2 W W W. S C A L E A I R C R A F T M O D E L L I N G . CO. U K E D I TO R I A L A N D C O N T E N T S A ircraft in Profile is a twelve-page section that is produced every month in Scale Aircraft Modelling magazine. The section has appeared in a variety of formats and under a variety of names over the decades of the magazine’s publishing history, but the intention has always been to focus upon a specific aircraft and present it to the readership in a dedicated article including historical notes, scale drawings and, in particular, a selection of colour side view artworks. In the past these articles have been extensive but the growth of Internet use and the changing demands of the readership has altered the shape and purpose of magazines and it is no longer possible to focus between twenty and thirty pages on a specific subject. This, in a world with wider options and free and instant access to information, is not what a magazine is for. Nowadays the intention of Aircraft in Profile is to provide an initial ‘first step’ in researching an aircraft type, and is aimed rather at those readers who have had little or previous interest in its subject, rather than those with expert knowledge. The section outlines the history and development of its chosen type providing a context for a modelling project, while the plans and drawings are designed to expand upon this and we hope offer inspiration and ideas. The section is typically rounded off with a brief page of notes on available modelling products. Not intended to be all-encompassing the aim is to list those items most readily available or offering the best alternative for a successful build. This is, of course, subjective, and in a rapidly expanding marketplace the lists cannot hope to remain up to date for long but nonetheless they provide a starting point. The section is designed to be removed from the magazine and filed intact, hence it has no extraneous advertising included, and indeed has no page numbers as the intention is to allow readers to store and collate sections in slide binders, mixing and matching to store and collect them by subject as required. The six Profiles reproduced here, following a number of requests to provide the material in book form, are loosely related and we hope will be of use or interest to both modellers and aviation enthusiasts alike. Editor Scale Aircraft Modelling VOLUME 01 1. Two Sticks Better: The Jet Provost Marshalled By Richard Mason , with colour profiles and scale drawings by Mark Rolfe Photographs from the collection of Adrian Balch 2. Triumph of Endeavour: Avro Shackleton – the Lancaster’s Legacy By Richard Mason , with colour profiles and scale drawings by Mark Rolfe 3. A Wayward Wind: The Troubled Development of the Handley Page/BAe Jetstream By Richard Mason , with colour profiles and scale drawings by Mark Rolfe 4. Sky Pirate: Blackburn’s Buccaneer By Richard Mason , with colour profiles by Mark Rolfe 5. Westland’s Best: The Ubiquitous Wessex Produced in association with Navy Wings www.navywings.org.uk By Jan Zdiarsky , with colour profiles and scale drawings by Mark Rolfe 6. The Wasp Factory: Little Choppers with a Big Sting – Westland’s Scout and Wasp By Richard Mason , with colour profiles and scale drawings by Mark Rolfe C O N T E N T S H unting Percival’s legendary Provost trainer occupies an unassuming place in the history of post war British aviation. Recognisable to all, its history is less certain to many, and more than one modeller will have stumbled upon the considerable differences between the T.3 and the T.5 half way through a model build, the latter, also doubling as the armed Strikemaster, having been the subject of an Airfix kit that seems to have done the rounds for longer than the earlier T.3. So the subject is ideally suited to closer scrutiny, especially now there are more kits available - in 1/72 at least. Fortune still favours the T.5, but with mainstream manufacturers running out of spurious Luft’ 46 projects to milk we can, perhaps, hope to see the earlier marks better represented in the larger scales. Hunting Percival developed the Jet Provost from the piston- engined Percival Provost trainer. In June 1954, the prototype XD674 made its first flight from the factory at Luton Airport and the Air Ministry ordered ten machines designated Jet Provost T.1. This