadly we can’t fit a Sentry AEW MK1 into Coventry Airport.... Members of the squadron will see for themselves their old aircraft, and we cannot wait to show them around! Despite being some 60+ years old, I’m sure our volunteers will delight in highlighting that the Shackleton could still perform the AEW task today if things got serious
The Squadron are also offering to help us with providing manpower if possible during any intensive engineering times such as our anticipated NDT strip down checks this coming winter. Of course this will be subject to operational circumstances, but any assistance from their crew will be most welcome indeed at any time!
There is much more besides the above to formalise, but we really do look forward to establishing a great formal partnership between our two organisations!
Looking in to the future, and our own return-to-flight status, it goes without saying that 8 Sqn’s base is definitely on our own bucket list, which I’m sure will be a much anticipated event when that happens!
Bringing an element of Number 8 Squadron’s history alive is a unique and exciting prospect, and one that we, the Shackleton Preservation Trust will endeavour to accomplish with great pride!
Website Logo by Pete Buckingham, on Flickr
WR963 Waddington 1991b by Pete Buckingham, on Flickr
JR4b by Pete Buckingham, on Flickr
8 Sqn 25 Years b by Pete Buckingham, on Flickr
Going back to the runs – we suffered a few technical issues which required careful analysis after the event which then required the following work:
The hydraulic handpump decided it did not like being part of the main hydraulic system and let go in spectacular style including shearing off its handle attaching bracket! The internal seals had ruptured and subsequent high pressure fluid flowed around the system before dumping itself overboard.
The Pressure Relief Valve and Handpump were skillfully rebuilt by one of our resident engineers Mark Ward who regularly surprises us with his ability to make old parts like new again!
Mark Ward 3 by Pete Buckingham, on FlickrMark Ward 4 by Pete Buckingham, on FlickrEven Richard Woods assisted by dismantling the long-removed original handpump to find the same problem had occurred before....
The system’s filters had been long suspected of being a culprit in this problem, and on subsequent removal they were found to be totally clogged up and unable to filter anything in the system at all!
George Aldrich 3 by Pete Buckingham, on FlickrGeorge Aldrich 2 by Pete Buckingham, on FlickrOnce the gauze / mesh filters were cleaned up (for now), fresh hydraulic oil was replaced in the system, and after a very long hand-pumping session the entire hydraulic system was bled through and systems checked to make sure they all worked again. This work involved some very long hours and extended beyond our normal Saturday work days too, with good weather helping some of the team who worked mid-week on the system too...
George Aldrich 1 by Pete Buckingham, on FlickrWater ingress in the No.2 Fuel Tank has been another long standing issue to be dealt with, which was suspected of causing a premature shut-down of No.2 Engine during the taxy run, and on a subsequent test run too.... The fuel system is drained of water each time we attend to the aircraft, but the water ingress also crept into the fuel pump, so a suitable drain tap was installed to help us drain the water efficiently rather than continually having to dismantle the pump each time.
Water ingress may also be the culprit on the overhead panel above the pilot’s head, where the engine magneto switches are located. Previous corrosion had been found on the contact points of these switches which led to the belief that water was getting in – more noticeable after a downpour!
On the taxy runs, it rained between the two runs, and we then experienced problems on start-up for the second run. In the long term, we will need to replace the bank of switches of course (if anyone happens to have an example as illustrated that they wish to donate then please get in touch!), but we also need to address the water ingress itself. Our Chief Engineer (the one and only Druid Petrie of ex-8 Sqn Shackleton fame) assures us that the correct method involves an application of Cellulose Dope around the Escape Hatches, so that is being looked into as we speak once we source the correct Dope of course....
On various engine runs, the crew noticed that the Radiator Shutters were not working as they should on No.2 engine, so a replacement “Inching Controller” box has been installed to hopefully sure the problem. Another test run will confirm this.
Mario McLaughlin 1 by Pete Buckingham, on FlickrNitrogen... a vital gas to top up the pneumatics system used on the Shackleton to provide braking etc. Well despite the aircraft not having any major issue with its own system, our portable trolley decided it required attention as it was leaking badly from behind the inflation control panel.
So another of our intrepid engineers, Mario McLaughlin took the panel apart, sourced and repaired the leak, and even repainted the control panel while he had five minutes to spare! These trolleys were a common sight at any RAF Airfield, but never before did one look so shiny as ours does now!
Mario McLaughlin 2 by Pete Buckingham, on FlickrOn the subject of pneumatics, we had a brake hose fail on us, which was spotted before we taxied the aircraft. Suitably isolated to carry on the taxy runs, the hose was subsequently replaced with a newly manufactured one by Mark Ward once he had sourced the correct fittings needed.
