AVRO SHACKLETON 100 YEARS OF THE ROYAL AIR FORCE
PATROLLERS AND AIRLIFTERS RAF CENTENARY CELEBRATION 59AIRBORNE EARLY
WARNING
The ultimate version of the
Shackleton was the AEW.2, which
evolved in 1971 to fulfil the need
for an airborne early warning
(AEW) aircraft to counter low-level
hostile probing of the UK’s
air defences.
Until this point the AEW role had
been catered for by the Navy’s Fairey
Gannets, but the demise of the
British aircraft carrier left a sizeable
capability gap.As such, 12 Shackleton MR.2s
were converted to AEW.2
standard for 8 Squadron at RAF
Lossiemouth. The aircraft gained
large radomes beneath the forward
fuselage and the first example
performed its maiden flight on
September 30, 1971. All 12
AEW.2s were named after characters
in the children’s TV show
Magic Roundabout.
It was intended to replace the
AEW.2 with the Nimrod AEW.3
from the early 1980s, but the new
version was plagued by delays, cost
overruns and performance issues. As
such the Nimrod programme was
cancelled and the RAF ordered the
Boeing E-3D Sentry [see page 84].
Much to everybody’s surprise, the
final Shackletons were not retired
until 1991.Left
The RAF Museum’s
Avro Shackleton
AEW.2 WR960
‘Dougal’ is on loan to
the Manchester Air
and Space Museum.
The aircraft was
constructed in 1953
as an MR.2 variant
but in 1972 it was
converted to AEW.2
confi guration at
RAF Woodford, near
Manchester.
STEVE BRIDGEWATERLeft
One of the fi rst
Shackletons to join
the RAF was MR.1
VP256, which was
delivered in 1950. This
aircraft was written
off at RAF Ballykelly
on October 26,
1954, when the pilot
attempted to take
off with the elevator
locks installed.Below
Shackleton AEW.2
WL795 ‘Rosalie’
began life as an MR.2
and is now preserved
at the former RAF St
Mawgan, Cornwall, in
M R.2 confi guration.
ANDY HAY/WWW.
FLYINGART.CO.UK