In the 1960's the British were in desperate need of an AEW capability, and in 1971 they took the radar equipment from the Gannet AEW.3 fitting it to existing Avro Shackleton ocean patrol aircraft. The Shackleton was every bit as much an antique, a four-piston engine aircraft that was a derivative of the World War II Avro Lancaster bomber.
The result was the "Shackleton AEW.2". Twelve were converted and served with the RAF in support of the Royal Navy. The Shackleton AEW.2 was an embarrassment, a flying museum piece, and the only good thing that could be said about it was that it was better than nothing.
It was supposed to be a temporary fix while the British developed the advanced "Nimrod AEW" aircraft, but that program proved terminally "snakebitten", leading to seemingly endless delays until it was finally cancelled. The British were finally forced to obtain a US solution, the Boeing "Sentry E-3D Airborne Warning & Control System (AWACS)".
Picture taken at the Manchester Science and Industry museum, england.
photo by Bombardier