Mark Ward by Pete Buckingham, on FlickrEngine Ignition issues continued to give the team a good reason to keep checking the points gaps on all engines, which is no easy task when you compare the average family car engine with the huge Griffon V12 ones we have! Nevertheless, another job tackled by our team of course!
Not content with the technical items that formed quite a list of jobs to do, other work has been carried out on site.
The prominent red spinners on WR963 had started to look rather faded, so Andrew Clarke volunteered himself to polish them all up again with the assistance of young George Aldrich. They now look stunning in the sunlight again!
Mark Ward 2 by Pete Buckingham, on Flickr“Zebedee” or VP293 our loaned Mk1 nose section received some attention prior to heading out on the roads for the first time in a long while! This season will see Zebedee appear at various events away from Coventry, so a good tidy up inside was in order, plus making sure the trailer he is mounted on was ready for the journeys ahead. There is ongoing progress with the nose section itself too, with more internal refit of original equipment to take place soon, which will get the interior looking more authentic as well as replacing parts which famously vanished during a period of storage at another venue before we took charge of the nose on behalf of the owner on a permanent loan basis. Keep an eye out for a Shackleton Nose on the roads this year!
And finally....
A personal touch to raise a smile or two.
Ongoing crew training has resulted in another person able to operate the Engineers Panel during ground runs / taxy runs, giving us more flexibility with crew availability, with another member currently in training....
However, the post taxy run banter amongst our crew deserves sharing if only to show that we are all human (friendly ones of course).
Our crew training has been undertaken by our highly experienced Chief Engineer who apparently knows a thing or two about Shackletons, and has accumulated many hours / years of sterling service on the aircraft up until the end of service with Number 8 Squadron up at RAF Lossiemouth. We are constantly amazed at the depth of his knowledge, and he teaches us all an awful lot, which gains him the respect he fully deserves!
So picture the scene when the first taxy run was completely successful with a slightly nervous newly qualified Engineer on the panel throughout....
However, on the second taxy run, our well respected Chief Engineer decides to have a go, and brought back an aircraft on two out of four engines running; a hydraulic failure; and a suspected electrical generator fault too!!!!
We thought he was trying to recreate the pressure the Squadron were under back in the 90’s when faced with QRA alerts on an old aircraft – whereas we were told this was just to test our ability to work under pressure
And then there is other BIG news too!
Number 8 Squadron (Royal Air Force) Reunite with The Avro Shackleton!
In the summer of 1991, the RAF said goodbye to a long-serving eye in the sky when the Avro Shackleton bowed out after 40 years of operational service – the last 19 years of which were with Number 8 Squadron at RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland. Replaced by the state-of-the-art Boeing E3-D “Sentry AEW MK1, Number 8 Squadron continues to serve our country to this day.
July 9th 2016 marks two special anniversaries which we are happy to announce!
25 years ago to the day, our Shackleton WR963 flew in to Coventry Airport for preservation, and in the same month, it has been 25 years of operational service for Number 8 Squadron’s Sentry AEW MK1 aircraft!
The Trust were delighted to hear from a representative from Number 8 Squadron recently, and even more excited when hearing that the current squadron wanted to establish a formal working relationship with us, as we are looking after one of their old airframes!
Number 8 Squadron themselves have a long history, first forming on 1st January 1915 as part of the Royal Flying Corps as a Fighter Squadron. Over the years, the Squadron have operated many aircraft types ranging from the Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2c, through De Havilland Mosquitos, Hawker Hunters, and of course the Avro Shackleton.
Despite operating a high tech aircraft in the current RAF, Number 8 Squadron have always acknowledged their long history, to the point of having an Number 8 Squadron Hawker Hunter as their current Squadron “gate guard” outside their HQ at RAF Waddington.
Our own Shackleton served with the Squadron right up to the end in 1991, and we do our part to keep its history alive too.
Our partnership with Number 8 Squadron means a lot to us, and the Squadron will be coming over to Coventry on July 9th to help take part in our special 25th anniversary celebrations, although sadly we can’t fit a Sentry AEW MK1 into Coventry Airport.... Members of the squadron will see for themselves their old aircraft, and we cannot wait to show them around! Despite being some 60+ years old, I’m sure our volunteers will delight in highlighting that the Shackleton could still perform the AEW task today if things got serious
The Squadron are also offering to help us with providing manpower if possible during any intensive engineering times such as our anticipated NDT strip down checks this coming winter. Of course this will be subject to operational circumstances, but any assistance from their crew will be most welcome indeed at any time!