was followed in due course by the T.3, featuring a more powerful Armstrong Siddeley Viper jet engine, ejection seats, a redesign of the airframe, and a shortened and strengthened version of the undercarriage. Deliveries took place between 1958 and 1962 while the T.4 followed in 1960, fitted with a more powerful variant of the Viper engine, leading on to the ultimate T.5 in 1967. This was subsequently developed by BAC as the Strikemaster. The history of the Provost is simple. Entering service as a trainer it did precisely that for more than three decades, the only significant events in its story being the ongoing improvements and upgrades to the original design. Jet Provost T.1 On 26th June 1954 the prototype XD674 made its first flight, powered by the Armstrong Siddeley Viper 5 engine. Impressed by its flight characteristics and the cockpit’s side-by-side layout, the Air Ministry agreed to purchase the initial batch of nine aircraft and the first production machine flew in February 1955. Three aircraft subsequently went to Boscombe Down to join the prototype for development flying. Trials began in earnest at the Central Flying School at RAF Little Rissington and 2FTS at RAF Hullavington with an initial training syllabus formulated to train instructors, and the Provost’s long career commenced in earnest in July 1955 alongside the Piston- ISSUE 09 By Richard Mason Photographs from the collection of Adrian Balch The Jet Provost Marshalled A comparison shot of a Piston Provost and Jet Provost T.1 of No.2 FTS, gives some idea of the commonality of parts that was attempted in the jet’s development A Jet Provost T.1 of the Central Flying School’s Jet Aerobatic Team in 1958 On the last of the batch of T.Mk 1s (XD 694), modi1cations were made to make a T.Mk 2 version. It was found unnecessary to retain the long undercarriage legs of the piston Provost, so these were shortened and the engine uprated. The span of the 2aps was increased and at this point plans were made for the provision of light armament for future use. The radio and electrical equipment were housed in the nose area and the tail unit was redesigned to give a better installation for the jet pipe. First 2ight of the T.Mk 2 was September 1 1955 by XD694 3 AIRCRAFT IN PROFILE • BRITISH CLASSICS • VOLUME 01 J E T P R O V O S T A I R C R A F T I N P R O F I L E T.4, XR650, of 3 FTS at Chivenor in August 1970 engined Provost T.1, still then in service. The type proved so successful in practice that a large order was placed for an improved version of the aircraft in June 1957, designated the Jet Provost T.3 and based on the interim Mk.2 variant. The T.1s were withdrawn in November of that year. Twelve T.1s were built, ten for the RAF with two being retained by Percival. In April 1961 Hunting presented G-AOBU to the Shuttleworth Trust, and it was subsequently loaned to Loughborough University where it was used as an instructional airframe by the Transport Technology department until 1991 when it was returned to Shuttleworth at Old Warden. Once back at Shuttleworth the aircraft was placed in storage and subsequently offered for sale to a private collector. Jet Provost T2 The T.2 was a development only interim type designed to improve on the T.1. A shorter more robust undercarriage was employed, along with the more powerful Viper 8 engine capable of 1750lbs of thrust, and XD694 first flew as a T.2 on September 1st 1955, working with 2FTS at Hullavington alongside the other T.1s, and proving such a success that the T.3 was expedited and went into production. Four machines were converted to T.2s in the programme, the other three remaining with the manufacturer. One of these, G-AOUS,fitted with a Viper 1 engine and designated T.2B, was evaluated extensively by the Portuguese Air Force, but no orders were placed. This airframe saw subsequent use as a development aircraft for the T.4.Trials were also undertaken with the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) at Point Cook Airfield with G-AOHD. Although never making it into production the T.2 proved an important step in the development and introduction of the T.3. Jet Provost T.3 Thanks to the T.2 the aircraft had seen some significant improvements. The Armstrong- Siddeley Viper 5 engine had been replaced with the more powerful Viper 8, an altered canopy