Thread: The Avro Shackleton

Thanks for that Bob, I remember the Shackleton, and also the other aircraft mentioned....As a boy growing up in England post WW11, we were all very much aware of the R.A.F. & its aircraft.
Pickles

Originally Posted by bob10

'Perpetual Motion' The Avro Shackleton - YouTube

Thanks bob10, really enjoyed that.
36 litre V12 at 2 ton,..... repower anyone?

Have you guys seen this - Pelican 16

A very interesting story.

The Shak's nickname, "The Growler", expressed the sound pretty well.

There is a LR S3 at abt 21min into part2 of Pelican 16

I haven't checked the link yet...

Didn't the Shack have a geodesic frame designed by Buckminster Fuller?

I think it was based on the Lancaster airframe.

The Shackleton was based on a modified Lancaster which was based on a modified Manchester (twin engined) but they were not geodetic structures. However Barnes Wallis from Vickers was involved in several aircraft utilsing this technique, ie Wellesley, Wellington, etc.

Yes. The Manchester was a twin engined medium bomber using the RR Vulture engine. This was effectively two Peregrine engines on a common crankshaft to give an X24.

The engine proved unreliable and had all sorts of issues, but the airframe, designed for ease of manufacture and maintenance, was considered so successful that Manchesters on the production line (and, I think, some already in service) were modified to produce the Lancaster by fitting four Merlins instead of two Vultures.*

The Shackleton was an updated, uprated Lancaster with the Merlins replaced by Griffons. The Griffon was an enlarged capacity development of the Merlin, designed so that its overall dimensions were about the same as the Merlin with the intent of being a direct replacement. Griffon development was slowed because Merlin improvements meant that until about 1945, the Griffon gave no significant advantage, despite being available from 1940.

*There were a number of somewhat similar stories in WW2 aircraft development - for example, the Beaufighter was effectively a Beaufort fitted with a new fuselage and the most powerful engines available, and the Boomerang was a Wirraway cut down to single seat and fitted with the most powerful engine available in Australia (coincidentally, the engine intended for Beauforts).