Shackleton Retirement

[bar side]

I have been reading through websites about the Shackleton and it’s services dates.  The AEW version retired last in 91 but I have been trying to figure out when the MR.3s were either retired or converted to AEW.  For example, when did the Gatwick MR retire?  Most sites want to push the history of the South African ones while glossing over the RAF dates

[pigsty]

The last few MR.Mk.3s left Malta in early 1972 and that was it for them.  The Nimrod was coming in fast and the Shackleton was no longer needed for maritime patrol.

 

The Mk.3 wasn’t considered for AEW conversion because it was knackered.  Although the wing had been reinforced for the Viper installation, it didn’t do enough; low-hour Mk.2s had more life left to them, so they were chosen for AEW.

 

The Gatwick Shackleton is WR982, which was retired in September 1970.

[bar side]

Cheers @pigsty I couldn’t quite believe it had been that long.  I guess it is seeing the Duxford one as kid while the AEWs were still flying.  The tricycle undercarriage always looked a bit more ‘modern’.   Can’t quite believe that the MRs have been museum pieces for 50 years

[JohnT]

18 minutes ago, bar side said:

Can’t quite believe that the MRs have been museum pieces for 50 years

Sadly I can only too well. Reading this reminds me of being in the back seat of Dads Wolseley 6/80 on the road to the Isle of Wight on holiday and hearing the news on the radio that the Government has decided on a maritime patrol version of the Comet airliner making it the most advanced MP aircraft in the world. 
Changed days. 

[Work In Progress]

Indeed, this May will bring us the 53rd anniversary of the Nimrod's first flight, and perhaps even more shockingly 10 years since the Nimrod MR.2 made its last flight.

[Gmat]

I also suspect that being a tail dragger might make fitting the radome a bit easier, although the Gannet AEW had a nose gear.

These books might be of interest

Shackleton: At War and Peace  John Chartres

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Shackleton-War-Peace-John-Chartres/dp/0711018383

 

Postwar Military Aircraft: Avro Shackleton v. 3 John Chartres

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Postwar-Military-Aircraft-Avro-Shackleton/dp/0711015139/ref=pd_sim_14_2/257-4330882-3898211?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=0711015139&pd_rd_r=e4dcdf80-11b5-4b47-9a54-e434ec861869&pd_rd_w=Z66Bb&pd_rd_wg=bnF6O&pf_rd_p=6a30fab2-6ed5-4400-920a-f4b0f59e4ff9&pf_rd_r=7K1TBY17ZNM6SE7PAYW5&psc=1&refRID=7K1TBY17ZNM6SE7PAYW5

 

Don't have these two.

Shackleton Boys: 1  Steve Bond

Shackleton Boys: 2

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Shackleton-Boys-1-Steve-Bond/dp/1911621122/ref=pd_aw_sbs_14_1/257-4330882-3898211?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=1911621122&pd_rd_r=5696cf93-56db-4f6a-808b-d925cc8c63ef&pd_rd_w=QLIgb&pd_rd_wg=utkiE&pf_rd_p=0208d703-a674-4413-8899-c3889837d212&pf_rd_r=6ATC4XZYZV5KD6AWPYG2&psc=1&refRID=6ATC4XZYZV5KD6AWPYG2

 

Nor this one.

Avro Shackleton Manual: All Marks 1951 - 91 (Owners' Workshop Manual)  Keith Wilson

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Avro-Shackleton-Manual-Owners-Workshop/dp/0857337696/ref=pd_aw_sbs_14_7?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=0857337696&pd_rd_r=8b0c0c51-e8b8-4622-ad34-6d3383f9bce8&pd_rd_w=oxuTl&pd_rd_wg=RF4Ok&pf_rd_p=0208d703-a674-4413-8899-c3889837d212&pf_rd_r=BSVGM5TV6WYJY1GR5X2X&psc=1&refRID=BSVGM5TV6WYJY1GR5X2X

 

Grant

[71chally]

The more traditional Shackleton MR.2 was chosen for AEW.2 conversion as basically it hadn't suffered from the all up weight stresses that the MR.3 had, there were plenty of redundant airframes around, and as Gmat mentions above, the layout was far more suitable for bolting on the radar and radome.

 

You have to remember it really was planned to be a short notice, stop-gap, Airborne Early Warning measure at the time, so existing retired MR.2s from the Ballykelly Wing and 205 Squadron were drawn from storage at Kemble and taken to Bitteswell for the conversion programme using the existing AN/APS-20 radar sets and associated equipment that had been removed from the dwindling Gannet AEW.3 fleet. 

The 'stop-gap AEW' saw as many years RAF service as the entire MR.1, 2 & 3 run.

 

MR.3s retired in the UK with 42 Squadron in September 1971, and in Malta with 203 Squadron in January 1972. 

I'm away from sources but I believe that the Duxford Shack was the last in operational service when it was delivered.

The MR.2 actually lingered on a little bit longer than the 3 due to better stress life, some seeing work as T.2 trainers with MOTU, and others to support the Majunga detachments in the Far East, the last was retired at RAF Honington, April 1972.

AEW.2s were retired with 8 Squadron 1 July 1991.

 

 

PS,

the best Shackleton book for good solid information is without a doubt Chris Ashworths' Avro Maritime Heavyweight, his involvement, knowledge and research of the type was second to none.

Edited January 21, 2020 by 71chally

[bar side]

Cheers guys.  I tend to model 80s era so the MRs were gone too long before.  Even though that tricycle undercarriage did look the business.  Anything I saw flying must have been AEW versions, so the temptation is going to be to go for one of the Magic Roundabout or The Herbs.

[71chally]

There's always the SAAF Shack MR.3s, retired in 1984. Don't seem to be that popular as completed models but they did look good.

[rayprit]

last SAAF Shackleton MR.3 filmed last year doing an impressive engine run

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qmsC3cPNXQ

 

[bar side]

Those South African Shacks look good.  Shame that one crashed heading to RIAT.  Odd to think the tail dragsters outlived them

[71chally]

The MR.3s were buggered, they ended up operating at far higher all up weights than they were designed for and then the addition of the jets further reduced the fatigue life.  When the Viper mod was carried out it was only to span a five year gap before the Nimrod would come on line, so it was known that their lives were coming to an end.

There were also far few MR.3s built for the RAF, 33 as opposed to 70 MR.2s, and thus had high utilisation.

The 8 MR.3s with the SAAF did extremely well to soldier on for as long as they did, as they were unsupported by Avro/HSA after the apartheid sanctions came in.

 

I must confess to always building RAF as they are a subject close to my heart, but I really must get around to doing a SAAF one, the intermediate scheme of white fuselage top, dark sea grey upper surface and PRU blue underside looks very smart.

[simontie]

Always interested in all things Shackleton my old man was chief tech on WL757 Brian 8 squadron based in kinloss and latterly RAF Lossie (a shared naval base at the time HMS FULMAR) before he left in the mid 70s, for a start in the new north sea oil industry  setting up in aberdeen.. 

Edited January 23, 2020 by simontie