Avro Shackleton WR963 Night Run; Behind The Scenes!

Photos of warbirds, classic jets and museum visits
Post Reply
User avatar
Blue_2
Posts: 890
Joined: Thu 13 Jan 2011, 10:29 am

Avro Shackleton WR963 Night Run; Behind The Scenes!

Post by Blue_2 »

On Saturday 11th December we carried out a night engine run on WR963 with Threshold Aero, for 70+ photographers who braved the cold and rain to pay for the priviledge of pointing lenses at the Shack. The least we could do was put on a show...
Grey, damp and cold would sum up the afternoon well as the aircraft was prepped...
Image
Waiting for darkness, and the "appointed time"
Image
The view back along the fuselage with the interior lighting providing atmosphere
Image
Once we had got all 4 running, no.1 had been very reluctant but joined the party eventually, I got this shot from my side window as all 4 idled at 1200rpm warming up.
Image
I got one other shot, but I'll save that to close this post on. After shutting down after a successful 22 minute 4 engine run I got a couple of shots while the old girl was still under the lights...
Image
Yes, parking all 4 propellers exactly like that was 100% fluke!
Image
But this was for me the shot of the night. Feet hard on the brakes, left paw on the throttles, 1,2 and 3 stabilised at 2400rpm and 45ins of boost, I opened the side window and with my free hand took a quick "hail Mary" shot over my shoulder.
I don't know about you, but I reckon it paid off...
Image
Huge thanks to Threshold.aero for running the shoot in a professional, friendly, enthusiastic way, and to everyone who turned out on Saturday night to support us. We are looking forward to seeing all your shots chaps...!
Last edited by Blue_2 on Wed 15 Dec 2021, 4:26 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Meteor WS788/ Chippy WK640 Restoration Project, YAM
Shack WR963, Coventry
Other types meddled with by request!

User avatar
K5054NZ
Posts: 310
Joined: Sat 17 Nov 2012, 2:23 am
Location: Blenheim, New Zealand
Contact:

Re: Avro Shackleton WR963 Night Run; Behind The Scenes!

Post by K5054NZ »

I saw bits and pieces of this run on Facebook but this was a great wrap-up, thank you for taking the time to share it Graham! That last photo...I can't imagine the sound. Inside or out!
Zac in NZ
#avgeek, modelbuilder, photographer, writer. Callsign: "HANDBAG"
https://linktr.ee/zacyates

User avatar
Alpha Delta 210
Posts: 442
Joined: Sun 12 Aug 2012, 3:57 am

Re: Avro Shackleton WR963 Night Run; Behind The Scenes!

Post by Alpha Delta 210 »

Best seat in the house! Thanks for sharing such a great set!

User avatar
TonyC
Posts: 364
Joined: Sat 02 Nov 2019, 3:01 pm
Location: Lost, if you find me, please let me know...

Re: Avro Shackleton WR963 Night Run; Behind The Scenes!

Post by TonyC »

I agree, I really do like the last picture, brilliant!
...and pray that there's intelligent life somewhere up in Space cos there's bugger all down here on Earth!

User avatar
Blue_2
Posts: 890
Joined: Thu 13 Jan 2011, 10:29 am

Re: Avro Shackleton WR963 Night Run; Behind The Scenes!

Post by Blue_2 »

Cheers chaps! While I have done P1 seat on '63 a few times now, this run at night was a first and added a whole new dimension to the already awesome experience of having that much aircraft (and power!) under your hands!
Meteor WS788/ Chippy WK640 Restoration Project, YAM
Shack WR963, Coventry
Other types meddled with by request!

FarnboroJohn
Posts: 3035
Joined: Tue 28 Aug 2012, 6:57 pm

Re: Avro Shackleton WR963 Night Run; Behind The Scenes!

Post by FarnboroJohn »

I've seen exhaust glow mentioned a few times in books about Bomber Command and suchlike but never actually seen it - thank you very much for this proof of the pudding!

User avatar
richw_82
Posts: 220
Joined: Thu 12 Jul 2012, 4:06 pm

Re: Avro Shackleton WR963 Night Run; Behind The Scenes!

Post by richw_82 »

Funnily enough we (me and Blue_2) were talking about exactly that immediately after the run, partly due to Blue's own family connection to Bomber Command aircrew.

While a flame dampener would get rid of a lot, that glow is still going to stand out terribly well against the sky.
Richard Woods
Team leader Avro Shackleton WR963
2009 - 2016
2019 -
http://www.facebook.com/avro.shackleton

User avatar
Tommy
UKAR Staff
Posts: 9362
Joined: Mon 14 Mar 2011, 11:39 pm

Re: Avro Shackleton WR963 Night Run; Behind The Scenes!

Post by Tommy »

I was one of the ‘togs!

A great run last Saturday, and really good to hear the old girl fire up again!

Lovely to see images from inside the cockpit.

User avatar
richw_82
Posts: 220
Joined: Thu 12 Jul 2012, 4:06 pm

Re: Avro Shackleton WR963 Night Run; Behind The Scenes!

Post by richw_82 »

Glad you enjoyed it Tommy!

As you'll have noticed we had to baby No 4 engine slightly until we get to the bottom of its recent overheating, so it didn't go to high power like the rest. Other than that she put in a great performance for her last run of the year.

