42 Sqd

Pictured on display as part of the immensely interesting Airbase collection at CVT.

Hard work for the crewmen having to concentrate on an oscilloscope for hours on end over the North Atlantic in a very cramped and extremely noisy aeroplane.

Shackleton MR.2 coded 'H' of 42 Squadron, Coastal Command, visiting Blackbushe during Farnborough SBAC show week. Based at RAF St Eval in Cornwall, the a/c wears the then standard dark grey scheme with small red serial.

Built at Woodford in April 1953. Latterly served 204 Squadron Coastal Command based at RAF Ballykelly, Northern Ireland. Sold in 1972 and scrapped in 1975.

Built as an MR.2 and first flown in 8.53, this Shackleton operated with 204, 210 & 205 Sqns before conversion to AEW.2 in 1972. After service with 8 Sqn as "Rosalie", wfu 1981 and used for crash rescue practice at St Mawgan. Refurbished in MR.2 configuration in 1989 and resided just inside the main gate, looking splendid. By 2015 though was under threat of eviction by the RAF

Maintained in taxyable condition

Delivered as WR963 an MR2 in April 1954 and served with 224 Squadron RAF Coastal Command. Later modified to AEW2. Has recently been carefully returned to MR2 status and colour scheme and again wears the B-M markings of 224 Squadron. Maintained by the Shackleton Preservation Trust in taxying condition. Was registered as G-SKTN on 4 February 2013.

220 Squadron RAF Coastal Command Shackleton MR.2 from RAF St Eval visiting Blackbushe for the SBAC show at Farnborough. A/c wears the original grey upper surfaces with white sides and unders.

Avro's test Shackleton MR.2 taxies out to return to Woodford after an early morning stay at Ringway after a long test flight. This was the second production MR.2 and later served 42 Squadron at St Eval, being lost on 11 January 1955 in a collision with sister ship WL743 off Ireland.

Coastal Command Shackleton MR.2 from the Anti Submarine Warfare Development Unit (ASWDU) based at RAF St Mawgan, Cornwall.

An Avro test crew demonstrates the Shackleton's single-engine flying abilities as it passes low over the 1953 SBAC Show crowd powered by the outer starboard Griffon alone - the others all being shut down and feathered. WL796 carries an air sea rescue lifeboat under its fuselage.