Peter,
My friend Roy (ex RAF) works on the sole-flying shackleton based here in Cape Town (are their any more flying anywhere on earth?).
The airframe is down to its last few hours now, unfortunately, but those griffons...
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Ian,
As far as I know, several of the last Shackletons were sold either to a USA concern and two possibly three to a Cypriot business man who I believe sold them onto the Americans. I assume they flew there, possibly within the last year.
I worked on them in the RAF whilst in the Far East hence the need to employ maximum power to take off in hot conditions, if memory serves me right they also used water-methanol to increase power for take off. Whatever, it was a grand sight on a par with a Lighting F6 taking off. I understand a few of those also gravitated to South Africa.
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A few??? - they were operational until about six years ago! (sanctions, embargos, and all that ...)
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I recently read a British aviation magazine that had an article about an organisation in South Africa which bought some ex-RAF Lightnings, several twin seater MK 5s, and F3s/F6s. They use them for display purposes and the T-birds are used to give rides to those who fancy the idea. The CAA are very wary of allowing ex-miltary aircraft onto the civil register and I assume Southh Africa proved more friendly. There is a web site dedicated to the aircraft and shows all the current locations. IMHO a scrapyard is the most obvious place.
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Thunder City - the guy has an EE Lightning, a couple of Bucaneers, strikemaster, hunters etc.
Also had a canberra, but it pranged a few years ago.
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Subaru Imprezza STi with a big exhaust,70s Kawasaki 2 stroke triples,just great.
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Nothing can beat a Merlin - possibly sounds best with the pair in a Mosquito - think theres some resonance with the wood - fantastic noise, sadly now no longer heard in the UK since the last flying version crashed several years ago.
Anyone enjoying this sort of thing should go to Duxford in early July where as many as 9/10 Mustangs and even more Spitfires can be seen as they should - in the air
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Dave Y,
I love seeing/hearing the Spitfire at the Shuttleworth Collection in Bedfordshire.
Flying from that grass strip and hurtling in a curve round the spectators standing within the L-shaped runways....unique.
David
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Ahhh...Merlins!- Lovely sound.. I was watching a tape of '633 Sqn'. a few weeks ago, horrified to notice that they actually destroyed at least 3 Mosquitos in crash scenes during the making of the film,- probably cheaper than making mockups at the time. But best sounding engine? Probably the 27 litre airship engine fitted to the Mephistopheles racing car I saw and heard at the inaugural meeting of Thruxton Race Circuit in the 60's - I counted about two exhaust beats a second at 60 mph..sounded like somebody slowly beating a bass drum!
P.
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David W
That's the clipped wing mark V isn't it?
Haven't been to Shuttleworth for a very long time. Remember going there in early 70's I think when very few people used to turn up and watching them starting up the Sopwith Pup, standing by with fire extinguishers ready - wonderful copper blur when the rotary was running. Good to watch the Bristol fighter being started with the Hucks starter - basically a Model T with a dirty great shaft mounted and driven (I think) by a belt.
They tried to take the Bleriot off but once it remained stubbornly tied to the ground by time the bottom of field was reached you knew it wasn't going to make it.
Sounds & sights for the gods.............
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Our local airshow has a few Mach2 jets giving it laldy this year - 1000 car alarms set off simultaneously in the carpark!!!
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Erm, dont quite know about the best, but aan Avro Vulcan takes some beating for sheer noise.
Kev
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Yes a clipped wing Mk.Vc. I like the restored but worn running order look of it, not too highly polished like some.
Other end of the scale.....
Used to work as a civilian contracts supervisor on RAF Alconbury years ago when they flew Phantoms (USAF).
Their take-off method was to sit in pairs at the end of the riunway, fire up the afterburners (each jet was twin engined) while holding on the brakes and then release to thunder down the runway.
We used to try and time our runway crossings in the car so that we got to the appropriate spot just before take-off when the traffic lights would prevent you using the roadway that crossed the runway just behind this hold position.
It was magic in the dark of a late winter afternoon to sit in the car about 100ft from these beasts as they fired up. As the afterburners lit they produced a cone of orange/blue "flame" and then the noise was intense. Wearing ear defenders in the car was a sensible option but we used to wind the windows down and soak up the experience.
David
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Hi Peter
Was it not the Shacklton that flight crews described as "1 million rivets flying in loose formation"
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