The nose secTion
Looking aft from the nose at the rudder and brake pedals below the main instrument panel in the cockpit. In the upper centre is the fuse panel, below which is a taped pad to avoid head banging accidents getting in and out of the nose!
The nose compartment, showing the gunner/observers seat facing to port and the floor where the crew member laid flat to aim the weapons through the lower window.The 20mm cannon were fitted either side of the chair, but were removed along with their ammunition tanks during the conversion to an AEW aircraft.To replace the weight of the guns, oxygen tanks were fitted in the spaces.The lower rack on the port side of the nose is the pneumatics crate containing the light grey air bottles for the brake system.
On the starboard side of the nose just aft of the oxygen tanks is a stowage for an Aldis signalling lamp. Outboard of this is a mesh container for an emergency oxygen bottle.
A close up of the pneumatics crate in its rack on the port side of the nose with the air bottles fitted.
Aft of the pneumatics crate below the pilot’s rudder pedals is an electronics bay containing radio and intercom equipment.
106 inside the shackelton
Below the co-pilot’s rudder pedals in the aft of the nose section is the Mk 9 Autopilot Amplifier Unit and a nitrogen tank.