View Full Version : Lancaster Bomber - new but period photo spread
I saw this period photo spread in the DM and I thought the photos
were very good.
A modern day mission: Lancaster bomber crew prepares for action 70 years on in remarkable set of airfield pictures | Mail Online (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2119392/A-modern-day-mission-Lancaster-bomber-crew-prepares-action-70-years-remarkable-set-airfield-pictures.html)
(I know it is the Daily Mail but thought this might be of interest to members.)
polyglory
24th Mar 2012, 07:24
Thanks for that, great photo's:ok:
A couple of questions for those in the know.
In the first photo on the page, what are the two holes for in the round perspex
and what were they used for ?
(They look like holes but may be something else).
What is the large Bomb shown ?
Is it the 12,000lb Block buster ?
Pontius Navigator
24th Mar 2012, 11:00
I think the bomb is an 8,000lb one.
The basic model was a 4,000lb cookie with additional modules bolted to create a 12,000lb one. I once read a secret report (translation) of a Luftwaffe report on the 12,000lb bomb. It was interesting as they credited it with a laydown capability with parachutes and a high level capability with the streamlined tail. In otherwords they didn't seem to realise that the Tallboy and Cookie were two different bombs.
At East Kirkby they have examples of the cookie, Tallboy and Grand Slam. I seem to remember two are the real bombs and one is a wood and canvas mockup. IIRC it the the Grand Slam that is the mockup.
As for the two holes in the perspex, present in Just Jane and absent in G-George, I think they may be for ventilation. It could get very hot in the nose in summer and also condensation in high humidity. I don't know when that was done. Lots of the transparencies are new.
At one airshow, after I had broken the Astro Dome, this chap came up and asked about the perspex. He then said he owned a plastics company and offered to make a complete new set of transparencies. Come the annual maintenance he took the orginals and made a splendid set of new ones. I suspect the Pantons have been able to get new ones as well.
PN
Thnak you.
I'll do some searching and look through some old photos.
682al
24th Mar 2012, 11:59
The two "holes" in the bomb-aimer's blister are for the Z equipment. This was a pair of infra red lamps flashing a code of the day. It was introduced to help prevent AGLT turret equipped bombers from shooting their own side down.
AGLT = Airborne Gun Laying in Turrets, often referred to as Automatic Gun Laying Turret.
LowObservable
24th Mar 2012, 13:43
Electro-optical IFF... Who would have thought it! Certainly new to me.
Interesting reading here: http://www.bomberhistory.co.uk/49squadron/Files/Village%20Inn.pdf
It sounds as if the use of Village Inn/AGLT was verboten unless the entire attacking force had Z Equipment.