afforded better vision and Martin-Baker ejection seats were fitted. One of the most visible changes was the addition of the tip tanks, without which no Jet Provost really looks the part. The wings had been strengthened to accommodate these and the shortened undercarriage improved ground handling. The first production aircraft, XM346 flew in June 1958 and was followed shortly by further examples, with acceptance trials undertaken at Boscombe Down. T.3s initially went into service with 2FTS, now at Syerston, followed by the CFS and the RAFC at Cranwell and in the summer of 1960 the first all-jet training course was completed. More schools adopted the Provost, with 1FTS based at RAF Linton-on-Ouse, 6FTS RAF Finningley, and 7FTS based at RAF Church Fenton all equipped with the type as production expanded. Even the Tactical Weapons Unit (TWU) at RAF Chivenor used the new trainer alongside the Hawker Hunter and subsequently the BAe Hawk. The T.3s, and latterly the upgraded T.3A, served the RAF for some thirty years, with 1FTS and 3FTS, retaining aircraft right up until 1992 at Linton-on Ouse and Cranwell, when they were finally replaced by the Shorts Tucano. The T.3 was exported to Ceylon, Sudan, and Kuwait as the T.51, with just over twenty units sold. Jet Provost T3A The T.3A was simply a modified version of the T.3 with improved avionics for the RAF that was introduced towards the end of production. Seventy machines were produced and examples of these were the last aircraft in RAF service. Jet Provost T4 The next major development of the Provost was the T.4, which made its first flight in 1960 and was conceived by Hunting-Percival to encourage a further large order of an improved design by the RAF. Three existing airframes, including one of the T.2s, were employed to help develop the new concept. The RAF ordered 185 units after trials proved the upgrade’s worth. The Mk.4 employed the Armstrong Siddeley (later Rolls Royce) Viper 11 while the rest of the airframe saw little change. Deliveries to the RAF began in November 1961, initially to the RAFC and CFS, operating alongside the T.3 with further schools receiving the type over the next two years. The T.4, like the T.3 before it, saw use with various aerobatics teams, including the CFS’s Red Pelicans and the College of Air Warfare's Macaws but unfortunately the T.4 suffered major fatigue problems, which drastically reduced its time in RAF service and saw the type retired much earlier than planned. This downturn saw many replaced by T.3s and T.3As and while some soldiered on at the Central Air Traffic Control school at Shawbury, the last being taken out of service in 1989. Iraq, Venezuela, Sudan and Yemen received exports, with over Jet Provost T.2 demonstrator, XN117 with underwing rockets 4tted The T.Mk 3 kept the same power unit as before, the ASV8, but a new bubble type moulded canopy was 4tted along with two 50 gallon wingtip tanks. Martin Baker Mk 4 ejection seats were 4tted, and the 4rst production aircraft, XM 46, 5ew on June 22nd 1958 T.4, XR679, of 79[R] Sqn., 1 TWU at Fairford in July 1984 4 W W W. S C A L E A I R C R A F T M O D E L L I N G . CO. U K A I R C R A F T I N P R O F I L E J E T P R O V O S T 5 AIRCRAFT IN PROFILE • BRITISH CLASSICS • VOLUME 01 J E T P R O V O S T A I R C R A F T I N P R O F I L E 6 W W W. S C A L E A I R C R A F T M O D E L L I N G . CO. U K A I R C R A F T I N P R O F I L E J E T P R O V O S T 7 AIRCRAFT IN PROFILE • BRITISH CLASSICS • VOLUME 01 J E T P R O V O S T A I R C R A F T I N P R O F I L E 8 W W W. S C A L E A I R C R A F T M O D E L L I N G . CO. U K A I R C R A F T I N P R O F I L E J E T P R O V O S T 9 AIRCRAFT IN PROFILE • BRITISH CLASSICS • VOLUME 01 J E T P R O V O S T A I R C R A F T I N P R O F I L E 10 W W W. S C A L E A I R C R A F T M O D E L L I N G . CO. U K A I R C R A F T I N P R O F I L E J E T P R O V O S T forty T.4s going overseas, including some refurbished ex-RAF examples. Jet Provost T.5 The final variant of the Provost was a response to the increase in higher altitude operations and subsequent requirement for a trainer with a pressurised cockpit. Hunting-Percival, now a part of BAC, converted the last two production T.4s into the new T.5. The cockpit was altered to accommodate the new systems and the front fuselage was noticeably bulkier, while the