There is much more besides the above to formalise, but we really do look forward to establishing a great formal partnership between our two organisations!
Looking in to the future, and our own return-to-flight status, it goes without saying that 8 Sqn’s base is definitely on our own bucket list, which I’m sure will be a much anticipated event when that happens!
Bringing an element of Number 8 Squadron’s history alive is a unique and exciting prospect, and one that we, the Shackleton Preservation Trust will endeavour to accomplish with great pride!
Website Logo by Pete Buckingham, on FlickrWR963 Waddington 1991b by Pete Buckingham, on FlickrJR4b by Pete Buckingham, on Flickr8 Sqn 25 Years b by Pete Buckingham, on Flickr
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Update on our BIG event coming up on July 9th!
We are celebrating the 25th anniversary of the last flight of WR963 which departed RAF Waddington and touched down at Coventry Airport on this very day in 1991. This marked the start of the next era in the life of this Avro Shackleton with the airframe being purchased at auction as one of a pair (the other airframe being WL790) by the late David Liddell-Grainger. The intention was to fly one of the airframes in civilian ownership with the other acting as a spares source.
After a few years of struggling with bureaucracy in vain, WL790 was flown out to the USA where she operated under FAA rules for 14 years until retirement into Museum life...
WR963 had been the chosen spares ship for WL790, and as such had been a test-bed airframe and stripped of many parts. In 1997 the Shackleton Preservation Trust took over looking after this airframe and set about returning the airframe to working condition as best they could...
Eventually, in 2008, a taxy run was achieved down the runway at Coventry which proved the viability of continuing to work towards returning WR963 to full working order once more!
In 2012, after a huge amount of careful research and gathering documentary evidence, the CAA was approached again to gain approval for a “Return to Flight” status... Amazingly, this time it was approved, and the hard work really began for the team!
In recent years WR963 has proved she wants to fly again with several taxy runs taking place, many ground runs, and an influx of dedicated volunteers increasing the ability of the team to overcome all the obstacles in our path!
Interest in our project soon reached higher places, with the recent surprise announcement that WR963’s old squadron (Number 8 Sqn Royal Air Force) wished to forge a unique working partnership with us to push forward this project! On July 9th they will be coming back to see their old aircraft for the first time in 25 years as a result, and we want you to be there too!
We will not only be welcoming the Royal Air Force at Coventry, but also have members of 8 Sqn Association attending too! Several VIP guests will be coming, who have been involved with WR963 in various ways over the years.
There are plans to have some airborne visitors too (though sadly not a current Sentry aircraft due to operational circumstances)
The entire team at the Shackleton Preservation Trust would love you to come and see what we have achieved and what our plans are for the future!
To celebrate this special anniversary with us, our Chairman has even discounted the admission price especially for this event too!
Public entry will be just £15 per person for the entire day’s activities where you can take a close look at our aircraft, meet the team, witness WR963 perform on the day, and be part of an historical occasion!
We do ask that if possible you book your place online via our website, and remember to include a message with paypal payments telling us that the payment is for “July 9th 25th Event” please!
Latest News - Shackleton Preservation Trust
You will not get an actual ticket, but your name(s) will be on a list at our gate as proof!
We will allow admission on the gate too, but it helps us to know who is attending if we know in advance!
You will be on a live airside apron at Coventry Airport for this event, so our team will be looking after you at all times for your own safety and airport security too of course.
Light refreshments will be available in our Cabin, but we would also recommend the adjacent DC-6 Diner for great value food too, although pre-booking a table might be advantageous as we expect them to be busy on this day!
DC-6 Diner can be contacted on: 07944 512305 or 02477 459020
Website Logo by Pete Buckingham, on Flickr
8 Sqn 25 Years b by Pete Buckingham, on Flickr
Dscf2685a by Pete Buckingham, on Flickr
After a few years of struggling with bureaucracy in vain, WL790 was flown out to the USA where she operated under FAA rules for 14 years until retirement into Museum life...
WR963 had been the chosen spares ship for WL790, and as such had been a test-bed airframe and stripped of many parts. In 1997 the Shackleton Preservation Trust took over looking after this airframe and set about returning the airframe to working condition as best they could...
Eventually, in 2008, a taxy run was achieved down the runway at Coventry which proved the viability of continuing to work towards returning WR963 to full working order once more!
In 2012, after a huge amount of careful research and gathering documentary evidence, the CAA was approached again to gain approval for a “Return to Flight” status... Amazingly, this time it was approved, and the hard work really began for the team!
