2 Lancaster flying in the UK

[juddy]

Its been along time coming, and a a very rare event. The Canadian Lancaster arrived in the UK for a series of displays over the next 6 weeks.

I have see the UK one fly and the sound of the Merlin engines are amazing so 8 of them would be very Interesting

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/08/1013.jpg (http://s856.photobucket.com/user/juddyburton/media/planes/ScreenShot2014-08-12at64949am_zpsa96f5648.png.html)

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/08/1014.jpg (http://s856.photobucket.com/user/juddyburton/media/planes/ScreenShot2014-08-12at64641am_zps5dd78f8e.png.html)

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/08/1015.jpg (http://s856.photobucket.com/user/juddyburton/media/planes/ScreenShot2014-08-12at64726am_zps52564b96.png.html)

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/08/1016.jpg (http://s856.photobucket.com/user/juddyburton/media/planes/ScreenShot2014-08-12at64704am_zps3a65e8f2.png.html)

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/08/1017.jpg (http://s856.photobucket.com/user/juddyburton/media/planes/ScreenShot2014-08-12at64840am_zps69538af8.png.html)

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/08/1018.jpg (http://s856.photobucket.com/user/juddyburton/media/planes/ScreenShot2014-08-12at64653am_zps4505e2de.png.html)

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/08/1019.jpg (http://s856.photobucket.com/user/juddyburton/media/planes/ScreenShot2014-08-12at64930am_zps9e69a098.png.html)

[Pedro_The_Swift]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTQIUEa4cqA

[Pedro_The_Swift]

'The (Canadian) Lancaster is dedicated to the memory of P/O Andrew Mynarski and is referred to as the “Mynarski Memorial Lancaster”. It is painted in the colours of his aircraft KB726 – VR-A, which flew with RCAF No. 419 (Moose) Squadron. Andrew Mynarski won the Victoria Cross, the Commonwealth’s highest award for gallantry, on June 13, 1944, when his Lancaster was shot down in flames, by a German night fighter. As the bomber fell, he attempted to free the tail gunner trapped in the rear turret of the blazing and out of control aircraft. The tail gunner miraculously survived the crash and lived to tell the story, but sadly Andrew Mynarski died from his severe burns."

[Pickles2]

Fantastic photos,..it would be great to hear those eight merlins firing up at the same time.
Pickles.

[olbod]

I was at Bankstown Airport the day our Lancaster flew back to the UK to become a Museum piece.
Beautiful things.

[Pickles2]

I was at Bankstown Airport the day our Lancaster flew back to the UK to become a Museum piece.
Beautiful things.
When was that?...It would've been good to see.
I thought we only ever had one, but we've still got one in our War museum haven't we?
I have never heard a Lancaster flying, but I almost did. We were in the UK in 2001, & we were attending an Air Show at Biggin Hill. The Battle of Britain Flight was supposed to do a fly past, but just as we saw the Lancaster on the horizion, it was just a speck really (couldn't hear it), it had to "return to base", because of a mechanical issue.
Pickles.

[olbod]

It would have been in April 1965 I think.
G for George from memory, tho it was a long time ago.
We had come down from Bourke for the easter bike races at Bathurst.
I spent alot of time at the airport over the years.
In the Marshall hanger he had a complete ME109 and I loved sitting in its cockpit. Had a lot of pics but sadly they have disapeared over the years.
I used to also fly around with him in his Dehavilland Dragon when he had a spare seat vacant.
He used the Dragon for joy flights.
Our family Mooney is parked at Mackey.
That reminds me, The Bro should have some pics ?

[Phil HH]

I was at Bankstown Airport the day our Lancaster flew back to the UK to become a Museum piece.
Beautiful things.


I was having lunch in a park at North Sydney that Anzac Day and I was treated to the sight of the white Lancaster circling the city. Unforgettable. Not to mention unrepeatable.


We used to pass it at Hawker de Havilland's at Bankstown Aerodrome. Apparently it was ex-French air force, and is complete in the U.K., but doesn't have a C. of A., so is only used for taxi demonstrations. 3 weeks after it arrived in the U.K. it was ruled 'not fit to fly' due to the hours being up on one engine and propeller.


