Pensioners restore Lancaster bomber

[Garfield]

Looks like there could be a second airworthy Lancaster in the very near future...

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-20886684

[Weshty]

Wow. Just wow. She looks immaculate.

[Flying Scotsman 4472]

Just seen it on the BBC 1 o'clock news it will be great to see another old girl take to the sky. There was also a news item on just before Xmas about some Spitfire's buried some where in Asia during the end of the Second World War and the hunt is on to find them. So it just goes to show you that you don't know what's hidden out there.

[Garfield]

Just seen it on the BBC 1 o'clock news it will be great to see another old girl take to the sky. There was also a news item on just before Xmas about some Spitfire's buried some where in Asia during the end of the Second World War and the hunt is on to find them. So it just goes to show you that you don't know what's hidden out there.

 

They've tracked down those Spitfires to a location in Burma (or Myanmar, as it's called these days) and there's a team from the UK out there at the moment. Apparently they were buried in crates, so should definitely be in good nick when they're unearthed!

[heirflick]

they really were superb machines with the most distincitve sounding engines....good on them!

 

pat, any chance someone would dig up an old vampier in aer corp colours?

 

shame to see the way they were left....

Edited January 2, 2013 by heirflick

[Garfield]

pat, any chance someone would dig up an old vampier in aer corp colours?

 

There are at least three still knocking around...

 

One is in Collins Barracks:

One is at the Air Corps museum at Baldonnel: http://www.worldairpics.com/photo/1040509/M/De-Havilland-DH-115-Vampire-T55/191/Irish-Air-Corps/?&sid=4316895394&sp=0

And another is in a dismantled state in Dromod:

[heirflick]

[quote=garfieldsghost;

And another is in a dismantled state in Dromod:

 

jesus...dromond again- i got to get to this place soon!

[Broithe]

If you can get a Lanc going again then a Shackleton shouldn't be too hard. I would love to see (well, hear) one again, nothing else sounds the same as those contraprops coming at you and masking the exhaust until it's broadside on.

 

Turn this up for the third pass especially..

[Garfield]

There's a group in Coventry restoring a Shackleton, and they've recently fired up the engines. They're hoping to commence taxi runs later this year.

 

There are a couple of Shacks at Nicosia Airport in Cyprus. They look to be beyond restoration now, though...

 

I think the intention was to convert them into bars or restaurants, but the project never went ahead.

[Broithe]

There's a group in Coventry restoring a Shackleton, and they've recently fired up the engines. They're hoping to commence taxi runs later this year.

 

There are a couple of Shacks at Nicosia Airport in Cyprus. They look to be beyond restoration now, though...

 

I think the intention was to convert them into bars or restaurants, but the project never went ahead.

 

Oooh, I will investigate the Coventry situation. The last flying example is one of the South African ones, as in the video, and I suspect that that hasn't got long left.

 

Last time a saw a Shack flying was in Cyprus - a long time ago now...

 

A Shackelton, WR986, was 'struck off the register' and broken up for scrap and spares in Malta because the wiring was irretrievably damaged by a rat infestation...

[heirflick]

Oooh, I will investigate the Coventry situation. The last flying example is one of the South African ones, as in the video, and I suspect that that hasn't got long left.

 

keep us posted!

[Broithe]

Oooh, I will investigate the Coventry situation. The last flying example is one of the South African ones, as in the video, and I suspect that that hasn't got long left.

 

keep us posted!

 

So far, it seems that they've been at it for twenty years and have got to the the taxiing stage. They look like MR2s in the photos that I've seen. I always thought the MR3, with the tricycle undercarriage, was the best looking variant.

 

I'm not sure there would be the same level of public interest in a Shackleton as there would be in a Spitfire, a Lancaster or a Vulcan, despite my own clear preference for it in this case.

 

There was a really excellent video on YouTube, but it's gone 'private' lately, maybe it'll turn up again..

[dingle]

Interesting thread this! I live near a WW11 American base, when it closed & they went home, the local yokels used to say that a lot of gear was buried in pits. Aircraft & vehicle spares etc. Mind you, I have never met anyone who has found any of it.

[heirflick]

Interesting thread this! I live near a WW11 American base, when it closed & they went home, the local yokels used to say that a lot of gear was buried in pits. Aircraft & vehicle spares etc. Mind you, I have never met anyone who has found any of it.

 

dingle...organise a dig and we'll all come over with shovels! emagine if there was stuff buried there........

[dingle]

dingle...organise a dig and we'll all come over with shovels! emagine if there was stuff buried there........[ATTACH=CONFIG]5072[/ATTACH]

 

Not sure we would get much digging done, too close to this; "A gorgeous village inn circa 1650. The Hostelry has built a reputation for serving high quality competitively priced food, from an extensive menu with changing daily specials; plus six real ales together with twelve different draught beers and lagers. The Windmill has three bars plus a variety of different rooms and dining areas all steeped in history and olde world charm. Its rural location, but with easy access to the A1065 and A47 road network, provides the ideal location for a small meeting conference venue. The Halls family has owned and operated the inn for nearly 50 years".

[Mike 84C]

hey Dingle;I was near you on Friday! Delivering chicken feed, I could lead the charge of the shovels,only live 90min away. And the post Christmas diet has kicked in so the temptations of the Windmill could be resisted; for a little while!

[Mike 84C]

Just Jane is a fantastic plane, I found out about it 10yrs ago when we moved to the area, its about 15 miles from Digby, and I visited the museum at East Kirkby. Now that is a salutory place to go, lots of largeish chunks of broken airplane with the details of the usually young men who died when it crashed. And where what it was etc; makes me realize what we owe to a lot of, almost school leavers and very young men. But it is well worth a visit because the proceedes go to getting Just Jane flying.