canopy was redesigned to slide backwards and upwards instead of straight back. Further wing strengthening allowed larger tanks to be carried and improved avionics were installed. XW287 was the first T.5 to enter RAF service, handed over to the Central Flying School in September 1969. Further examples followed throughout 1970 and the type equipped many schools across the UK including the RAFC, 1FTS, 3FTS, 6FTS and 7FTS.The T.5 also performed with aerobatics teams such as The Poachers from RAF Cranwell and The Swords based at RAF Leeming with 3FTS. Initially planned as a high- altitude trainer, the premature withdrawal of many T.4s saw the T.5 used in the wider training role until 1988 when the decision to adopt the Tucano saw the beginning of the end for the Provost altogether. As a result of this a number were upgraded as T.5As with new avionics suites, spin strakes, and roughened leading wing edges in 1973. The final variant was unofficially designated T.5B – a handful of aircraft converted to navigational trainers that served with 6FTS at RAF Finningley. 1993 saw the final withdrawal of the type from RAF service after a thirty eight year career, by which time over 500 aircraft of all variants had been produced. BAC Strikemaster The BAC 167 Strikemaster was an armed version of the T.5, with an uprated engine, wing hardpoints, a strengthened airframe, new communication and navigation gear, uprated ejection seats, shortened landing gear, and a revised fuel system including conformal fuel tanks on the wing tips. First flown in 1967, most purchasers acquired the type as an advanced trainer, although Ecuador, Oman and Yemen have used their aircraft in combat. A total of 146 were built. The rough-field capability made the Strikemaster ideal for use by third-world nations but operational use was restricted after the Royal New Zealand Air Force found fatigue cracking in the wings. The Strikemaster was deployed by the Royal Air Force of Oman on several occasions during the Dhofar Rebellion, with three shot down over the course of the war, while Ecuador used the type against Peruvian positions in 1995. SPECIFICATIONS (T MK5) Crew: Two Length: 34 ft 0 in (10.36 m) Wingspan: 35 ft 4 in (10.77 m) Maximum speed: 440 mph (382 knots, 708 km/h) at 25,000 ft (7,620 m) Service ceiling: 36,750 ft (11,200 m) ARMAMENT Guns: 2× 0.303 in (7.7 mm) machine guns (Mark 55) Rockets: 6× 60 lb (27 kg) or 12× 25 lb (11 kg) or 28x 68 mm SNEB rockets in four pods Bombs: 4× 540 lb (245 kg) T.5 XW322/1is seen here at Linton-on-Ouse in June 1971 during its period of use by HRH Prince Charles FAE 259 Strikemaster Mk 89 Ecuador AF at Eloy Mira AB September 1999 EXPORT VARIANTS Strikemaster Mk 80 - Export version for Saudi Arabia, 25 aircraft Strikemaster Mk 80A: 20 aircraft were sold to Saudi Arabia as part of a follow-up order Strikemaster Mk 81 - Export version for South Yemen, four aircraft Strikemaster Mk 82 - Export version for Oman, 12 aircraft Strikemaster Mk 82A: 12 aircraft were sold to Oman as part of a follow-up order Strikemaster Mk 83 - Export version for Kuwait, 12 aircraft Strikemaster Mk 84 - Export version for Singapore, 16 aircraft Strikemaster Mk 87 - Export version for Kenya, six aircraft Strikemaster Mk 88 - Export version for New Zealand, 16 aircraft Strikemaster Mk 89 - Export version for Ecuador, 22 aircraft Strikemaster Mk 89A: A number of aircraft were sold to Ecuador as part of a follow-up order XR650/P heads a line-up of CATCS Jet Provost T.4s at Shawbury in October 1971 11 AIRCRAFT IN PROFILE • BRITISH CLASSICS • VOLUME 01 J E T P R O V O S T A I R C R A F T I N P R O F I L E T here have always been kits around of the Jet Provost, but as usual our lists here reEect currently available products and best options. 