Yorkshire Air Museum: Pieces of huge aviation jigsaw puzzle arrive at local museum for iconic submarine hunting aircraft Avro Shackleton WR963

The first pieces of an enormous aviation jigsaw puzzle in the form of Griffon engines have arrived at the Yorkshire Air Museum for an iconic submarine-hunting aircraft.

The Avro Shackleton WR963 is being transferred from its current home at Coventry airport to the museum at Elvington near York, as the Coventry site is due to close.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The aircraft doesn’t fly but its engines run and the Shackleton, a four-engined relative of the famous Lancaster bomber, is too big to be moved in one go, so it needs to be dismantled, and the parts dispatched north in stages.

The complete Shackleton aircraft.The complete Shackleton aircraft.
The complete Shackleton aircraft. | Yorkshire Air Museum

The first components to arrive at Elvington are three of the four massive Rolls Royce Griffon engines, each producing two and a half thousand horsepower; by comparison a typical family car produces around one hundred.

They were delivered on the back of a lorry on October 22, 2024.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The engines alone are so large that all four couldn’t fit on the articulated lorry - one will travel up later.

The rest of the aircraft will arrive at the museum in stages over the coming weeks, until all the parts are on site before Christmas. Work will then begin to put the pieces back together and this is expected to last into 2026.

The goal is to have all four engines up and running again, to be able to run at the museum in front of the public.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad
The pieces of the Shackleton.The pieces of the Shackleton.
The pieces of the Shackleton. | Yorkshire Air Museum

Rich Woods from the Shackleton Aviation Group said: “After a year of hard work, fighting bad weather and corrosion from 30 years of being sat on an exposed area of Coventry Airport, my team and I are delighted that WR963 is now beginning her move north into well-deserved preservation. 

“It's sad to see the Griffons depart, but comforting to know they'll run again at YAM, and in such good company.”

Yorkshire Air Museum communications manager, Jerry Ibbotson, said: “This is a very exciting day. 

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“This is an enormous, highly complex jigsaw puzzle and the Griffons are the first of many parts. The Coventry crew have done an amazing job taking the Shackleton apart and they will continue to have a huge role in putting it back together.

“For now, we’re overjoyed at seeing the engines arrive and can’t wait for the next deliveries to make their way to Elvington. 

“This is an iconic aircraft that patrolled the skies above British waters, searching for Soviet vessels above and below the surface, as well as playing a vital role in search and rescue operations. To have her here is a real joy’.”

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.

News you can trust since 1754
Follow us
©National World Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.Cookie SettingsTerms and ConditionsPrivacy notice