Post by flyboy on Jul 2, 2018 8:34:32 GMT
The Avro Shackleton:
Derived from the Avro Lincoln and with ancestry going back to the Lancaster bomber the Shackleton was a long-range maritime patrol aircraft which saw extensive service in the early years of the cold war. Initially known as the Lincoln ASR.3 it was designed in 1946 and was intended for use by Royal Air Force Coastal Command. Avro later changed the designation to the 'Type 696 Shackleton' named after the English explorer Ernest Shackleton. Similar to the Lincoln in design the aircraft featured a long slender straight sided fuselage which extended beyond the double tail fins of the tail plane on later models. The aircraft was low winged and carried two Rolls Royce Griffon engines on each wing fitted with contra-rotating propellers. The Griffon engine became notorious for the amount of attention it required to keep it serviceable throughout its service life.
The first test flight of the Shackelton GR.1 (VW135) was made at Woodford, Cheshire on 9th March 1949 by Avro's Chief Test Pilot J.H "Jimmy" Orrell and was soon re-designated the Maritime Reconnaissance Mark 1 (MR.1). However by 1951 the MR.1 had been considered as an interim type, even before it had first flown due to several shortcomings but there were 29 of the MR.Mk.1 version built and initially these began to enter service with 120 Sqn. at Kinloss.
A Mk.1A was introduced which had the uprated Griffon 57A V12 engines installed and 47 of this version were built with all surviving MR.1s being converted to this standard. There was also a T.4 navigation trainer version converted from the Mk.1A which carried additional radar and radio positions for trainees and had the mid-upper turret removed to allow more space.
The MR.2 featured many refinements, the ASV Mk.13 radar was relocated from the nose to a ventral position aft of the bomb bay in a retractable radome and the nose was redesigned. Other improvements included a strengthened undercarriage and twin tail wheels and a redesigned tailplane. The prototype MR.2 (VW126) was modified as an aerodynamic test machine at the end of 1950 and was tested at Boscombe Down in August 1951. Meanwhile a Mk.1 was modified on the production line at Woodford with the Mk.2 changes and first flew as such on 17th June 1952. After successful trials the last ten airframes of the original Mk.1 order were completed to MR.2 standard and orders placed for further aircraft in order to keep pace with the growing submarine threat. Other operational machines were being constantly upgraded for the same reason. Production of the MR.2 was completed in May 1954.
The Shackleton MR.3 was a further redesign in response to suggestions from MR.2 crew members. A new tricycle undercarriage was incorporated and the whole fuselage was enlarged complete with new wings and the addition of wing-tip fuel tanks. With the increased fuel load the aircraft could be operated on 15 hour flights. For improvement of the crews wellbeing on such lengthy flights sound proofing was improved and a proper galley and sleeping space incorporated. However, the additional weight of 30,000lb and the additional Jato Viper 203 turbojets positioned in the rear nacelles of the outer engines, which were needed to assist with take off, had all taken a toll on the airframe and the flight life had to be reduced resulting in the MR.3s being outlived by the MR.2s.
Eight aircraft were built for the South African Air Force but due to a later arms embargo these Mk.3s never received many of the upgrades incorporated in the British aircraft but were maintained independently by the SAAF itself.
Specification MR.Mk.3:
Crew 10
Length 87.34ft (26.62m)
Width 119.85ft (36.53m)
Height 23.33ft (7.11m)
Weight Empty 56,401lb (25,583kg)
Weight Loaded 100,002lb (45,360kg)
Speed 302mph (486kph,262kts)
Range 4,213mi (6,780km,3,661nm)
Ceiling 20,013ft (6,100m,3.79mi)
Armament 2x 20mm Hispano Cannons in nose.
--..-- Up to 10,000lbs of:- 3x torpedoes, mines or 9xbombs as needed.
Variants:
Lincoln ASR3 Lincoln Production Model from which the Shackleton was derived.
Type 696 Official Avro Shackleton Model designation.
GR.Mk.1 Initial production model- 77 built. Redesignated MR.Mk.1 and
fitted with 2x Griffon 57A engines and 2x Griffon 57 engines.
MR.Mk.1 Redesignation of GR.Mk.1.
MR.Mk.1A Fitted with 4x Griffon 57 engines + chin radome.
MR.Mk.2 Longer nose, ventral ASV radome, 70 aircraft produced.
MR.Mk2C MR.2 model with armament and navigation equipment as in MR.Mk3.
MR.Mk.3 Anti-shipping and maritime reconnaissance model with redesigned
wings, dorsal turret, under wing hard points, wing-tip fuel tanks,
tricycle undercarriage, 34 examples built.
MR.Mk.3 Phase II MR.3 fitted with Armstrong Siddeley Viper turbojet engines in
outboard engine nacelles. 8 examples for South Africa.
MR.Mk.4 Proposed but never produced.
AEW Mk 2 Airborne Early Warning Radar platform from converted MR.2s - with
12 examples produced.
T.4 Navigation Trainer conversion model.
Totals Proiduced:
Mk.1 series 77
Mk.2 series 70
Mk.3 series 34
Mk.3 series (South Africa) 8