1/144 has seen just the one release, a vacform from Welsh Models of the T.5, and we are not aware of any mainstream offerings. Hopefully something will pop up soon given the ongoing growth of interest in the scale thanks to the efforts of our friends in SIG 144.Miniwings seem to be covering some classic British types in resin, so we can but hope. In 1/72 AirDx offered a T.3 many years ago – 1959 in fact - which has long since dwindled into a collector’s item, while their Strikemaster/T.5 kits were among the later and better toolings from their classic era. Matchbox also kitted a Strikemaster, which appeared in 1972. New kits from Sword cover the Strikemaster and T.5 but the T.3 has yet to be updated in plastic in this scale. CMR’s excellent resin kit, on the other hand, is a beautiful rendition of the T.3/T.4. They also do a kit of the Piston Provost, which is included in the list below for the beneDt of those who like to add that fourth dimension to a collection. Matchbox, of course, also kitted this progenitor in injection moulded plastic. A nice enough kit but let down by the very thick canopy and the usual panel lines. In 1/48 Aeroclub’s Dne kit has long since been out of production but Fly Models have a series of recent toolings covering all marks – except the T.1 so far – so look no further. Heritage Aviation made a very nice T.3 but this does not seem to be listed currently. Scaling up, Tigger Models made a vacform in 1/32 but to date no injection moulded or resin kits have come to light. The Czechs, of course, look after their own, and Brengun have released various detail sets for the Fly kits. Only Pavla seem to have come up with any aftermarket for the classic toolings, with a cockpit set and vacform canopy for the AirDx Strikemaster. Xtradecal should be your Drst port of call for extra markings. As UK importers for both Fly and Sword they have catered for all the new 1/72 and 1/48 kits with some very comprehensive sheets, all of which can be recommended if you are building a collection. Kits Czech Master Resin #1192 1/72 Jet Provost T.3 / T.4 Czech Master Resin #1235 1/72 Hunting Percival Provost T.1/T.51/T.52 (Piston Provost) FLY #48015 1/48 BAC 167 Strikemaster FLY #48016 1/48 BAC 167 Strikemaster/Jet Provost T.5/T.5A FLY #48017 1/48 Jet Provost T.3 FLY #48019 1/48 Jet Provost T.4 FLY #48020 1/48 Jet Provost T.51/T.52 Sword #72089 1/72 BAC Jet Provost T.Mk.5 Sword #720903 1/72 BAC 167 Strikemaster Accessories Brengun #48056 1/48 BAC 167 Strikemaster details for Fly kits Brengun #48057 1/48 Jet Provost T.5/T.5A details for Fly kits Brengun #48062 1/48 Jet Provost T.3/T.3A/T4 details for Fly kits New Ware #M003 1/48 BAC 167 Strikemaster masks for Fly kits New Ware #M004 1/48 Jet Provost T.3/T3A/T.4 masks for Fly kits Peewit #72032 1/72 BAC Jet Provost T.Mk.5/BAC 167 Strikemaster masks for Sword kits Pavla Models #C72097 1/72 BAC Strikemaster cockpit for AirDx kits Pavla Models #V72079 1/72 BAC Strikemaster canopy for AirDx kits Scale Aircraft Conversions #48268 1/48 Strikemaster/ T.5/T.5A Landing gear for Fly kits Decals Airdecal#7202 1/72RAF Display BAC Jet Provost T5s Airdecal#7211 1/72 Raspberry Ripple Fixed Wing Part 2 includesT.5, ETPS Boscombe Down 1995 Modelart #72014 1/72. Includes 6FTS T.5 display scheme Modeldecal #028 1/72. includes T.5 3FTS The Swords 1974 Xtradecal #48121 1/48 BAe Jet Provost T.5 Part 1 Xtradecal #48122 1/48 BAe Jet Provost T.5 Part 2 Xtradecal #72236 1/72 BAC Jet Provost T.Mk.5 Xtradecal#72238 1/72 BAC Strikemaster Warpaint Series #82 BAC Jet Provost and Strikemaster Author: Adrian M Balch Publisher: Guideline Publications Format: Softback, 48pp For the Drst time, the Jet Provost and Strikemaster story has been related by Adrian Balch and illustrated with many top quality photographs, many never before published. Richard Caruana provides his usual superb colour proDle artwork, giving modellers a wide choice of colourful RAF and foreign Jet Provost and Strikemaster schemes to choose from. Detailed walk-round and cockpit photos, combined with scale drawings enhance this authoritative book. www.warpaint-books.com Modelling the Jet Provost and Strikemaster 12 W W W. S C A L E A I R C R A F T M O D E L L I N G . CO. U K A I R C R A F T I N P R O F I L E J E T P R O V O S T L ooking at the speed and extent of military technological development throughout the long decades of the Cold War it is perhaps remarkable that an aircraft like the Shackleton was able to survive for so long. Whether its longevity can be regarded as a testament to its utility or to its economy however is a moot point but it seems to have performed its functions adequately, if unremarkably, right up until the 1990s and with no less than two brand new kits of the aircraft appearing simultaneously from mainstream manufacturers a re examination of its anomalous career does not seem out of place. The Shackleton was developed by