In recent years WR963 has proved she wants to fly again with several taxy runs taking place, many ground runs, and an influx of dedicated volunteers increasing the ability of the team to overcome all the obstacles in our path!
Interest in our project soon reached higher places, with the recent surprise announcement that WR963’s old squadron (Number 8 Sqn Royal Air Force) wished to forge a unique working partnership with us to push forward this project! On July 9th they will be coming back to see their old aircraft for the first time in 25 years as a result, and we want you to be there too!
We will not only be welcoming the Royal Air Force at Coventry, but also have members of 8 Sqn Association attending too! Several VIP guests will be coming, who have been involved with WR963 in various ways over the years.
There are plans to have some airborne visitors too (though sadly not a current Sentry aircraft due to operational circumstances)
The entire team at the Shackleton Preservation Trust would love you to come and see what we have achieved and what our plans are for the future!
To celebrate this special anniversary with us, our Chairman has even discounted the admission price especially for this event too!
Public entry will be just £15 per person for the entire day’s activities where you can take a close look at our aircraft, meet the team, witness WR963 perform on the day, and be part of an historical occasion!
We do ask that if possible you book your place online via our website, and remember to include a message with paypal payments telling us that the payment is for “July 9th 25th Event” please!
Latest News - Shackleton Preservation Trust
You will not get an actual ticket, but your name(s) will be on a list at our gate as proof!
We will allow admission on the gate too, but it helps us to know who is attending if we know in advance!
You will be on a live airside apron at Coventry Airport for this event, so our team will be looking after you at all times for your own safety and airport security too of course.
Light refreshments will be available in our Cabin, but we would also recommend the adjacent DC-6 Diner for great value food too, although pre-booking a table might be advantageous as we expect them to be busy on this day!
DC-6 Diner can be contacted on: 07944 512305 or 02477 459020
Website Logo by Pete Buckingham, on Flickr8 Sqn 25 Years b by Pete Buckingham, on FlickrDscf2685a by Pete Buckingham, on Flickr
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25th Anniversary Update!
Almost time for our unique event which happens this saturday at Coventry!!
£15 special reduced price to come and see us celebrate 25 years in preservation of our Avro Shackleton WR963...
Gates open 10am
Full Ground Run 2pm
Day finishes 5pm
Tours of our aircraft will be available during the day, and our neighbouring Nimrod is also being opened up by our friends who look after her too!
Chance to meet our team, and of course members of Number 8 Sqn Royal Air Force who are also bringing along some momentos to sell...
Our own freshly refurbished shop will be open - offering a range of our own merchandise and rare model kits which all go towards our fund-raising of course....
We hope to be having a few surprises during the day for you all too
Click here for online booking:
Latest News - Shackleton Preservation Trust
£15 special reduced price to come and see us celebrate 25 years in preservation of our Avro Shackleton WR963...
Gates open 10am
Full Ground Run 2pm
Day finishes 5pm
Tours of our aircraft will be available during the day, and our neighbouring Nimrod is also being opened up by our friends who look after her too!
Chance to meet our team, and of course members of Number 8 Sqn Royal Air Force who are also bringing along some momentos to sell...
Our own freshly refurbished shop will be open - offering a range of our own merchandise and rare model kits which all go towards our fund-raising of course....
We hope to be having a few surprises during the day for you all too
Click here for online booking:
Latest News - Shackleton Preservation Trust
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Wheels At Coventry 2016 Event 10th September 2016
A quick post to get the word out on an event being planned for 10th September which needs the word spreading as soon as possible!
More info on this will be shared once confirmed, and of course there are other SPT updates coming very soon with regards recent work and the results of our 25th anniversary event....
Keep an eye out too on our website which is undergong a transformation as I type following the addition of another web editor Aaron
Wheels At Coventry Poster by Pete Buckingham, on Flickr
Shackleton Preservation Trust - SPT WR963
More info on this will be shared once confirmed, and of course there are other SPT updates coming very soon with regards recent work and the results of our 25th anniversary event....
Keep an eye out too on our website which is undergong a transformation as I type following the addition of another web editor Aaron
Wheels At Coventry Poster by Pete Buckingham, on FlickrShackleton Preservation Trust - SPT WR963
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Ground Run Saturday 20th August Cancellation Notice!
Hello everyone, due to safety concerns arising from the forecast adverse weather conditions due on Saturday, the Shackleton Preservation Trust have decided to cancel WR963's engine run this weekend. This run will be moved now to Monday 29th (bank holiday Monday) at 2pm. Entry as always is by the West gate CV8 3AZ We are sorry for any inconvenience caused and thank you all for your support.
