The Avro Shackleton is a British long-range maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) which was used by the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the South African Air Force (SAAF). It was developed by Avro from the Avro Lincoln bomber, which itself had been a development of the famous wartime Avro Lancaster bomber.
| Role | Maritime patrol aircraft |
|---|---|
| National origin | United Kingdom |
| Manufacturer | Avro |
| First flight | 9 March 1949 |
| Introduction | April 1951 |
| Retired | 1991 |
| Primary users | Royal Air Force South African Air Force |
| Produced | 1951–1958 |
| Number built | 185 |
| Developed from | Avro Lincoln |
Specifications
General characteristics
- Crew: 10
- Length: 87 ft 4 in (26.62 m)
- Wingspan: 120 ft (37 m)
- Height: 17 ft 6 in (5.33 m)
- Wing area: 1,421 sq ft (132.0 m2)
- Airfoil: root: NACA 23018 modified; tip: NACA 23012
- Empty weight: 51,400 lb (23,315 kg)
- Max takeoff weight: 86,000 lb (39,009 kg)
- Fuel capacity: 4,258 imp gal (5,114 US gal; 19,360 l)
- Powerplant: 4 × Rolls-Royce Griffon 57 V-12 liquid-cooled piston engines, 1,960 hp (1,460 kW) each
- Propellers: 6-bladed DH Propellers , 13 ft 4 in (4.06 m) diameter contra-rotating fully feathering constant-speed propellers
Performance
- Maximum speed: 260 kn (300 mph, 480 km/h)
- Range: 1,950 nmi (2,240 mi, 3,610 km)
- Endurance: 14 hours 36 minutes
- Service ceiling: 20,200 ft (6,200 m)
- Wing loading: 61 lb/sq ft (300 kg/m2)
- Power/mass: 0.091 hp/lb (0.150 kW/kg)
Armament
- Guns: 2 × 20 mm Hispano Mark V cannon in the nose
- Bombs: 10,000 lb (4,536 kg) of bombs, torpedoes, mines, or conventional or nuclear depth charges, such as the Mk 101 Lulu
Avionics
- ASV radar
- Sonobuoys
- Magnetic Anomaly Detector MAD
- Submarine detection equipment (various)
Photos Rob Vogelaar