Avro from the Lincoln bomber, itself a development of the famous wartime Lancaster. It served as a maritime patrol platform until replaced by the Nimrod in the early1970s but was further adapted for the AEW role. Remarkably it performed this role right up until 1990 when the RAF acquired the E- 3 Sentry as a long overdue replacement. Production and Development The Cold War was fought by many services with one eye looking back at the experiences of World War II. A European confrontation supported by the USA was a familiar concept and the wide gulf of the Atlantic and the danger it represented a proven reality. RAF Coastal Command had eventually closed the gap but with the cessation of hostilities and the return of lend-lease equipment a number of Lancasters underwent conversion as MR.3s to take on the Maritime Reconnaissance role alongside the Sunderlands that were now becoming obsolete. This however was only a stop gap and in answer to Air Ministry speci@cation R.5/46 Avro, who had continued with their development of the Lincoln, eventually produced the Type 696 The Type 696 was a signi@cant development upon the Lincoln and incorporated elements of the Avro Tudor airliner in its design. The new aircraft was to be capable of a 3,000 nautical mile range while carrying up to 6,000lb of weapons and equipment and in addition to featuring a large amount of electronic gear offered better conditions for the crew; a signi@cant consideration given the length of the missions Aown. Initially considered as the Lincoln ASR.3, by the time it made its @rst test Aight the prototype had become the Shackleton GR.1, but was later re designated Maritime Reconnaissance Mark I (MR.1). The aircraft made a @rst Aight on 9th March 1949 from the manufacturer's air@eld at Woodford but differed from subsequent production airframes considerably, having a number of turrets and being equipped for air-to-air refuelling. The performance was su?cient not only to ensure the go ahead for the MR.1 but a speci@cation was issued for an improved variant, the MR.2, even before the @rst production aircraft had Aown. With the MR.1 now relegated to an interim machine, the MR.2 was quickly established as the mainstream version of the Shackleton. The radar was upgraded to ASV Mk 13 and the radome relocated from the aircraft's nose to a ventral position aft of the bomb bay. This was retractable and could only be fully extended with the bomb bay doors ISSUE 11 By Richard Mason Avro Shackleton – the Lancaster’s Legacy Shackleton MR.1 VP256 of 269 Squadron seen in 1953. This aircraft demonstrates the dorsal turret and forward radome typical of the early aircraft This Shackleton MR.2 WG557 of 220 Squadron represents the aircraft in its most familiar form with the lengthened nose and prominent observer’s position Shackleton AEW.2 of 8 Squadron at RAF Lossiemouth in the 1980s. This is the de@nitive version of the aircraft and given its longevity the variant many readers will remember seeing in Aight (Mike Freer) 13 AIRCRAFT IN PROFILE • BRITISH CLASSICS • VOLUME 01 AV R O S H AC K L E TO N A I R C R A F T I N P R O F I L E open. The nose and tail sections were lengthened, the tailplane was redesigned, the undercarriage was strengthened and twin retractable tail wheels were ;tted. The dorsal turret was initially retained but was later removed from all aircraft after delivery. The rapid pace of submarine development ensured a constantly changing threat and the MR.2 saw a number of changes and upgrades introducing improved radar, weapons and other systems, as well as structural work to increase fatigue life. A clear requirement for aircrew training had seen the delivery of ten initial aircraft as T.Mk 4s, but in 1967 ten MR.2s were modi;ed as training aircraft. Designated T.2s the crew rest areas were replaced by additional radar equipment and the original radar ;ttings removed. With production of the MR.2 ending in May 1954 the MR.3 introduced a major change in the form of a tricycle undercarriage, while the fuselage dimensions were increased and new wings incorporated. The weapons capability was upgraded to include homing torpedoes and further improvements made to crew facilities. Soundproo;ng was improved and a proper galley and sleeping space were included. This of course increased the overall take off weight so JATO