The Chairman
The Chairman
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Urgent Update from the Trustees
Due to unforeseen administrative circumstances, the Shackleton Preservation Trust has been forced to cancel the programmed public engine run on Bank Holiday Monday, and the Wheels event on the 10th of September. Unfortunately, we are also unable to allow public access to the aircraft at this time. We ask for your patience while we work through this situation, and we will update you all as soon as we possibly can. As I have said above, it is an administrative situation, and is not due to any form of incident.I appreciate many of you will have made plans to attend either or both of these events, and on behalf of the Shackleton Preservation Trust, I hope you will accept our apologies to you all for this very short notice.
Druid Petrie
Trustee
Shackleton Preservation Trust
Druid Petrie
Trustee
Shackleton Preservation Trust
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Hi Everyone,
Firstly I'd like to apologise for the lack of updates on the various forums, and the sporadic and sometimes contradictory information that was sometimes posted on social media. Hopefully these times are behind us now and normal service can be resumed. As I'm sure you can understand it's been a troublesome year for WR963 and the remaining crew.
I'm Phil Woods, on of '963's crew. I'll be posting the regular updates from now on if the interest is still there, and hopefully answering any and all questions you all have to the best of my ability. Although I'm not quite as knowledgeable as my brother, I work on WR963 regularly, I'm qualified to crew her as P2, admin on the two facebook groups we run, run the eBay shop and assist with the Instagram account and website building. More recently I've taken over running the "Friends" side of things and I'm one of the two directors of the company that owns and looks after WR963. So I hope that I'll be up to the task.
We've had a bad year in terms of reliability, Hydraulic issues on the last evening run back in February and starting issues with the engines since. Coupled with radio problems too and it's not been the year we wanted or expected. We've slowly been working our way through these problems though, and I'm pleased to announce that WR963 is now servicable and capable of running all 4 engines.
The number 4 engine problem has now been found and fixed. Initially thought to be fouled plugs, these were stripped, cleaned, gapped and refitted. We checked for power getting to the booster coil and magneto, and the points were cleaned and gapped in both. Still it refused to run. Eventually, we found that although power was getting to the booster coil, it wasn't supplying power out and once swapped for a brand new unit from our stores the no4 engine ran beautifully.
Hydraulic issues are drawing to a close too, the Hydraulc pumps have both been removed, sent away to be fully rebuilt and refitted. A fully rebuilt hand pump, cleaned and remade lines, cleaned filters and solenoids, and correctly adjusted pressure reducing valves should now see these problems cured.
The next run we have is this weekend, the Saab club is hosting their AGM at Midland Aviation museum and we're providing a 4 engined run as entertainment afterwards. I'll take photos and report back on Sunday! Fingers crossed for the first 4 engined run since February.
Sorry for the lengthy first post, believe me I've condensed a LOT of work into this update, I didn't want to swamp the place on my first go.
Regards,
Phil Woods
Firstly I'd like to apologise for the lack of updates on the various forums, and the sporadic and sometimes contradictory information that was sometimes posted on social media. Hopefully these times are behind us now and normal service can be resumed. As I'm sure you can understand it's been a troublesome year for WR963 and the remaining crew.
I'm Phil Woods, on of '963's crew. I'll be posting the regular updates from now on if the interest is still there, and hopefully answering any and all questions you all have to the best of my ability. Although I'm not quite as knowledgeable as my brother, I work on WR963 regularly, I'm qualified to crew her as P2, admin on the two facebook groups we run, run the eBay shop and assist with the Instagram account and website building. More recently I've taken over running the "Friends" side of things and I'm one of the two directors of the company that owns and looks after WR963. So I hope that I'll be up to the task.
We've had a bad year in terms of reliability, Hydraulic issues on the last evening run back in February and starting issues with the engines since. Coupled with radio problems too and it's not been the year we wanted or expected. We've slowly been working our way through these problems though, and I'm pleased to announce that WR963 is now servicable and capable of running all 4 engines.
The number 4 engine problem has now been found and fixed. Initially thought to be fouled plugs, these were stripped, cleaned, gapped and refitted. We checked for power getting to the booster coil and magneto, and the points were cleaned and gapped in both. Still it refused to run. Eventually, we found that although power was getting to the booster coil, it wasn't supplying power out and once swapped for a brand new unit from our stores the no4 engine ran beautifully.
Hydraulic issues are drawing to a close too, the Hydraulc pumps have both been removed, sent away to be fully rebuilt and refitted. A fully rebuilt hand pump, cleaned and remade lines, cleaned filters and solenoids, and correctly adjusted pressure reducing valves should now see these problems cured.
