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Ironhead
Joined: 28 Mar 2010 Posts: 458 Location: Leicestershire
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Posted: Sun Mar 10, 2013 7:39 pm Post subject: Shackleton |
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according to teletext tonight,there are plans to put the plane at Coventry Airport back in the skies the aim is to have it taxiing in 2 months,and flying within 7 years.there is a £5m appeal to do the work required. |
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Rick Site Admin
Joined: 27 Apr 2005 Posts: 22470 Location: UK
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Norfolkjohn
Joined: 07 Mar 2011 Posts: 88 Location: North Norfolk
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Posted: Sun Mar 10, 2013 8:52 pm Post subject: |
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Rick - I believe you are thinking of the Ex South African Airforce MR3 that crash landed in the Sahara Desert in 1994. This was A/C 1716 "Pelican 16" which had been restored / maintained in airworthy condition by the SAAF museum. It was on its way to the International Air Tattoo at Fairford in the UK but while flying at night in very high temperatures over the Sahara the #4 engine failed due to overheatinng. This was soon followed by the #3 which suffered a major mechanical failure on the translation unit that was part of the control mechanism for the contra-rotating propellers. With the aircraft unable to maintain height it was belly landed in the desert without injury to the crew. Bit more info and some pics here :
http://wikimapia.org/25472757/SAAF-Avro-Shackleton-1716-Pelican-16
There was a Shackleton (AEW2 WL790) flying in the USA until a few years ago but it is now in the Pima Air & Space Museum in Tucson Arizona.
The Shack at Coventry has been capable of running all 4 engines for a good few years and had a fairly recent repaint. It would be a big effort to get it flying again but if the money can be raised anything is possible. Would certainly be great to see. Little bit more on the story here :
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-coventry-warwickshire-21726075 _________________ One thorn of experience is worth a whole wilderness of warning |
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Scotty
Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 883
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Posted: Sun Mar 10, 2013 9:57 pm Post subject: |
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I remember the 'old grey ladies' flying out of RAF Lossiemouth when I was younger, quite a sight to see them clawing their way into the sky. |
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Penman
Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 4765 Location: Swindon, Wilts.
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P3steve
Joined: 24 Nov 2007 Posts: 542 Location: Great Yarmouth, Norfolk
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Posted: Fri Mar 29, 2013 10:51 am Post subject: |
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Chap in our car club flew them in the 1950/60s and says he carried out bombing missions during the suez crises. He must of been one of the last group of RAF people to carry out bombing mission with a four engine pistion aircraft. _________________ If the world didn't suck we'd all fall off |
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