RAF Lincoln in Australia 1847

[herkman]

The ADF Serials site has a picture on the message board of a RAF Lincoln, parked on the Tarmac at Darwin.

Along side looks like a Mark 3 Meteor

Photos were taken in 1947.

Can any one make comments on what it was doing down here, both aircraft are in camoflage

Thanks

Col

[500N]

Testing and dropping bombs ?

I've read something somewhere before but here is the only thing I can find.

During the late 1940s and early 1950s a number of RAF Lincolns came to Australia, Stewart Wilson has quoted the following serial numbers, RA638, RA640, RA644, RE258, RE259, RE339, RE418, RE423 and .

Most of these were B2s and although technically attached to the ARDU at Laverton were in fact mostly operated by No1 Air Trials Unit at Woomera and No2 Air trials unit at Edinburgh under the direction of the then Weapons Research Establishment, most of the air and ground crews were RAF.
They were used for a number of trials including engine trials and weapons release trials, Woomera being the predominant location.
The weapons trials involved dropping conventional bombs, including the WWII 22,000 pound Tallboy, from very high altitudes, the RAF B2 lincolns were used because their Packard Merlin engines gave them a higher service ceiling than the RAAF Mk30s.
Two of these aircraft,RE339 and RE418 were fitted with Bristol Theseus turboprops on the outboard stations and had eight bladed counter rotating propellers, a third aircraft, RF403 had Armstrong Siddley Python turboprops fitted in a similar manner, these aircraft managed to reach heights of 43,000 feet.
It is assumed that they returned to the UK after completing the trials but one aircraft, RF423 was approved for conversion to components in March 1955 and was then given to the Department of Civil Aviation where it was used in the testing of a proposed new rescue/fire fighting vehicle at Laverton, the airframe was destroyed during the tests but the vehicle was deemed unsuitable and not proceeded with.
Although not actually operated by the RAAF the information is included here for the benefit of researchers.

[P6 Driver]

The thread title (specifically the date) indicates that the Wright Brothers may have been falsely credited...

[The Helpful Stacker]

Some would say in light of Richard Pearse's efforts they already have been.

[cazatou]

The first RAF Lincolns in the Far East were those of 97 squadron RAF which visited Singapore in 1948.

[BBadanov]

[QUOTE] The first RAF Lincolns in the Far East were those of 97 squadron RAF which visited Singapore in 1948.[QUOTE]

No, this pic is early 1947, as this Meteor F.3 was written-off in Darwin in Feb 1947. Lincoln RA??? probably a trials aircraft with 1APU/ARDU.