assistance was required with Armstrong Siddeley Viper Mk 203 turbojets employed. This increased strain on the airframes dramatically and as a result the MR.2s survived longer in service. The MR.4 was a projected variant intended to meet a Canadian requirement, sharing only the nose, cockpit, and outer wings with earlier variants but was cancelled in 1955. Shackletons in Service Various armaments and equipment were carried by the Shackleton in order to perform its missions. In ASW operations the ASV Mk 13 radar was the primary detection tool but other equipment included droppable sonobuoys, electronic warfare support measures, an Autolycus diesel fume detection system and an magnetic anomaly detector (MAD) system. A special camera bay housed several reconnaissance cameras capable of medium altitude and night time vertical photography, and low altitude oblique photography. The crew would also perform visual searches using various lookout positions that were provided for this purpose. Weapons carried included up to nine bombs, and three homing torpedoes or depth charges. The aircraft was not without its issues. The diesel fume detection system was prone to false alarms and received little operational use while the engines, hydraulics, and some of the avionics were very unreliable, and the aircraft proved to be fairly maintenance intensive. Several programs to support and extend the fatigue life limits of the airframe were required and this ultimately necessitated the rapid W W W. S C A L E A I R C R A F T M O D E L L I N G . CO. U K A I R C R A F T I N P R O F I L E 40 Shackleton MR.2 WL801/01 of 8 Squadron at RAF Abingdon in 1978 (Mike Freer) A SAAF Shackleton seen on patrol in 1982 Shackleton AEW.2 of 8 Squadron in June 1982 during exercise Coronet Cactus at RAF Leeming. 8 Squadron was based at RAF Lossiemouth from 1973 to 1991 The Shackleton MR.3 was decommissioned by the South African Air Force in 1984 after some twenty six years of service 14 AV R O S H AC K L E TO N introduction of the Nimrod, which began to replace the Shackleton from1969. The Crst Shackletons were delivered to 120 Squadron and by the end of 1952 seven squadrons were operating the type. The Crst operational deployment occurred in 1955, albeit as a troop transport for British Army movements to Cyprus, but less than a year later the aircraft saw further combat deployment during the Suez Crisis. In the Maritime Reconnaissance role the aircraft were often used to identify and monitor naval and merchant shipping and to demonstrate sovereignty. During the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation in the 1960sShackletons were employed to search for vessels involved in arms smuggling while similar operations were conducted in Cyprus. Aircraft operating from bases in Madagascar also cooperated with Royal Navy vessels to enforce a United Nation mandated oil blockade of Rhodesia in 1970. All these roles were undertaken alongside the regular antisubmarine patrols and other associated routine duties. The Shackleton was used to perform search and rescue missions, and a crew was kept on standby somewhere across the UK at all times for this role. The Shackleton had also replaced the Avro Lincoln in the colonial policing mission, with aircraft often stationed in the Aden Protectorate and Oman to carry out various support missions, including convoy escort, supply dropping, photo reconnaissance, communication relaying, and even occasional ground attack missions. Other roles included weather reconnaissance and transport duties with the aircraft able to carry freight panniers in the bomb bay or up to sixteen fully equipped troops. AEW Shackletons With the withdrawal of the Deet carriers and subsequent retirement of the Fairey Gannet an Airborne Early Warning replacement was urgently needed, particularly in the North Atlantic. As an interim the existing AN/APS-20 radar was installed in modiCed Shackleton MR 2s which were then re designated AEW 2 and introduced from 1972. These aircraft were operated by 8 Squadron based at RAF Lossiemouth, and all twelve machines were given names from children’s television programmes The Magic Roundabout and The Herbs. The AEW.2’s replacement was to be the ill-fated Nimrod AEW.3, which was itself cancelled due to overwhelming problems with its development. The AEW role