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Memories of the Avro Lancaster

Here is a short video of a model Lancaster flying. I don't think Eric would approve of the landing !

Nice model of a Lanc, but it's far from being the largest radio-control model ever built. The biggest I ever saw was a B52 with eight turbo-jet engines - unfortunately it was destroyed in a crash at RAF Barkston Heath (which is I think where the Lanc on the YouTube clip is flying). If I remember correctly, that B52 was something over 20 feet wingspan, and even when disassembled it must have been a real chore to transport. There's a video of its final flight and crash on YouTube somewhere.

G
 
I am a 1940s re-enactor and while at Kemble in 2010, had the great privilege of looking around the BBMF Lancaster.Kemble 2010 BofB Flight copy.jpg
 
Banjo, I was lucky enough to be on the last Lanc squadron in the RAF, 82 (PR) sqdn based in Africa 1946 - 53, I was with them 1949 t0 1951 as an aircrew wireless operator, we had 7 Lancs and one Dakota82 Sqdns Lancasters Nairobi 1950.JPG including what is now the BBMF Lanc, entered service in the RAF in 1945 destined for the Far East, but the war was over and it was allocated to 82 Sqdn for aerial survey for mapping the then British African colonies, I have crewed on it numerous times, flew over 2000 hours on Lancs, survey flights were 10 hours plus. Have attached a pic of some of our Lancs, the BBMF Lanc (PA474) is the second on the left in peacetime colours at RAF Eastleigh, Nairobi in 1950, I am now 87 years old but can still remember it all (I also have an album of pics to remind me). Eric
 
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Dave M,all those photos on your reply were taken at Baginton [Coventry] airport. The Lanc was there for a major overhaul, I think around 2007.
 
I wonder if I saw that? I was often taken to Lewis's and that date would be just before my seventh birthday. I cannot say I remember seeing it, but at that time much to do with war and the things to do with it all were commonplace.
 
In the previous post, London had a Lancaster Bomber on display during 'Wings for Victory Week' and Birmingham also displayed one as shown in Pedrocut's post below ...
Wingsfor_VictoryJune1943.jpeg
 
My dad worked on the Lancasters, I posted on this thread (No 6# in 2010), dad was 90 then but died aged 96. In the last couple of years he started telling me about some of his wartime escapades. Having joined the RAF aged 18 he was training to be an aircraft electrician. When planes came in damaged the various parts were repaired by engineers, electricians etc. Then the whole plane had to be tested.
One of the Lancasters out on the lead up to the runway was fitted with anti submarine depth charges , these were huge and packed with high explosives, I think dad said there were two under each wing and two under the body so six in all. To do the wiring test a special switch had to be thrown which then prevented any bomb release mechanism from activating but showed the wiring was complete end to end. The bombs had to drop in a special sequence so it did not unbalance the plane. You would have thought they would test it before fitting bombs etc but seemingly not as they were under constant pressure to get planes back in the air asap
Dad was in training but for some reason the fellow in charge forgot to set the switch o_O Dad recalls standing there in horror as the mechanism began to whirr and one after another they heard thud, thud, thud as all six dropped one after another onto the concrete. He vividly remembered the plane tilting slightly, first one way then the other as the load altered
If these had been regular bombs it's possible it could have blown up the plane but depth charges had some kind of fuse which activated under water pressure.

The chap in charge was court marshalled, dad had to appear as well to give evidence but did not get into trouble himself as he was not actually in the cockpit when the switches were activated.
 
I'd come in from a walk and heard the sound of merlins. Rushed outside and there was a Lancaster Bomber flying over at 600 ft. Couldn't get my phone quickly enough out of my pocket so sadly did not get a pic. It was heading northwest when I took this screenshot.
lanc.jpg
ps: heading for Liverpool area when I last looked .... :)
 
I was at the Walsall Aboretum car show today and was delighted to see the Lancaster flying over. I've seen it lots of times at 1940s events but never at a car show. It was travelling in a north-westerly direction so was probably returning home to RAF Coningsby from somewhere.
 
Did anyone see the TV prog with Rob Bell about the Lancaster ? We watched a recording a couple of days ago, so the prog was shown earlier. Two things stood out for me. Someone has a restored Lancaster that cannot fly, but they taxi around a field. Looked ready for just a bit more throttle. The other was that someone has a fully restored Merlin engine on a small road trailer, complete with prop. Runs that up for demonstration, I bet he keeps the prop feathered.
Andrew.
 
The program this week did the Harrier, and there is a group that has preserved a Harrier, which is fully working but not got a certificate to actually operate, but every monthe they wheel it out the hanger, start it up and check the engine works, then put it back inside
 
I visited the Canadian museum along with a relative of my relatives who had been a Lancaster tail gunner. As our vetran moved towards the tail gun a young man in a suit detached himself from the wall and moved in our ex-gunners direction.

"Excuse me sir. It may be an aircraft to you but it is an exhibit to us.", he said. We got the impression that it was a frequent problem for the museum back in 1985. In retrospect it would have been nice if the museum had at least let these old survivors sign a book of memory, especially given the attrition rate of the Lancaster crews.
 
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