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Avro Shackleton AEW2

If the Second World War proved anything, it was the vulnerability of the United Kingdom's "Atlantic Lifeline" to submarine attack. During that conflict Coastal Command destroyed no less than 196 submarines, a good proportion of the overall total. After the war ended and the return of the various American types in Coastal Commands inventory only the Avro Lancaster or Avro Lincoln were available for this vital work. Accordingly a specification (R5/46) for a long range maritime reconnaissance aircraft was issued in 1946. The new aircraft, designed by the great Roy Chadwick was developed from the Avro Lincoln, (the Lincoln was essentially a "stretched" long range Lancaster). In order to accommodate the large crew, sensors and weaponry a new wide bodied fuselage was developed. The powerplants were four mighty Rolls Royce Griffons driving two contra-rotating three bladed propellors each. The name of the new aeroplane was "Shackleton", perhaps the most heroic of all the polar explorers and was chosen by Chadwick himself.

The Avro Shackleton MR1 entered service with 120 Squadron in 1951. An improved version, the MR2 entered service soon after. The MR2 introduced various changes, a sharper more pointed nose with a bomb aimers position, twin 20mm cannon mounted in the extreme nose, and a lengthened tail with a lookout position to assess bombing accuracy. Most importantly the radar was moved from a chin position to a ventral position aft of the bomb bay. Many Shackleton pilots say that the MR2 was the nicest of the Shackleton family to fly. The final major variant was the MR3 which introduced a fully hydraulic nosewheel undercarriage, large tip tanks, improved internal furnishing and sound proofing. Because the weight of the Shackleton had risen from about 80,000 lb's to over 100,000 lb's two Armstrong Siddely Viper jet engines were added to the outboard nacelles to give that bit of extra whoomph for take off. The Shackleton served in the maritime reconnaisance role until the late 1960's when it was finally replaced by the Nimrod.

One would think that the Shackleton story would end there, even when it entered service in 1951 it was an anachronism, by the early 1970's it looked like ancient history. However the Royal Navy's decision to scrap its large carrier's including its Fairy Gannet AEW fleet had left a yawning gap in the United Kingdoms Airborne Early Warning capability. As a stop-gap solution low fatigue life Shackleton MR2's were fitted with Fairy Gannet AEW kit under the forward fuselage. The Avro Shackleton AEW2 provided the United Kingdom's airborne early warning capability until the early 1990's when finally replaced by the Boeing AWACS system.

The Avro Shackleton was one of the best loved aircraft ever to fly with the Royal Air Force, serving all over the world for 40 years, and just about every country has an oil stained patch of tarmac which is forever England. Two Shackletons are still flying, an MR3 in South Africa and a AEW2 operating from Midland, Texas in the USA. The AEW2 incidentally is owned by Air Atlantique just up the road from me in Coventry, but inexplicably the CAA has not issued a permit to fly in the UK. On a personal note my father was associated with the Shackleton for most of his career with Hawker Siddely and British Aerospace, and as Chief Works superintendant at Bitteswell was largely responsible for re-booming the Shackleton AEW2 in the mid 1970's which kept the Shackleton flying until the 1990's.

Performance, (AEW2)

A top speed of 260 mph at 12,000 ft
Weight: 96,100 lb's fully loaded.
Powerplant: Four Rolls Royce Griffon's of 2,400 Hp
Armament: A wide range of stores up to 6000 lb's.