Here's an article http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1965/1965%20-%201580.html

[Avion8]

A couple of minutes of the UK Lancaster towards the end of this home 8mm film from a friend & colleague Jan from way back in 1975 or so. Some other nice aircraft including an Air Zaire (I think) B707 which was on a scheduled flight into Gatwick & made a quick flypast on the way! Also Spitfire, Swordfish, Rad Arrows with Folland Gnats, Rothmans Pitts Specials, Tiger Moth & several others.

Rolls-Royce Merlin Flying Club 1975-1979 on Vimeo

Most of this footage was taken at an Royal Airforce Association airshow at Hucknall airfield which was the Rolls-Royce flight test centre at the time.

[101RRS]

I was at Bankstown Airport the day our Lancaster flew back to the UK to become a Museum piece.
Beautiful things.


It would have been in April 1965 I think.


That would have been a French Lancaster NX611 on its way back to the UK from New Caledonia. See one of the last entries of the below link.

From that link, it would seem that only two Lancasters were actually transferred to RAAF inventory, G for George and Queenie - the other Lancs operated by RAAF Squadrons in Europe were RAF aircraft.

The Lanc NX622 in the WA museum was not one of ours and was a French sister of NX611 based out of New Caledonia.

A66 Avro Lancaster (http://www.adf-serials.com.au/2a66.htm)

Cheers

Garry

[Ausfree]

Love the sound of the Rolls Royce Merlins. Only ever heard them in Spitfires so multiple Merlins would be a great sound.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong but didn't the Canadians bring out a version of the Lancaster with Cylcone engines which are more powerful than the Merlins.

[superquag]

Happy to....:twisted:

Yes, from various sources, around 300 Bristol Hercules-powered Lancasters were built, but their overall performance wasn't better than the Merlin.
When the AMERICAN built Packard/Merlins arrived, that idea died a natural death.
I get the distinct impression that 'reliability' and 'consistancy' were the big winners with the imports.... :wasntme:

AVRO Lancaster Heavy Bomber (http://www.constable.ca/caah/lanc.htm)

And for some human perspective on the issue...

Lancaster DS690 (http://www.lancaster-ds690.com/oh-boy-oh-boy-what-an-aeroplane)

[JDNSW]

.....
Someone correct me if I'm wrong but didn't the Canadians bring out a version of the Lancaster with Cylcone engines which are more powerful than the Merlins.

I can find no reference at all to a Cyclone engined Lancaster, built in Canada or anywhere else (Lancasters were built in Canada, and had differences, but had Merlin engines).

However, about three hundred were built by Armstrong Whitworth with Bristol Hercules radial engines, but these were about the same power as the Merlin and had greater frontal area. This version was a hedge against Merlin production being restricted by axis bombing.

John

[juddy]

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/08/919.jpg (http://s856.photobucket.com/user/juddyburton/media/RAF%20stuff/ScreenShot2014-08-15at84603am_zps855dc5bf.png.html)

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/08/920.jpg (http://s856.photobucket.com/user/juddyburton/media/RAF%20stuff/ScreenShot2014-08-15at84633am_zpsa26e5297.png.html)

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/08/921.jpg (http://s856.photobucket.com/user/juddyburton/media/RAF%20stuff/ScreenShot2014-08-15at84717am_zpsee3f53ed.png.html)

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/08/922.jpg (http://s856.photobucket.com/user/juddyburton/media/RAF%20stuff/ScreenShot2014-08-15at84610am_zps8c351d7e.png.html)

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/08/923.jpg (http://s856.photobucket.com/user/juddyburton/media/RAF%20stuff/ScreenShot2014-08-15at84653am_zpsa161fa7e.png.html)

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/08/924.jpg (http://s856.photobucket.com/user/juddyburton/media/RAF%20stuff/ScreenShot2014-08-15at84826am_zps39893174.png.html)

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/08/925.jpg (http://s856.photobucket.com/user/juddyburton/media/RAF%20stuff/ScreenShot2014-08-15at84842am_zpseef1736d.png.html)

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2724404/Dambusters-reunited-Two-Second-World-War-Lancaster-bombers-fly-time-50-years.html#v-3729647006001

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=O2qYl0evc2Y

[Peter O]

I would love to see these fly. I try to get to every Warbirds demo at Temora if I can.
The costs involved in keeping these old birds in the air is massive and I have to thank those who do so.

