Warbird Information Exchange

What's the full story with the Shakleton parked with the CAF at Midland? How did it get there and who owns it? How old is it? It's an awesome looking airplane and I'm a fan of anything with four engines. It would be neat to see it stay...

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"Everyone wants to live here (New Jersey), evidenced by the fact that it has the highest population per capita in the U.S..."

Last I heard it was headed back to the UK this summer and they hoped to fly it again over there....but we'll see.

M

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Mark Morris

It belongs to Air Atlantique, out of Merry Ol' England. I believe they bought it from Wally Fisk ten or so years back. I was thinking that they tried to do a tour around the U.S. with it, but there was simply not enough interest in the airplane to support flying it all over the place (that, and the fact that they go through cams like mad on those engines for some reason). I saw them pre-oil the engines for that airplane here for dang near two days and after about ten minutes of running, they had completely trashed one of the cams. Had never seen one get so torn up so quickly.

Anyway, they last flew the airplane in 2005. Once around July (several flights) for crew training and then again at the CAF Airsho in early October. It hasn't been looked at since. We try to put the airplane in the hangar here in Midland when we have room, but since it's not a CAF airplane, it doesn't get priority. I reckon that makes sense, but it's still kind of sad to see it sitting outside.

The inside of the airplane is amazing. It looks like it could go on a mission today. Everything is still there from it's more proud days with the RAF. I will see about getting some interior pictures for you.

I'm told that this summer, they will send their maintenance crew down here one last time to get the airplane ready for flight again. It will then supposedly make it's way back to England, on a waiver, and make one final landing there. It's a God-awful ugly airplane, in my opinion, but at the same time, I'll kind of miss seeing it here. Even more than that, I'll miss the comradery that we have with the crew that comes to work on the ol' Shack.

Gary

Scott,
The Shackleton is part of the Air Atlantique Classic Flight,based at Coventry here in the UK,www.classicflight.com. It was flown to the USA, when the UK CAA, said that they would not let it fly on a UK permit and it was put on the US register. It was then hoped to fly it with a FAA ticket but again the CAA said no, it is out of or near the end of fatigue hours on the spar

It was originally on loan with the Polar Aircraft Collection at......?

When that folded it was flown to Midland and left in the care of the CAF. It has flown at a couple of CAF displays over the last few years.It might be coming back to the UK this year but it would only be a ferry flight and would then be grounded permanently.

For some more details see the web site.
Cheers, Alan.

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Those that can do,those that can't be bothered,TALK about it.
Volunteer with Classic Flight and a member of Beech Restorations team.
http://beechrestorations.wordpress.com/about-us/
http://www.classicflight.com.

As Gary says it due to fly back to the UK this year (well thats the "plan" at the moment). It will go back to The Air Atlantique Historic Flight's home base at Coventry.

Apparently the CAA are not adverse to her flying over here once again provided she is re-sparred (cost about 3Mil GBP, material unavailable).

She is as ugly as sin but the Growler is a wonderful aircraft. I can remember seeing one at at (wet) UK airshow pull vapour off the wings when she pulled up after a pass.

As an aside, the Radar in the bulbous dome underneath was based on the same kit that was first installed in to the early AEW Avengers. It then went onto the Skyraider, then the Gannet AEW.3 and finally the Shack. It was our only AEW Radar during most of the Cold war.

Who says we like to make things hard for ourselves!!!

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MY BLOG and other ramblings This is where most of my photos will appear in future.

The Shuttleworth Collection Facebook Page

Gary,
I was talking to Ben Cox ,at Cov, on Friday and I told him about your thread on 'Lil and he asked me to send him a link to it. He is doing the same sort of project as you are at the moment.....,he is overseeing the major service on the BBMF's Lancaster at Coventry.
When I figure it out I will post a link to a thread over here that shows the progress to date with pictures.

Regards, Alan.

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Those that can do,those that can't be bothered,TALK about it.
Volunteer with Classic Flight and a member of Beech Restorations team.
http://beechrestorations.wordpress.com/about-us/
http://www.classicflight.com.

Excellent, Alan! Please tell Ben that I said howdy. I can't wait to work with him and his crew when they come to play with the Shack. A great bunch of folks indeed.

Gary

Folks,
Here is a thread showing the major service of the BBMF Lancaster at Coventry, UK. It is being carried out by a team led by Ben Cox, the Classic Flights Chief Engineer.
I will start a new thread about it later.

Cheers, Alan.
http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showth ... ee&t=66938

Ps Gary, Ben spoke warmly of you too!

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Those that can do,those that can't be bothered,TALK about it.
Volunteer with Classic Flight and a member of Beech Restorations team.
http://beechrestorations.wordpress.com/about-us/
http://www.classicflight.com.

I'd like to see those pictures when you get the chance. The ones you took of it in the snow were great! I still think it's a neat looking plane...

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"Everyone wants to live here (New Jersey), evidenced by the fact that it has the highest population per capita in the U.S..."

Air Atlantique have always owned it, IIRC it was just based at Wally Fisk's place for some time after it intially flew over from the UK.

Okay. Sorry about the misinformation. Was just how I remembered it.

Thanks for the correction.

Gary

Here's a link to a picture of another flyer...

http://www.airliners.net/open.file/1121081/L/

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"Everyone wants to live here (New Jersey), evidenced by the fact that it has the highest population per capita in the U.S..."

Interesting article on the bird here:

http://www.airbum.com/articles/ArticleShackleton.html

Here are pictures from inside the Shackleton here in Midland........

Looking back towards the tailgunner's position (if that's what he actually did back there)......



Standing at the entry door, looking aft.......



Standing at the entry door, looking forward (this thing just goes on forever it seems )........



The kitchen and bunk area........



The radar room (?). There are a bunch of little hidden seats everywhere in this airplane. They even have seat belts installed in the top of the carry-thru's for the spars..........



Flight engineer's panel.....



Looking into the cockpit.......





Looking into the nose of the airplane........





Like I've mentioned in a previous post, this airplane is completely original inside. The sextants are still in it, maps, and even the flare gun and cartridges are still wrapped in their protective containers ........





This is a very cool plane all in all. I hope that someday they'll be able to get the money to replace the spars while it is in England. But until then, I'll be hanging on the the memories of seeing (and hearing) it fly around here.

Gary

AWESOME! Thanks for taking the time to photograph the interior!

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"Everyone wants to live here (New Jersey), evidenced by the fact that it has the highest population per capita in the U.S..."