Shackleton heading out on patrol
by Gary Eason
Title
Shackleton heading out on patrol
Artist
Gary Eason
Medium
Photograph - Digital Artwork
Description
A depiction of an Avro Shackleton RAF AEW2 airborne early warning aircraft, with its distinctive contra-rotating propeller engines, and its twin boom tail reminiscent of a Lancaster bomber, making a low-level pass over the Sound of Mull and Lismore lighthouse on the west coast of Scotland, before heading out over the Atlantic.
A former navigator writes: "Navigation was paramount with only drift sight and sextant as aids - no GPS in the 50s and 60s - sortie times were anything from 16 to 22hrs (couple of times managed the 24!), operational height 200ft, cruise at 150kts, crew of 10 or 11, bunks and galley to keep crew fresh (a crew member who could really cook was gold dust)."
A Flight Artworks digital realisation featuring the airborne early warning Mk 2 type of the aircraft. Black-and-white version of this image also available.
Uploaded
December 7th, 2011
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