Avro Shackleton
Avro · United Kingdom · first flew 1949 · bomber
A long-range maritime patrol aircraft developed from the Lincoln bomber, with four Griffon engines and a famously noisy contra-rotating propeller drone.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 4 × piston, wing-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Long straight wing and a deep fuselage with twin fins |
| T — Tail | Twin fin |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Four Griffon piston engines driving contra-rotating propellers
- Long straight wing and a deep fuselage with twin fins
- Glazed nose and chin radome on a clearly propeller-driven airframe
Listen for the deep contra-prop drone and look for four piston engines on a long straight wing, twin fins and a deep fuselage. It is far more angular and dated-looking than the jet Nimrod that replaced it.
Specifications
- The Avro Shackleton has a length of 26.6 m (87 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 36.5 m (120 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 480 km/h (298 mph).
- Typical crew: 10.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Avro derived the Shackleton from the Lincoln and Lancaster lineage for RAF Coastal Command, the prototype flying in 1949 and the type entering service in 1951. It spent decades hunting submarines and on search-and-rescue duties before a remarkable second career as an airborne early-warning platform.
Variants
The MR.1 and MR.2 maritime versions were followed by the longer-nosed, tricycle-undercarriage MR.3, and finally the AEW.2 early-warning conversion that soldiered on with a clumsy belly radome.
Where you'll see it
A quintessential RAF maritime aircraft, the Shackleton served Coastal Command and later Strike Command for maritime patrol and SAR, with the AEW.2 finally retiring in 1991 as the last operational piston-engined aircraft in RAF service.
Related aircraft
- Avro Vulcan
- Avro Vulcan B.1
- Avro Lancastrian
- Avro Tudor
- English Electric Canberra
- Fairey Gannet
- Ilyushin Il-30
- Martin XB-51
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