Nice Avro Lancaster Picture.

[Phil Perry]

This picture was taken over the Derwent Dam ( UK ) I've tried to check which one it is, Reg HW-R, but can't find it on Wiki. It could, of course be the BBMF lanc, . .but I never committed the reg on that to memory. . .Nice Pic anyhow. . . Loads of spectators watching from both sides of the Dam, . .and the aircraft flying at around the same height that it would have been just after dropping the Barnes Wallis bouncing bomb. ( 60 Feet IIRC )

 

 

 

[yampy]

Phil . It is the BBMF Lanc which carries the military serial PA474 . It’s had a few codes applied over the years and HW-R was carried about 2012 I believe . Currently it’s KC-A . Although the squadron coding has changed its always retained its military serial of PA474 and named City of Lincoln . The only other airworthy Lanc is coded VR-A and corresponds to its Canadian civil reg of C- GVRA . They flew together a couple of years ago when the Canadian example crossed the pond for the UK airshow season . I didn’t get to see them , sods law ain’t it .

 

 

[w3stie]

Beautiful photo! Thanks for posting.

 

 

[old man emu]

What's the situation with the privately owned Lanc "Just Jane"?

 

[/url]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_surviving_Avro_Lancasters

 

 

[facthunter]

Wasn't there one that sat at Perth Airport for years? Nev

 

 

[kgwilson]

There are probably a few Lancasters that I reckon could be restored back to flying condition. There is one at the Museum of Transport &Technology in Auckland that I remember seeing in the 1970s. It was outside but complete with everything & looked very restorable. It is now inside and looks like new. It is maintained to working condition. It is a late model built in 1945 after VE day & eventually went to the French Navy in 1951, then sent to New Caledonia. The French gave it to NZ as a tribute to the Kiwis who served in Bomber Command. That was before the Frogs became persona non grata after the Rainbow Warrior sinking.

 

 

[old man emu]

The one that was at Perth has been returned to England and is now known as "Just Jane"

 

[/url]https://www.lincsaviation.co.uk/history/history-of-the-lancaster.htm

 

 

[Phil Perry]

Thank you for all the additional info Guys . .Appreciated. .. Yampy - I was in France when the canadian lanc came over, so I missed getting a chance to see it. . .saw some Vid clips though.

 

Kgwilson . . Reading Wiki briefly, there's a table which says that there are 9 Lancs left, but doesn't say if they are flyable, I admit, I didn't read the whole entry, as it's voluminous.

 

As an afterthought to my brief but clumsy bit of text above the picture, I didn't mean to infer that a Barnes Wallis bomb was dropped on the Derwent Dam. . . . with all those adoring spectators, the Health and Safety Executive would have been most Miffed. . . .

 

 

[old man emu]

Concerning "Just Jane" and the Lanc in Auckland.

 

There is reference in both stories to France receiving Lancasters and their being used by the French navy. No doubt there were more than one Lanc sent by the French to the Pacific.

 

 

[onetrack]

The Lancaster in the RAAF Museum at Bullcreek in Perth, Western Australia, is one of the Lancasters sold to the French for ocean patrol duty in both the Atlantic and the Pacific.

 

It ended up being based on New Caledonia, and from there, was "discovered" by a keen aviation observer, who had spotted a "sister" Lancaster in transit through Darwin.

 

This Lancaster was saved just as it was about to be retired and probably faced scrapping, as happened to so many of the Lancasters that were still basically airworthy.

 

The short story is that the French agreed to sell it to the W.A. RAAF Association, and they even flew it to Perth for them! The rumour is the deal was assisted by the upcoming sale of Mirages to the RAAF.

 

Sadly, as with so many fine WW2 aircraft, it spent 22 years in the open as a public display, and therefore suffered the ravages of Perth's extreme Summer heat and Winter cold, along with wind-blown salt air, all of which did nothing to ensure its continued airworthiness.