The next run we have is this weekend, the Saab club is hosting their AGM at Midland Aviation museum and we're providing a 4 engined run as entertainment afterwards. I'll take photos and report back on Sunday! Fingers crossed for the first 4 engined run since February.
Sorry for the lengthy first post, believe me I've condensed a LOT of work into this update, I didn't want to swamp the place on my first go.
Regards,
Phil Woods
Watched some early morning TV today and on Movies For Men(?) or whatever, tuned in to see a Nimrod overfly a surfaced sub ("Drop buoy, and camera") followed by a longish sequence of a Shackleton displaying, many in flight shots etc, low passes.... it looked a little strange with dark greenish livery but prominent figure "8" on the fuselage......
Blow me down, if there isn't a photo here.... WR963!!
How's that for co-incidence?
Blow me down, if there isn't a photo here.... WR963!!
How's that for co-incidence?
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WR963 Saab day 2017
Today couldn't have gone better. Despite threats of storms and heavy winds, WR963 volunteers were out in force working towards making our first proper event since February a success. And what a success it was.
On site from around 9am, checks to the aircraft were completed quickly enough. These are many and varied, but are mainly safety and maintenance checks to help ensure the run is a good one. We check for water in the fuel, make sure the priming pumps and booster coils are working, remove all the various covers, top up the Nitrogen in the brakes and undercarriage and check that all the spinner locks are in place to name a few. We then spin the propellors one complete revolution by hand. This allows any water that is sitting in the bottom of the spinners to drain out.
We even found time to mow the grass.
By the time these were done the cars started to arrive. We were asked some time ago the host the Saab club for their after AGM meet and they arrived in force. Once everyone was ready and the fuel lines had been primed, external power was connected and away we went.
All For Griffons ran perfectly. No snags, no leaks, no problems at all. We ran for around half an hour today, got the engines fully up to temperature for the first time in a while. Unfortunately we couldn't exercise them as much as we wanted, due to a VERY strong headwind we only took the engines to 1800rpm, one at a time.
All in all an amazing day, hard work and teamwork and we got there. Our new revamped shop took some good sales too....being able to pay by card helped a lot of people buy more than they usually would have...there were a lot of WR963 hats around today.
So...whats next. Work will continue on the hydraulics, we're close to compleing a complete overhaul of the system and we'd like to have it done for our end of season dusk run on the 2nd of December.
Stay tuned for more!
On site from around 9am, checks to the aircraft were completed quickly enough. These are many and varied, but are mainly safety and maintenance checks to help ensure the run is a good one. We check for water in the fuel, make sure the priming pumps and booster coils are working, remove all the various covers, top up the Nitrogen in the brakes and undercarriage and check that all the spinner locks are in place to name a few. We then spin the propellors one complete revolution by hand. This allows any water that is sitting in the bottom of the spinners to drain out.
We even found time to mow the grass.
By the time these were done the cars started to arrive. We were asked some time ago the host the Saab club for their after AGM meet and they arrived in force. Once everyone was ready and the fuel lines had been primed, external power was connected and away we went.
All For Griffons ran perfectly. No snags, no leaks, no problems at all. We ran for around half an hour today, got the engines fully up to temperature for the first time in a while. Unfortunately we couldn't exercise them as much as we wanted, due to a VERY strong headwind we only took the engines to 1800rpm, one at a time.
All in all an amazing day, hard work and teamwork and we got there. Our new revamped shop took some good sales too....being able to pay by card helped a lot of people buy more than they usually would have...there were a lot of WR963 hats around today.
So...whats next. Work will continue on the hydraulics, we're close to compleing a complete overhaul of the system and we'd like to have it done for our end of season dusk run on the 2nd of December.
Stay tuned for more!
A magnificent job which I think can only be fully appreciated by another mechanic.
One question which always puzzled me> Why did they opt for contra-rotating props on the Shackleton? Not needed for torque problems as in a single-engine aircraft. Surely, it would have saved considerable weight in the engine gearbox and prop to go to a single prop. If fuselage or ground clearance was an issue I would have thought a four-bladed paddle-bladed props serve. All that takes nothing away from a truly unique aircraft.
One question which always puzzled me> Why did they opt for contra-rotating props on the Shackleton? Not needed for torque problems as in a single-engine aircraft. Surely, it would have saved considerable weight in the engine gearbox and prop to go to a single prop. If fuselage or ground clearance was an issue I would have thought a four-bladed paddle-bladed props serve. All that takes nothing away from a truly unique aircraft.
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Why did they opt for contra-rotating props on the Shackleton?
