Yorkshire Air Museum has announced it is to house Avro Shackleton MR.2 WR963 Ermindtrude from 2023, when the airframe will move from its current home at Coventry Airport.
The Shackleton Aviation Group has preserved the aircraft at Coventry Airport for 31 years, but redevelopment at that site meant a new site was sought - now, an agreement has been reached for Ermintrude (an airframe featured in Airfix's second 1/72 kit) to move to the Yorkshire Air Museum at Elvington. Transport is to be undertaken by road in 2023, with work to disassemble the aeroplane beginning early in the year.
The Shackleton Aviation Group said in a statement: “The new location had to be a strong heritage environment, and as WR963 is one of only three Shackletons left in a running condition, it had to give the possibility of continuing to keep the aircraft’s engines active. This meant just a handful of locations fit the bill, but with its enviable collection of Cold War aircraft, a number of running aircraft, and of course the mighty Handley Page Halifax right at its heart, Yorkshire Air Museum naturally fell at the top of the list.”
Museum spokesman Jerry Ibbotson added: “This is great news all round. WR963 has its future secured and will be kept in a running condition, we receive an exciting new addition to our collection and the team at Coventry, who have worked so hard over the years, see their pride and joy being cared for in an environment where she can continue to be enjoyed by generations of aircraft enthusiasts for years to come.”
As mentioned, Revell and Airfix have recently produced kits of this fascinating type - developed from the wartime Lancaster bomber, no less - so it's great news an example will remain accessible and ideal for gathering reference material at the Yorkshire Air Museum.
