Canadian Lancaster On Its Way

[Dr H]

Set off 2 days ago. Flew to Goose Bay yesterday. Left there today and should be in Iceland in the next hour or so.

 

They guy that bought the passenger flight is tweeting progress here:

 

https://twitter.com/MaffMunson

 

Some impressive pics - I'm not jealous at all!!!

 

Official tweets here https://twitter.com/hashtag/Lanc2UK?src=hash

[Dennis]

Hope ing to get to see it at southport air show along with the bbmf

 

Slight thread drift, re the Vulcan, last winter they spent loads of money updating the wings as they had passed their designed life span, or something, so it could keep flying, now they are saying next year will be its last year, why??? And if that was always the case was it really worth spending the cash for the sake of say 40 days of flying (1.5 show seasons)?

[PeterField]

Catching up with some tv so i've just watched the John Sergeant programme from a few weeks back on the Lancaster.  One word, awesome!  If it's still on the iPlayer it's very much well worth a watch.

 

As for the Vulcan, I think one of the big problems is a lack of spare engines and their components along with all the other bits and pieces that as and when things need replacing it gets harder and harder (and costlier and costlier) to keep it in the air.  Still just as amazing as ever to see it though

[Dennis]

They should pass it (the Vulcan) to the bbmf and leave them to keep it in the air and if it costs everyone £5 a year extra in income tax them it is money well spent

[lummo]

Catching up with some tv so i've just watched the John Sergeant programme from a few weeks back on the Lancaster.  One word, awesome!  If it's still on the iPlayer it's very much well worth a watch.

 

As for the Vulcan, I think one of the big problems is a lack of spare engines and their components along with all the other bits and pieces that as and when things need replacing it gets harder and harder (and costlier and costlier) to keep it in the air.  Still just as amazing as ever to see it though

 

Funnily enough, I did the same last night. What a great programme. I'm going to force encourage my kids to watch it, so they can see why all the fuss over the Lanc'.

[KurtB]

So yesterday I went along to the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight at RAF Coningsby as part of the BBMF Association. It was a chance to meet up with old colleagues and friends and get up close and personal to the Mynarski Memorial Lancaster along with the Flights regulars of Lancaster PA474, 2 Hurricanes, 6 Spitfires, Dakota and Chipmunks.

We had a great time musing over old stories of trips away when 'our' Lancaster was simply the (historic, draughty and hot) transport from one town to another, and many a good night was had.

The main event was to see the two Lancaster's fly together in the build up to what will be 6 weeks of very special flying, as the crews practise for their Public Display Approval, which is due to be granted today. The images of the two Lancasters together can be seen all over the internet, social media and national and regional news. To be up close and personal was a true privilege, and a chance to appreciate the differences between the Mk.I and Mk.X.

Quite a few sources are intimating that the Lancaster's are 'back together' but this is the first time 'their' Lanc has been over the pond as it was built in Calgary and served its entire working life in Canada. Regardless, the differences I noted were the exhausts on the Canadian aircraft are similar to those fitted to our Hawker Hurricane and therefore sound more raspy (even Lancs get modded!), the Martin dorsal turret is much lower in profile than the RAFs PA474, the rudders on theirs are rounded where PA uses late Lanc/early Lincoln fins and rudders, and the original size tail wheel on theirs is quite small in comparison to the modern Airbus wheel and tyre fitted to ours.

The inside of the Mynarski Memorial Lancaster tells a different story to the BBMF aircraft too. The latter has been slowly but surely returned to stock wartime configuration having spent it's working career as a test aircraft carrying wing sections and icing rigs on its upper fuselage. The interior features items that were removed but now fitted are turrets, ammunition boxes and tracks, bomb racks, full wireless operator station, flare chute and even a toilet! The Canadian aircraft is sparse by comparison, with passenger seats fitted to the bomb bay floor and no authentic wireless ops position and lots of modern avionics and instrumentation. The differences, although stark, gave me a huge appreciation of how much work has gone into getting our Lancaster into a configuration that it would have been in during wartime.

Enough twaddle, I hope that all crews receive their PDA today from AOC 1 Group and they begin what promises to be a very special few weeks in historic aircraft operation.

Please forgive the quality of the footage, it was all iPhone...https://vimeo.com/103394290

And moi with the Canadian Lancaster...

 

Cheers,

Kurt

[lummo]

Whilst I couldn't possibly top this, I used to regularly go windsurfing on the lakes next to RAF Coningsby (in the grounds of Tattershall Castle). I couldn't count the number of times I fell in because I was too busy watching a Spitfire or Hurricane flying overhead

[PeterField]

Great write up Kurt, must have been quite a day

[Dennis]

Did you get anything of them in the air together?

[Dr H]

Good info Kurt - nice to know we're still best at this type of stuff

 

I don;t know where these images come from but just seen them posted on SELOC - love the first one, must be many many years since a tail gunner in a Lanc looked out and saw this view.......

 

 

 

[Dennis]

WOW!!!!!!!!!

[Dr H]

WOW!!!!!!!!!

 

Yeah, that first pic is just awesome.

[Dennis]

I prefer the 2nd with the bullets on show

[KurtB]

Flying in that turret is damned draughty, but THAT view is great! I had various Spitfires and Hurricanes formate with me when I was on the flight. Happy days.

Leigh I've not forgotten our conversation, I'll get into my mate later today I hope.

 

Kurt

[Dr H]

Flying in that turret is damned draughty, but THAT view is great! I had various Spitfires and Hurricanes formate with me when I was on the flight. Happy days.

Leigh I've not forgotten our conversation, I'll get into my mate later today I hope.

 

Kurt