A single prop would have needed very large blades, and the tips would have been very close to the fuselage and rotating with a velocity which was very close (if not exceeding) the speed of sound. Contra rotating props give the power needed at a shorter diameter.
QUOTE: A single prop would have needed very large blades, and the tips would have been very close to the fuselage and rotating with a velocity which was very close (if not exceeding) the speed of sound. Contra rotating props give the power needed at a shorter diameter.
The Griffon has similar ratings to late R-2800's on the DC-6. The wide bladed props on that and CV-440 kept the diameter down and there was always the option of going to a four-bladed prop too as on the DC-7. None of those had any sonic tip problems although the C-46 did.back in its day
I understand why the big turboprops as on the A400 and TU-95 Bear use them. That much power can't be handled by a single rotation prop. I do notice the C-130 (smaller engine) continues to truck on with single-rotation props although they now look like old-fashioned electric fan blades. Anyway, America never did field a successful production contra-prop.
The Griffon has similar ratings to late R-2800's on the DC-6. The wide bladed props on that and CV-440 kept the diameter down and there was always the option of going to a four-bladed prop too as on the DC-7. None of those had any sonic tip problems although the C-46 did.back in its day
I understand why the big turboprops as on the A400 and TU-95 Bear use them. That much power can't be handled by a single rotation prop. I do notice the C-130 (smaller engine) continues to truck on with single-rotation props although they now look like old-fashioned electric fan blades. Anyway, America never did field a successful production contra-prop.
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WR963 Dusk run
Tomorrow is a work day for us, and although the forecast isn't great we'll be there. We have a list of jobs to get through before winter hits, and before our dusk run. I'll have photos and an update for everyone tomorrow.
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Today's work day was all about preparation. Winter is around the corner and there's certainly more cold days and rain coming our way. We want to protect 963 as best we can over the winter months so today we decided to make a start.
All the engine/wheel/cockpit/glass covers were taken out of storage, cleaned and inspected. We have a full set and although some need localised repairs we've started to fit them, and after the dusk run they'll all be on to keep her as dry and safe as possible.
Other maintenance work included cleaning all of the many and varied drains out, rotating the propellers to ensure no water gather's in the spinners and exercising the ailerons and elevators for the same reason.
Also, and well overdue, the entire starboard side was cleaned to remove all the dirt and algea. The port side will be next.
No major work to report at this time of year, but this work is vital to keep WR963 serviceable and stop deterioration.
I did have some photos to post, and I have posted these on other forums....however I'm not allowed to post them here until I have 10 posts! Sorry about this. So 6 more posts from now and I can start showing you what we're up to!
All the engine/wheel/cockpit/glass covers were taken out of storage, cleaned and inspected. We have a full set and although some need localised repairs we've started to fit them, and after the dusk run they'll all be on to keep her as dry and safe as possible.
Other maintenance work included cleaning all of the many and varied drains out, rotating the propellers to ensure no water gather's in the spinners and exercising the ailerons and elevators for the same reason.
Also, and well overdue, the entire starboard side was cleaned to remove all the dirt and algea. The port side will be next.
No major work to report at this time of year, but this work is vital to keep WR963 serviceable and stop deterioration.
I did have some photos to post, and I have posted these on other forums....however I'm not allowed to post them here until I have 10 posts! Sorry about this. So 6 more posts from now and I can start showing you what we're up to!
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Sorry I've been quiet for a while, it doesn't mean we've not been busy...quite the opposite. Thank you everyone for the continued support, both on here and other forums and social media, it does mean a lot to us all.
So...what have we been up to? The answer is a lot of planning for next year, and a lot of preparation for next weeks dusk run. Tired of problems this past year we've been checking and rechecking everything before next week, and even conducted a short 4 engine run last weekend. I'm pleased to report everything went fine, a couple of small snags, one being a recurring oil weep on the number 4 engine which we'll keep an eye on and fix over winter. It won't affect next weeks run though.
We also had the pleasure of giving several local air cadets a tour of the aircraft inside and out, we try to do as many tours as possible throughout the year as it helps get our name out there, and the more people that hear about us the better chance we have...plus we all like talking about '963!
We're still working on the covers which is turning into a bigger task than we liked, but the bungees on most of them have been replaced and before we leave next week they will all be in place, keeping '963 as dry as possible.
With regards to NDT testing, yes it will be going ahead. We have the money for it, all we're waiting for is available indoor space to conduct it. It will come in time though and as soon as I know something I'll be sure to post up and let everyone know.
We have some big plans for 2018, that I can't really go in to right now...but they're really going to be good. 2018 is going to be a fun year, and we'll be attempting a few things we've not done before...
