Military Model Scene

Title: The Avro Shackleton
Author: Jason Nicholas Moore
Publisher: Fonthill Media
ISBN: 978-1-78155-886-7

With a sub-title of 'The Long-Serving 'Growler', you know the Shackleton was not 'quiet' even before you start to read it. This is a new title from author Jason Nicholas Moore and publisher Fonthill Media. A 320-page hard-cover book on this long-serving maritime surveillance aircraft.
The book opens with an Introduction, along with a nicely done Glossary, which explains the many terms used throughout the book. This is followed by some history, and all the Avro designs which ended up with the Shackleton. It begins as far back as the Manchester, then onwards through the Lancaster and different variants both during the after the war. There is also some detail on the different maritime patrol aircraft used by Coastal Command during WW2, and following the war, some comparisons with maritime aircraft being used by other nations. The Shackleton itself is of course covered in detail, with the various modifications carried out on the basic airframe over its' years of service, engines, equipment, undercarriage and so on, plus the change to Centralised Maintenance. The MR 1, 2 and 3, with changes from tail wheels to tricycle nose gear and back to tail wheels for the late AEW 2 variants. There is coverage of the many years of service with not only the RAF but also the other user of the type, the South African Air Force. Naturally these include some individual accounts from aircrew. In addition to the many archive photos included throughout the book, there is a section with colour photos plus 12-pages of excellent colour artwork profiles that all add to the chapter covering colours and markings worn by these aircraft over their many years of service.
As well as the 16 chapters of the main book, there are another 12 Appendices with even more detail. Among these are a survey of the available kits and conversions available in plastic and resin, along with a list of surviving airframes, places the Shackleton was based over its' career and the individual squadrons which flew it and more. I am of an age to remember when these super aircraft were regularly seen at air displays around the country, sadly not a sight that can be repeated these days, with the AEW 2 version, which in those days each carried the name of a character from a children's TV programme of the time, the Magic Roundabout. It's a marvellous book, and being written by a modeller, has the level of detail that aircraft enthusiasts and modellers in particular will really enjoy. There are some good modern kits of the Shackleton by both Airfix and Revell, so anyone building these will welcome this fine reference.
Thanks to Fonthill Media for the review copy.

Robin