Where does the Shackleton's name come from?

Short answer

After the polar explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton. The name came from the influence of Roy Chadwick, Avro's chief designer, who had worked alongside Shackleton and later became his close friend. Chadwick himself chose it, and his wife Mary was a descendant of the explorer.

Published: November 4, 2026 · Updated: November 4, 2026 · Edited by Above Ten Thousand · Editorial policy

Where does the Shackleton's name come from?

AVRO AEW 2 ShackletonMike LaChance from Crowley, Tx, USA (CC BY), vía commons

A name chosen in the chief designer's office

The aircraft is named after the polar explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton. The choice is attributed to the influence of Roy Chadwick, Avro's chief designer, who had worked alongside Shackleton and in time became a close friend of his. Chadwick himself chose the name in honour of one of Britain's greatest travellers and explorers. Chadwick's wife, Mary, was a descendant of Shackleton, which made the choice doubly fitting.

From Type 696 to Shackleton

During development, the Type 696 was provisionally designated the Lincoln ASR.3 before the official name "Shackleton" was chosen. The type entered operational service with the RAF in April 1951, and it was on joining RAF service that year that the Type 696, or Lincoln ASR.3, designation became the Avro Shackleton. The name also fitted an Air Ministry policy of naming new general-reconnaissance aircraft after explorers.

A design inherited from other Avro types

The aircraft's structure came from earlier Avro designs: the Shackleton's wing centre-section came from the Lincoln, while the outer wing and landing gear were taken from the Tudor. The Lincoln had reached operational status in August 1945; it had initially been assigned to units of Tiger Force, the Commonwealth's heavy bomber force intended for the Japan campaign in the final phase of the Second World War, but the war ended before the Lincoln could take part.