Airborne Lifeboats Mark III – This design was not by Uffa Fox and was not built until after the war. It is included here for completeness.
The Mark III was designed for build in aluminium to be fitted to the Shackleton aircraft. It was conceived for use in the Pacific and the design aimed partly to overcome issues which the wooden hulls of the earlier designs in the Mediterranean and tropical environments. It was two feet longer than the Mark II which enable greater capacity. It also included a more sophisticated fit-out.
The engine chosen was a twin-cylinder Vincent 500cc specifically developed for the Mark III lifeboat.
The Mark III was designed and built by Saunders Roe in Anglesey, Wales.
Gallery
| Mark III | |
|---|---|
| Service | RAF |
| Aeroplane | Shackleton |
| Capacity (people) | 10 |
| Top Speed (knots) | 6.6 |
| Endurance (days) | 14 |
| Length overall | 32′ |
| Length waterline | 30′ 0″ |
| Beam | 7′ 1″ |
| Draft | 13″ |
| Displacement (tons) | |
| Max All Up Weight (lbs) | 4460 |
| Constructions | Aluminium alloy |
| Engine | One 2 cylinder Vincent HRD Marine T5/AM |
| Number Built | 56 |
| Operational | 1948 |
| 1st Rescue Drop | Never used |
| Notes | The MkII was built in aluminium partly to overcome issues experienced by wooden boats in warm climates. |
| Type | Description | Designs |
|---|---|---|
| Mark III Restoration and details, restoration group Facebook Restoration group for a Saunders Roe Mk.3 Lifeboat. Lots of commetary and pictures. The group are restoring a Shackleton – WR963 | Mark III | |
| Video | Mark III fitted to and dropped from Shackleton, Huntley Film Archives Huntley Archive film. Shows lifeboat Mark III fitted to a Shackleton take off and drop. Relevant section starts at 4minutes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHdJ3ehXu1w | Mark III |