We're debating trying to hold another night run in the first few months of 2022, as it went pretty well.
Richard Woods
Team leader Avro Shackleton WR963
2009 - 2016
2019 -
http://www.facebook.com/avro.shackleton

User avatar
Blue_2
Posts: 890
Joined: Thu 13 Jan 2011, 10:29 am

Re: Avro Shackleton WR963 Night Run; Behind The Scenes!

Post by Blue_2 »

Tommy wrote:
Fri 17 Dec 2021, 10:15 pm
I was one of the ‘togs!

A great run last Saturday, and really good to hear the old girl fire up again!
As Rich says, glad you enjoyed it! We certainly did from our vantage points. Thanks for paying to stand on a cold wet airfield to support us.

Regarding the exhaust glow, I hadn't realised just how bright they would be until I saw it for myself. For my great uncle and his crew, looking out at their Lanc's exhausts glowing in a similar way must have left them feeling very naked and exposed, and very possibly helped Lt. Rudolf Frank in his ME110 to find them in the dark skies over Belgium, with the almost inevitable outcome.

63 leaves 2021 in pretty good form really. As much as a fortnight previously she had seemed determined to defy us and remind us who is boss at every turn, at the night run she was so well behaved and stuck perfectly to the script. Covid notwithstanding, we have high hopes of 2022 being a great year for her.
Meteor WS788/ Chippy WK640 Restoration Project, YAM
Shack WR963, Coventry
Other types meddled with by request!

User avatar
hunterxf382
Posts: 1698
Joined: Sun 31 Aug 2008, 9:36 pm
Location: West Midlands
Contact:

Re: Avro Shackleton WR963 Night Run; Behind The Scenes!

Post by hunterxf382 »

Graham, this gives you an idea on how visible those exhausts would be even at dusk! I know its a Connie, but it shows what I mean :)

Pete Buckingham
Volunteer in Aviation
Former RAF Engineer
http://hunterxf382.weebly.com/

User avatar
Blue_2
Posts: 890
Joined: Thu 13 Jan 2011, 10:29 am

Re: Avro Shackleton WR963 Night Run; Behind The Scenes!

Post by Blue_2 »

Only very obvious!!
Meteor WS788/ Chippy WK640 Restoration Project, YAM
Shack WR963, Coventry
Other types meddled with by request!

User avatar
richw_82
Posts: 220
Joined: Thu 12 Jul 2012, 4:06 pm

Re: Avro Shackleton WR963 Night Run; Behind The Scenes!

Post by richw_82 »

If you've ever watched the "Death of Pelican 16" documentary, the midnight take off of SAAF Shackleton 1716 on what would be its last flight also shows the flames quite prominently.
Richard Woods
Team leader Avro Shackleton WR963
2009 - 2016
2019 -
http://www.facebook.com/avro.shackleton

User avatar
hunterxf382
Posts: 1698
Joined: Sun 31 Aug 2008, 9:36 pm
Location: West Midlands
Contact:

Re: Avro Shackleton WR963 Night Run; Behind The Scenes!

Post by hunterxf382 »

Thanks Richard - I've just spent the last hour or so watching that documentary for the first time and almost shed a tear..... it's a wonderfully made record of that last flight.

Pete Buckingham
Volunteer in Aviation
Former RAF Engineer
http://hunterxf382.weebly.com/

User avatar
Blue_2
Posts: 890
Joined: Thu 13 Jan 2011, 10:29 am

Re: Avro Shackleton WR963 Night Run; Behind The Scenes!

Post by Blue_2 »

Its a dvd I am very pleased to have on my shelf...
Meteor WS788/ Chippy WK640 Restoration Project, YAM
Shack WR963, Coventry
Other types meddled with by request!

User avatar
Archer
Posts: 229
Joined: Wed 06 May 2009, 10:02 am
Contact:

Re: Avro Shackleton WR963 Night Run; Behind The Scenes!

Post by Archer »

Having had the pleasure (and most likely the hearing loss as well) of standing close to a set of R-2600s running up on a few occasions, my recollection is that the exhaust at higher power settings is a very blueish flame. I know that colours sometimes appear to change on film or photographs so I was wondering: did the glow from the exhaust match the colour of what the photo shows?

User avatar
richw_82
Posts: 220
Joined: Thu 12 Jul 2012, 4:06 pm

Re: Avro Shackleton WR963 Night Run; Behind The Scenes!

Post by richw_82 »

The flame varies colour quite a bit, as the mixture is automatically controlled. At 45" its starting to turn blue at the tip, it gets a lot more white/blue when you go beyond that. It also goes a very bright blue and dances around the end if the pipe as you pull the power back. There's always a little orange in it, but the engines are older now and you can forgive them burning a little oil.

Graham's photo is pretty good, its more or less what you see out the window. This was my side on a previous run; the engines were a bit colder so there wasn't as much glow from the pipe and you can see the flame on its own.

Image
Richard Woods
Team leader Avro Shackleton WR963
2009 - 2016
2019 -
http://www.facebook.com/avro.shackleton

User avatar
Blue_2
Posts: 890
Joined: Thu 13 Jan 2011, 10:29 am

Re: Avro Shackleton WR963 Night Run; Behind The Scenes!

Post by Blue_2 »

This video shows quite well the different flavours of fire '63 was making for us that evening, particularly from 4:45 onwards...
Meteor WS788/ Chippy WK640 Restoration Project, YAM
Shack WR963, Coventry
Other types meddled with by request!

Post Reply