Avro 696 Shackleton
The Avro Shackleton was a British long-range maritime patrol aircraft developed from the Avro Lincoln bomber. Its four Rolls-Royce Griffon engines drove contra-rotating propellers, creating a distinctive sound and heavy vibration inside the cabin. Shackletons hunted submarines, carried rescue equipment, and later served as airborne early-warning aircraft. Some remained in RAF service until 1991, giving this piston-powered design one of the longest careers of any post-war military aircraft.
Did you know?
Its AEW.2 radar-carrying version reused surveillance radar salvaged from retired Fairey Gannets, after Britain gave up the carriers that flew them.
Specifications
| Length | 26.6 m (87 ft) |
|---|---|
| Wingspan | 36.6 m (120 ft) |
| Height | 6.1 m (20 ft) |
| Persons on board | 10 |
| Crew | 10 |
| Maximum take-off weight | 44.4 t |
| Range | 3,000 NM (5,556 km) |
| Maximum speed | 260 kt (482 km/h) |
| Service ceiling | 21,000 ft (6,401 m) |
| Rate of climb | 900 ft/min (4.6 m/s) |
| Take-off distance | 1,692 m (5,551 ft) |
| Engines | 4x Rolls-Royce Griffon 57A |
| Units built | 185 |
Curated by CatchFlights from manufacturer documents, ICAO Doc 8643 and reference works; values are left out where no source could confirm them. Sources are listed on our credits page.
In CatchFlights
In CatchFlights the Avro 696 Shackleton starts as a Legendary catch. The tier is an editorial judgement of how special a sighting of this type is. The more often you catch it, the closer it moves to Common for you. The first catch of a legendary type pays a bonus of its own.
A catch counts for the manufacturer Avro, the 696 Shackleton family and the model in your collection, and the daily Type Rating quiz asks about the types of each family.
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