Panton Brothers who own the Lancaster also farm chickens and as I work part time for Moy Park foods, a good Irish firm, who they grow for i get to see it quite often in summer.So keep eating Moy Park chickens lads as some of that money goes to getting Just Jane flying.

[Weshty]

Some great pictures of Just Jane on their website, they really have done a great job on her.

 

http://www.lincsaviation.co.uk/gallery/images/

[Flying Scotsman 4472]

Some great pictures of Just Jane on their website, they really have done a great job on her.

 

http://www.lincsaviation.co.uk/gallery/images/

 

 

That's one plane I'd love to fly in

[Garfield]

That's one plane I'd love to fly in

 

Personally, I'd love a spin in a BAC Lightning. There's a company in South Africa that offers flights, but it costs the guts of €10,000.

[Broithe]

Personally, I'd love a spin in a BAC Lightning. There's a company in South Africa that offers flights, but it costs the guts of €10,000.

 

I had a few goes in the Lightning simulator at Akrotiri - have we not spoken about it before?

 

I did manage to fly it through a tree.

[Garfield]

I had a few goes in the Lightning simulator at Akrotiri - have we not spoken about it before?

 

I did manage to fly it through a tree.

 

I had no idea there was a Lightning simulator there... strange location for it! What were the graphics like?

[Broithe]

Some pictures of the similar one at Leconfield here - http://www.cbfsim.co.uk/cbfs_bb/viewtopic.php?nomobile=1&f=8&t=15509 -.

 

56 Squadron were at Akrotiri with F6s at the time*. The graphics were by colour television from a giant 3D landscape on a wall - essentially like a model layout - that's how I flew through the (plastic) tree. A camera on a travelling bridge was regulated by the path the plane was taking and transmitted the pictures to what must have been the world's only Baird-style 3-colour spinning disc projector. The effect was sufficiently realistic though, I was quite unhappy as I could see the tree approaching...

 

It had only a minimal hydraulic movement, probably no more than a foot, but it did add to the fear.

 

There is talk of a publicly accessible one, in a modernised form, becoming available at Tangmere.

 

 

*They seem to have left this one behind..

Edited January 5, 2013 by Broithe

[dingle]

I get a strange feeling some of you fellows might have been Brylcreem Boys?

[dingle]

hey Dingle;I was near you on Friday! Delivering chicken feed, I could lead the charge of the shovels,only live 90min away. And the post Christmas diet has kicked in so the temptations of the Windmill could be resisted; for a little while!

 

Let me know when you are this way again, perhaps we could meet up at said hostelry for Kaffeeklatsch

Regards Ken

[heirflick]

Some great pictures of Just Jane on their website, they really have done a great job on her.

 

http://www.lincsaviation.co.uk/gallery/images/

 

great pics westy...love the camoflaged control tower!

[Broithe]

Some years ago, I came across a book of aircraft pictures in a charity shop. It had one picture to represent each year. As I was looking through it, I noticed that the picture for 1942, a Lancaster, had been autographed for (I presume) the books previous owner. I was fairly sure that I could tell who had written the autograph, although the signature wasn't the clearest, and so I bought it. A bit of checking confirmed my opinion that the signature was that of Leonard Cheshire.

 

A top find, I think you'll agree.

[Broithe]

Rolls Royce's own Spitfire in wizzard prang at Castle Donnington today - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-20939051 - nobody seriously hurt.

[heirflick]

that has happened to a good few in as many years....heres a clip of one spit which crashed after a n undercarrage collaose

 

 

cant be that many of there beautiful aircraft left that are still operational.

[Broithe]

Always a bit fragile in the undercart region...

 

There's about 50 flyable Spitfires worldwide - and twentyish more in the process of restoration to flying condition.

 

There's far fewer of most other things of the same sort of vintage =- Hurricanes, 109s, 190s, etc.

 

There must be a good few Mustangs, though..

[Garfield]

Always a bit fragile in the undercart region...

 

There's about 50 flyable Spitfires worldwide - and twentyish more in the process of restoration to flying condition.

 

There's far fewer of most other things of the same sort of vintage =- Hurricanes, 109s, 190s, etc.

 

There must be a good few Mustangs, though..

 

There's going to be quite a few more Spitfires in 4 or 5 years time... looks like the Burma expedition has struck gold! Geo-physical surveys are showing several airplane-shaped images in crates below the soil.

 

Still plenty of Mustangs around... including a lot of modified airframes used for air racing (i.e. at Reno, etc.).

[108]

That mission to Burma has certainly come u trumps. It's a shame that some of the more unusual types have not been so lucky.

[Broithe]

Mmm, we'll see what state they're in, seventy years after being dropped into a hole. Hopefully, there'll be enough good stuff to make a few flyable ones.

 

MkXIVs, aren't they? So, Griffons rather than Merlins.

 

Only about a dozen Hurricanes left now, apparently. No Halifax, Stirling - is there even a Beaufighter left..?

[Flying Scotsman 4472]

There's going to be quite a few more Spitfires in 4 or 5 years time... looks like the Burma expedition has struck gold! Geo-physical surveys are showing several airplane-shaped images in crates below the soil.

 

Still plenty of Mustangs around... including a lot of modified airframes used for air racing (i.e. at Reno, etc.).

 

 

Any links to that Garfield

[Garfield]

Any links to that Garfield

 

Not offhand... saw it on the BBC lunchtime news last week.