So...what have we been up to? The answer is a lot of planning for next year, and a lot of preparation for next weeks dusk run. Tired of problems this past year we've been checking and rechecking everything before next week, and even conducted a short 4 engine run last weekend. I'm pleased to report everything went fine, a couple of small snags, one being a recurring oil weep on the number 4 engine which we'll keep an eye on and fix over winter. It won't affect next weeks run though.
We also had the pleasure of giving several local air cadets a tour of the aircraft inside and out, we try to do as many tours as possible throughout the year as it helps get our name out there, and the more people that hear about us the better chance we have...plus we all like talking about '963!
We're still working on the covers which is turning into a bigger task than we liked, but the bungees on most of them have been replaced and before we leave next week they will all be in place, keeping '963 as dry as possible.
With regards to NDT testing, yes it will be going ahead. We have the money for it, all we're waiting for is available indoor space to conduct it. It will come in time though and as soon as I know something I'll be sure to post up and let everyone know.
We have some big plans for 2018, that I can't really go in to right now...but they're really going to be good. 2018 is going to be a fun year, and we'll be attempting a few things we've not done before...
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Chesterfield
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So...who watched the live feed then? 
Saturday was amazing. A busy day but very productive and a great way to end the season.
We got to Coventry early, hopeful for a cold clear day so we could methodically work through the list of jobs needing to be done. Unfortunately we were greeted by drizzle. Freezing cold drizzle. First tasks were the usual safety and maintenance checks, spinner locks, control locks, check for water in the fuel, rotate the props by hand once to drain the water from the spinners, remove the wheel and other covers...all little jobs but all essential. We then moved onto checking the priming pumps and booster coils, these have let us down in the past and caused a 3 or even 2 engine run, something we didn't want to happen.
Everything checked out fine, so while the shop was getting tidied ready for our guests, we waited for the fuel to arrive. We took on around 700 litres or 100LL Avgas, plenty for this run and the next couple. We calculate fuel figures based on what is left in the tanks to ensure even fuel loads in the tanks, it helps while she's sitting to keep the weight even. After priming the injectors there wasn't much to do other than talk to our guests and wait for Dusk.
We were very lucky to meet Roger Steggall, an ex crew member who had clocked up over 56 flights on WR963, so listening to his stories was certainly a privilege, we hope to have him back early next year to take his old seat during a run.
After the Nimrod shut down, it was our turn. 30 minutes of Noise, and a very sweet running Shackleton. slightly grumpy on Number 1 and 4 engines, but they soon smoothed out and the run couldn't have been better.
So what next for 963? Not much this year. We'll be back down at Coventry on the 16th, fitting all the covers and making sure she's safe and sound, ready for our Christmas break...then it's off to the Oak at Baginton for a well deserved beer with all the crew.
We have big plans for 2018, things we've never done before! I don't want to ruin the surprise so you'll have to wait and see in the new year, but it's sure going to be fun!
Saturday was amazing. A busy day but very productive and a great way to end the season.
We got to Coventry early, hopeful for a cold clear day so we could methodically work through the list of jobs needing to be done. Unfortunately we were greeted by drizzle. Freezing cold drizzle. First tasks were the usual safety and maintenance checks, spinner locks, control locks, check for water in the fuel, rotate the props by hand once to drain the water from the spinners, remove the wheel and other covers...all little jobs but all essential. We then moved onto checking the priming pumps and booster coils, these have let us down in the past and caused a 3 or even 2 engine run, something we didn't want to happen.
Everything checked out fine, so while the shop was getting tidied ready for our guests, we waited for the fuel to arrive. We took on around 700 litres or 100LL Avgas, plenty for this run and the next couple. We calculate fuel figures based on what is left in the tanks to ensure even fuel loads in the tanks, it helps while she's sitting to keep the weight even. After priming the injectors there wasn't much to do other than talk to our guests and wait for Dusk.
We were very lucky to meet Roger Steggall, an ex crew member who had clocked up over 56 flights on WR963, so listening to his stories was certainly a privilege, we hope to have him back early next year to take his old seat during a run.
After the Nimrod shut down, it was our turn. 30 minutes of Noise, and a very sweet running Shackleton. slightly grumpy on Number 1 and 4 engines, but they soon smoothed out and the run couldn't have been better.
So what next for 963? Not much this year. We'll be back down at Coventry on the 16th, fitting all the covers and making sure she's safe and sound, ready for our Christmas break...then it's off to the Oak at Baginton for a well deserved beer with all the crew.
We have big plans for 2018, things we've never done before! I don't want to ruin the surprise so you'll have to wait and see in the new year, but it's sure going to be fun!
