Long-ranged maritime reconnaissance aircraft were a part of British wartime strategy since the First World War, in the form of flying boats. During the Second World War, the flying boats were increasingly replaced by land-based aircraft, such as the American Lend-Lease Flying Fortresses and Liberators. After the war, these aircraft were replaced by a purpose-built aircraft, the Avro Shackleton, which traced its ancestry through the Lincoln and Lancaster all the way back to the early Second World War bomber, the Manchester. The road from the Manchester to the Shackleton was a long one, and it is described comprehensively. The Shackleton itself went through two major changes - from the MR.1 to the MR.2, then from the MR.2 to the MR.3. Along with a detailed technical description of the Shackleton and its weaponry, photographs and accurate colour profiles accompany the text, to illustrate the Shackleton. This aircraft is compared and contrasted with its post-war piston-engined counterparts. Its former use with the United Kingdom and South Africa is also described. The current survivors, especially an MR.2 (WR963) in the United Kingdom and an AEW.2 (WL790) in the United States, are described in great detail.

Initially projected as a maritime reconnaissance version of the Lincoln bomber, itself a development of the famous wartime Lancaster which saw post-war service in a General/Maritime Reconnaissance role, (see Flight Craft No 4), the Avro Shackleton, (named after the polar explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton) was a completely new design, powered by four Rolls Royce Griffon 57 engines driving six blade contra-rotating propellers. Split into three main sections, this latest Flight Craft title, perfectly timed to coincide with the release of the first examples of the eagerly awaited new tool 1/72 scale Airfix kit, offers a concise history of the Shackleton's development and operational career from the prototype and initial entry in to RAF service in 1951, and its use with the South African Air Force, the only other operator of the type. Section 1 chronicles its design, ongoing improvements and development through the three main Marks, in both the Maritime Reconnaissance and Airborne Early Warning roles, until its retirement after four decades of RAF service in 1991, which includes scores of contemporary photographs with detailed captions, many of which have never been seen in print before. This is followed by a 16-page color illustration section featuring profiles and 2-views of the color schemes and markings carried by the type in RAF and SAAF service. The final section lists all the plastic model kits, accessories and decal sheets produced of the Shackleton in all scales. As with the other books in the Flight Craft series, whilst published primarily with the scale aircraft modeler in mind, it is hoped that those readers who might perhaps describe themselves as 'occasional' modelers may also find that this colorful and informative work offers something to provoke their interests too.

The Avro Shackleton was a formidable machine with its Griffon engines producing the characteristic grumble that gave the aircraft one of its nicknames, the Growler. This book contains stories from the men for whom the aircraft became a way of life. Combining memories and anecdotes from crew members with archive material (including rare and previously unseen photographs) Growling over the Oceans is an intimate and vivid introduction to the world of the Shack. In the last days of World War Two, the makers of the Lancaster bomber began to consider designing a new aircraft for Coastal Command. It eventually became the Shackleton. The men who flew and serviced the production version became fiercely proud of their aeroplane and its lack of home comforts. The Shackleton's ten man crews became a legend; their aeroplane was noisy, gloomy and demanded constant maintenance but it bred a aircrew who became inured to long, thundering and monotonous flight, and developed (even taking) a perverse pride in their misfortunes. The Shackleton served in anti-submarine warfare, maritime reconnaissance and colonial policing. The Cold War ensured that the threat of unrestricted submarine warfare against British shipping kept the Shackleton on permanent alert for twenty years. It also became a troop transport, a bomber and a search and rescue aircraft when the need arose. From its first public flight in 1949 to the end of the Cold War when the Shackleton finally retired from service and entered history this book provides many reminiscences, some amusing, some serious, of those who flew in the Shack, the aircraft that struck more fear into its own crew than it did the enemy.

The illustrated story of Britain's veteran Maritime Patrol and Anti-Submarine Warfare Aircraft - Avro Shackleton.

Initially put into services as a maritime patrol aircraft, the Avro Shackleton put astounded pilots for its long-range capabilities and large weapon load. The introduction of the equally impressive BAe Nimrod variant, equipped with early warning radar, ensured that the Shackleton would remain in service until the early 1990s. Author Tim Laming recounts the Shackleton's 40-year career on the front lines and the development of the RAF's last four-engine piston aircraft. Includes a large selection of black-and-white photography.