 

Finally, the RAAF Association arranged to have this Lancaster moved to their proposed large new museum at Bullcreek, after the DCA advised them, it would need to be moved from its static display position, to enable Perth airport extensions.

 

It was fortuitious that the W.A. Govt came good with a substantial amount of financing, as part of W.A.'s 150th anniversary of the States founding, for the new RAAF museum, along with another $100,000 in donations from local businesses.

 

But even at that, it still took a very substantial amount of voluntary contributions of labour and machinery to enable the Lancaster to be moved to the new museum and restored to a satisfactory, but still un-airworthy condition.

 

There is an excellent "write-up" of the entire history of this Lancaster on the "Lost Perth" Facebook page. It is reported that there are only 17 Lancasters left intact in the world, and only a handful are left airworthy.

 

[/url]https://www.facebook.com/LostPerth/posts/its-a-bit-of-a-novel-but-this-is-the-story-behind-the-plane-parked-at-perth-airp/802895023114887/

 

 

[Deskpilot]

Just Jane has been fully restored and is taxi-able. She evens tales on passengers for a ride. Not sure when, but she is to be fully air-worthy soon, at, that's the intention.

 

 

[facthunter]

It's a long way from something you can taxi to something that can be flown safely. Merlins were rarely certified for civilian duty. (Passenger carrying). Nev

 

 

[yampy]

Talking of Lancs and all that , I just happened to find these beer mats hiding between the Sheep Shaggers , the Old Farts and a few Bishops Fingers . All I need now is to find my Spitfire beer mats and I can get a beer mat formation flight going .

 

 

[old man emu]

Actually, Just Jane is not fully restored. She is probably 85% restored, but done enough so that the four engines can be used to taxy her around. They are still trying to install de-activated Brownings in the turrets, and that has meant manufacturing fiddly bits. They are also having trouble getting the correct nuts and bolts, and are having to use metric.

 

 

[Bryon]

I was fortunate enough to have a ride in the tail turret for a full four engine run up taxi in Just Jane

 

The pilot was an ex WW11 lancaster pilot and gave all of us a full tour of the aircraft and commentary

 

All I can say is....thank god I wasnt in it during war time

 

The only crew who had any chance of getting out of it in a hurry in an emergency were the mid upper and the bombaimer

 

Apart from those details, it was absolutely fantastic

 

The tail bounces a foot off the ground during the runup even with the pilot holding full up elevator to keep it on the ground

 

 

[facthunter]

I don't know why that is. It's not normal to run up four engines at once. You might do it on a short runway prior to brakes release. Nev

 

 

[old man emu]

Showmanship. Give the punters a thrill.

 

 

[Phil Perry]

Actually, Just Jane is not fully restored. She is probably 85% restored, but done enough so that the four engines can be used to taxy her around. They are still trying to install de-activated Brownings in the turrets, and that has meant manufacturing fiddly bits. They are also having trouble getting the correct nuts and bolts, and are having to use metric.

Froggie hardware in a Lanc ?. . . Sacre Bleu !

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

Froggie hardware in a Lanc ?. . . Sacre Bleu !

I believe the secret of the Merlin's success was the French-designed supercharger...

 

 

[old man emu]

De Gaulle of it!

 

Actually, in light of the current schmozzle with the EU, M. De Gaulle would be considered a Brexit hero. He kept Great Britain out of Father EEC while he was alive. He wasn't cold in the ground before Ted Heath got GB in.

 

 

[facthunter]

De Gaulle wasn't so hot for the Brits when he was above ground. I doubt he was Churchills favourite " companion in arms". Of Course all the services in the UK were fighting each other constantly, so Churchill was conditioned to it.. Nev

 

 

[spacesailor]

De Gaulle

 

Was he a German ? "GAUL"

 

He even made using the English word "lorry" illegal.

 

spacesailor

 

 

[facthunter]

He had no truck with Lorry either. They are both Camion. Why wouldn't the French want to speak in their own language? '. It's easier for them that way.. Nev