was eventually fulClled by the Boeing E- 3 Sentry, which allowed the last Shackletons to be retired in 1991. Shackleton Abroad The sole overseas user of the Shackleton was the South African Air Force which took on eight aircraft as a replacement for its Short Sunderland Deet. ModiCcations were required to adapt the aircraft for local conditions and the Crst two were delivered to D.F. Malan Airport, Cape Town in August 1957. Aircraft patrolled the sea lanes around the Cape of Good Hope often monitoring Soviet vessels traversing between the Indian and Atlantic oceans. Due to an embargo imposed by the United Nations over South Africa's policy of apartheid, acquiring components for the Shackleton Deet became increasingly diBcult and thus the aircraft's serviceability suffered. By November 1984 the fatigue lives of all but two re sparred aircraft had expired and the Deet was retired into storage. With some forty years of service in various roles one could be forgiven for assuming the Shackleton was like the Canberra one of those happy instances where a design is so good there is simply no need to replace it. Closer examination suggests rather that it survived in spite of its faults, and seems to have suffered from a problem usually associated with naval aircraft, whereby a single airframe is required to perform a multitude of functions and does none of them quite brilliantly. Had it not been for policy decisions affecting the Royal Navy’s AEW Deet the type might not have survived long into the 1970s, but this and subsequent issues over the Nimrod AEW 3 seem to have almost doubled its service life. In the maritime role it seems to have been a constant headache to those responsible for it, and the constant upgrades and redesigns that pepper its history tell their own story. But its heritage and its charm are undeniable. That something so much akin to the Lancaster was still operational in 1990 could only happen here, and we can be thankful for the opportunities this has given us as modellers to include such an astonishing machine in our collections. VARIANTS Shackleton MR.Mk 1 The first production model with dorsal turret – twenty nine built Shackleton MR.Mk 1A Powered by four Griffon 57A V12 piston engines - forty seven built and all surviving MR.1s converted Shackleton T.4 Navigation trainer conversion from MR 1As minus mid upper turret, with additional radar and radio positions for trainees - seventeen converted Shackleton MR.Mk 2 Longer nose and radome moved to the ventral position. Lookout position in tail. Dorsal turret and two more 20mm cannons in nose. Twin retractable tailwheels Shackleton T.2 Ten MR 2 aircraft were modified in 1967 as T.2s to replace the T.4s with the Maritime Operational Training Units as radar trainers, with master and slave radar positions for training installed Shackleton AEW.2 Twelve MR 2s converted as Airborne Early Warning aircraft GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS Crew: 10 Length: 87ft 4in Wingspan: 120ft Height: 17ft 6in Maximum speed: 260kn Range: 1950nmi Endurance: 14.6 hours Service ceiling: 20,200ft (6,200m) ARMAMENT Guns: 2 × 20 mm Hispano Mark V cannon in the nose Bombs: 10,000lb (4,536kg) of bombs, torpedoes, mines or conventional or nuclear depth charges such as the Mk 101 Lulu 41 WR970 the prototype Mk.3 was Crst Down on 2nd September 1955. It was subsequently lost in a crash in the Peak District near Foolow, Derbyshire during operational tests on 7th December 1956. All on board were killed A Shackleton AEW.2 gets airborne at Newquay in Cornwall (Mike Freer) Shackleton T.4 of the Maritime Operational Training Unit 15 AIRCRAFT IN PROFILE • BRITISH CLASSICS • VOLUME 01 AV R O S H AC K L E TO N A I R C R A F T I N P R O F I L E 16 W W W. S C A L E A I R C R A F T M O D E L L I N G . CO. U K A I R C R A F T I N P R O F I L E AV R O S H AC K L E TO N 17 AIRCRAFT IN PROFILE • BRITISH CLASSICS • VOLUME 01 AV R O S H AC K L E TO N A I R C R A F T I N P R O F I L E 18 W W W. S C A L E A I R C R A F T M O D E L L I N G . CO. U K A I R C R A F T I N P R O F I L E AV R O S H AC K L E TO N 19 AIRCRAFT IN PROFILE • BRITISH CLASSICS • VOLUME 01 AV R O S H AC K L E TO N A I R C R A F T I N P R O F I L E 20 W W W. S C A L E A I R C R A F T M O D E L L I N G . CO. U K A I R C R A F T I N P R O F I L E AV R O S H AC K L E TO N