Shorts Merlin AEW.1 "Caravela"

[McColm]

The Shorts Merlin went through a whole host of engines before finally ending up with a pair of turbojets as it was part of the Anglo-American Cadillac programme in Airborne Early Warning Role.
The fuselage was taken from the Shorts Stirling with the wings and main landing gear from the Avro Shackleton MR.3.
Grumman needed a testbed for their Tracer and the Shorts Merlin was chosen. Three were built and each of them became trials aircraft with the latest technologies tested on them.
The Caravela ED932 survived the scrap man's blowtorch as better aircraft were being produced this aircraft remained in service until 1975,keeping it's perspex cockpit canopy and V-tail.







Sample patches can be seen of different materials due to the darker shades on the wings and fuselage.

[Stan in YUL]

 

[Tophe]

Big and surprising, as usual. Will you buy a second home for storage?  

[McColm]

Big and surprising, as usual. Will you buy a second home for storage?  

I'm saving up to get some better shelving, so my answer is no.