[Ausfree]

I can find no reference at all to a Cyclone engined Lancaster, built in Canada or anywhere else (Lancasters were built in Canada, and had differences, but had Merlin engines).

However, about three hundred were built by Armstrong Whitworth with Bristol Hercules radial engines, but these were about the same power as the Merlin and had greater frontal area. This version was a hedge against Merlin production being restricted by axis bombing.

John

Thanks for that JD, that's what I'm getting confused with. I knew there were some Lancasters built with radial engines!!!:D

[AndyG]

Be nice if you could book a tour over Berlin on a full moon. :twisted:

[JDNSW]

The Lancaster is one of the WW2 aircraft that I admire most. For a makeshift design, it was very successful (the Manchester was a twin engined heavy bomber using RR Vulture engines (24 cyl X), which were pretty much a complete flop. After the first two hundred, the two Vultures were replaced by four Merlins to create the Lancaster.

The airframe was designed from the start for ease and speed of manufacture, which was a large part of its success. The Merlins helped - power kept increasing throughout the war. The obvious comparison is the B17, but the Lancaster was a newer design, and had a smaller crew (7 vs 10), was marginally faster, carried a much larger bomb load further. The B24 had similar or better performance than the Lancaster, but carried a smaller bomb load and was much more susceptible to battle damage. It also had a reputation for being difficult to fly.

The Lancaster withstood damage and was easy to repair compared to some other aircraft. Unlike the American heavy bombers, the Lancaster flew with a single pilot plus engineer.

John

[superquag]

In my past life at the newspapers, one of the Photogs was an ex-Lanc pilot. Reckoned they handled very nicely once the load was dumped.
His funniest moment - Being chased through Switzerland by the local airforce due to some 'navigational error' on their way home from work...

Wasn't impressed with their gunnery......:p

[snowbound]

The only lanc left flying AFAIK in the UK is part of the Battle Of Britain flight and is the " City of Lincoln" And YES! the sound raises the hairs on your neck AWESOME!

[juddy]

Theres another one in the UK, that is in flying condition, but due to some red tape it can't take off yet.

[101RRS]

I think that before too long these aircraft will be grounded as they are just too valuable to risk flying. It is really not a matter of if but when they have a major incident - has happened to a few B17s in the US.

I think it is time to think about building replicas for flying and the real thing for looking.

A shame but if we want to keep these aircraft ......

Garry

[juddy]

Theres plenty in museums still.

[olbod]

I think that before too long these aircraft will be grounded as they are just too valuable to risk flying. It is really not a matter of if but when they have a major incident - has happened to a few B17s in the US.

I think it is time to think about building replicas for flying and the real thing for looking.

A shame but if we want to keep these aircraft ......

Garry

I am all in favour of having the replicas built.
Expensive for the Lancaster but worth it.
There are others that would be a worthwhile project like the Hudson for instance and there are people that would buy them a display them flying.
We already have the replica Spits, ME109, Mustangs, Zero's and the twin engined German jet thingy.
Bring it on.
I would pay the addmission fee to see any of those flying and the cost of a ticket for a joy flight in them.

[superquag]

Quite a few older aircraft designers 'got it right', but those planes are getting a little long in the tooth...

Would be nice to see some of the better ones built with modern (better?) technology & materials.

Maybe even a twin V6 powered version of the Mosquito, - with better wood glue...:angel:

[Ausfree]

I think what we have to remember is that these aircraft are representative of their era. Between 1935 and 1945 amazing progress was made in aircraft design, brought on by the wartime conditions of necessity.

Building a replica with modern materials is a good idea on the one hand (safer to fly etc) but still does not have the same "mystique" of the original. Building a replica Lancaster with modern materials would be a very expensive exercise.

Anyrate, that's my 02c worth.:D

[101RRS]

I am certainly not interested in building replicas using modern methods - no build one as close as humanly possible to the original. The more that these old aircraft are used the more chance there is of a mishap and when the originals are gone - thats it. Most in museums are not in flying condition and will never be.

When flying numbers get low, these aircraft should be maintained in flying condition but not normally flown.

Just think of the loss to the aviation world if the Battle of Britain Flight Lanc crashed and burned on take -off - would there be any real loss to followers of these aircraft if flying demonstrations were being done by clones.

Garry