Avro Shackleton Facts for Kids

Royal Air Force's Avro Shackleton.

The Avro Shackleton is a four-engine British military aircraft. Its first flight was in March 1949. The Royal Air Force started using it in 1951. It was out of service from 1991. It was also used by the South African Air Force. It was originally designed and built as an ocean and sea reconnaissance aircraft. It was also used as an electronic warfare plane. There were 185 of these built.

Images for kids

Interior of a Shackleton MR.3
Shackleton MR.1 of 269 Squadron with dorsal turret in 1953
Shackleton MR.2 of No. 220 Squadron RAF in September 1955
Front of a Shackleton AEW2. Note the contra-rotating propellers
An RAF Shackleton in flight, 1978
MR3 Co-pilot position
8 Sqn RAF flew the Shackleton AEW 2 from 1973 to 1991. This example was pictured on 26 June 1982
RAF Shackleton performing a mail drop in July 1970 for Royal Navy ships on the "Beira Patrol", blockading Beira to prevent Rhodesian oil imports
AN/APS-20 radar scanner
SAAF 1717 0 on patrol, October 1982
Avro Shackleton Mk 3 at Ysterplaat AFB in South Africa, serial 1722, a.k.a. Pelican 22. Taken 27 May 2017 at engine run-up. No longer flying but considered mostly airworthy.
MR3 on display in 2008
MR.3 XF708 left wing showing outer engine nacelle (left) with propellers at front and Viper turbojet exhaust at rear. Compare with inner nacelle.
Retired SAAF 1721 N, on permanent display at Swartkop
Bomb aimer's position and bombsight on SAAF 1721 N
SAAF 1722 P, the last flying Shackleton MR.3
A Shackleton AEW.2 on display at the Science and Industry Museum in Manchester
MR.3 at the Gatwick Aviation Museum
SAAF 1716 J ('Pelican 16'), crashed in the Sahara in 1994
Head on view. Note the two nose-mounted 20 mm Hispano cannons
Interior of a Shackleton's bomb bay