Southend Avro Lincoln

[Dr Jekyll]

The old museum at Southend had a Lincoln. Shortly after the museum closed (early eighties) it arrived at North Weald dismantled and on a truck, or trucks.

Does anyone know what has happened to it since?

[Dr Illitout]

The full story is coverd in the last "Wrecks and Wrelics". But basically is is still around but in bits at various locations around the country!. It was bought by Doug Arnold to act as a doner aircraft for his various Lancaster rebuild projects. It then was passed onto Charlie Church for his Lancaster, then it went to North Weald with Doug A again. I think, now as one of the Lancs has gone to the States there is a possibility of bits of it being there too!. It is a shame that as one of only three Lincolns still around somebody couldn't "Round it all up" and rebuild it. Mind you as it was a test bed aircraft it was very much none standard any way!!.

[vintage ATCO]

This must be GAPRJ/RF342 which use to be based at Luton as the Napier test bed. Knew the chap who flew it.

Funny thing, I was just asking about it in 'another place'. Amazing thing coincidence . . . ;)


VA

[Milt]

Flew Lincolns Downunder.

Can anyone come up with a description of how I could taxy a Lincoln backwards?

[Tim Inder]

Facing up a slope, and rolling backwards, perhaps?
Steering with outboard engines and/or brakes?

[Boss Raptor]

I recall that Lincoln at SEN from being a kid...it had references painted on it to de-icing tests I do remember that much

Along with the Ekco Avionics Anson and DH Drover that used to sit next to it

http://www.airliners.net/open.file/301612/M/

http://www.airliners.net/open.file/223290/M/

[Vick Van Guard]

The majority of its remains according to W & R are reported to be at Sandtoft, but I have been in there a few times and had a good look round and not found any trace.

:confused:

[G085H1TE]

Can anyone come up with a description of how I could taxy a Lincoln backwards?

I remember reading about something similar being done with a B17 in order to 'reverse' it out of a tight spot after it ran off the end of a runway.

If I recall correctly it went like this;

Starboard brake on, burst of power on starboard outer causing the aeroplane to 'swivel' around the stbd main wheel so the port wheel moves backwards.

Release stbd brake and apply port brake, idle stdb outer and apply burst of power on port outer causing aircraft to swivel the other way.

Repeat ad-infinitum thereby reversing aircraft in bizarre zig-zag fashion.

Do I win a prize?

[Milt]

Tim Inder and GO85HITE win the 'Yea of the Day' for good lateral thinking about taxying a Lincon backwards.

Here are a few Lincoln stories from the past including the need to taxy backwards.

Incidently the first time I taxied backwards using reverse pitch was in a Beverley with a rear CG. I used brakes to stop and soon found what a No No that is. Quick reaction with power on the 2 engines with forward pitch prevented a crumpled rear end.

From memoirs.

I enjoyed the challenge of flying the Lincolns at Central Flying School circa 1954. Compared with the modern jet aircraft they really were technological monstrosities. We had a few of both the normal Lincoln and a long nosed Australian developed maritime version.

On one instructor training flight in a Lincoln with Lyall Klaffer in the left seat we were down wind in a landing pattern when No 3 engine instruments went crazy. Undercarriage was down and a quick look at the engine nacelle just close beside me showed lots of black oil pouring down over the wheel hanging below the engine. The propeller was quickly feathered and I told Klaffer to make it a smooth landing as the whole engine nacelle was moving around as though it was about to fall off. He did a good job. The nacelle continued to move around unduly as we taxied in and I considered whether it would not be prudent to close down clear of the runway and have the aircraft towed in. We made it by going very carefully and soon found that a broken connecting rod had punched its way through the engine block, taking out both front engine mounts in the process.

On another occasion, I was doing an Instrument Rating Examiner renewal on an RAF exchange pilot from one of the Lincoln Squadrons at Amberley. He was wearing a hood to prevent him seeing outside and was flying on limited instruments. One requirement was an ability to recover from unusual attitudes and finding attitudes which might be unusual to Squadron pilots was always difficult. I took control of the aircraft and applied lots of power while pulling the aircraft into about a 60 degree nose up attitude. With the speed quite low I then pulled the throttles on the left engines which caused the aircraft to go into a rapidly rolling wingover. At this time I handed control back to the poor pilot who was quite unaccustomed to such goings on with a Lincoln. He juggled the power to be symmetric but we continued to roll in an incipient spin until we were almost inverted with the nose dropping though the horizon. I took over again and pulled the nose down further to gain speed whilst rolling back right side up.

Fortunately, the whole manoeuvre was relatively smooth and did not involve negative g, as we discovered later that there was an unsecured bomb winch lying in the rear fuselage.

Then there was the time I was converting a pilot to fly Lincolns. We had landed and wished to taxi back to the other end of the runway for another takeoff. The pilot made too wide a turn and almost too late I notice that we are about to run over an electric flare light on the edge of the runway. By the time I grabbed for the brakes and stopped the aircraft the main wheel was about three feet from the light. To proceed further would flatten the light and run the risk of damage to the tyre. It looked as though the only thing to do was to call the tower to have a tractor come out with a tow bar to move us back away from the light. I could see that if I could move the main wheel backwards a few feet, we could then proceed safely. But how to do this in an aircraft having only engines which were at all times trying to move us forward. No reverse pitch on these propellers. But I had an idea. The brakes could be applied independently to each main wheel. It was the right wheel that was close to the light so I locked up the brakes on the left main wheel and ran up the power on the No 1 left engine outboard of that wheel. With a lot of power on that engine the aircraft started to swing around the locked wheel and at the same time rolling the right wheel backwards.

Having moved the right wheel backwards I then locked its brakes and repeated the exercise using the outer right engine and soon had plenty of room to continue the turn without hitting the light. I cancelled the call for tractor assistance and left all concerned wondering how on earth I had moved a Lincoln backwards.

Of course, the procedure was a big strain on the main undercarriage struts as the locked wheel would be twisted around on the spot and the screwing tyre would tend to dig into soft ground but I did use the technique on several occasions to demonstrate to experienced disbelieving Lincoln pilots just how to taxi backwards.

[TURIN]

Can anyone come up with a description of how I could taxy a Lincoln backwards?

You could always paste the Italian flag on the side.:E

Sorry, couldn't resist.

[Kolibear]

I can vaguely remember the Lincoln flying into Southend, I must have been in school at the time.

A few years later, when all the 'Historic' Aircraft were parked down along the Eastern Taxiway by the railway my mate & I decided to go & check them out.

In those days, there was just a kiosk at the end of the car park selling Pleasure Flights, (not Trial Lessons in those days), no security, so we politely asked the guy in there if we go and have a look at the aircraft. And he just let us go.

I can't remember what aircraft were there, there Swedish 'Barrell' which looked like a Mig 15, sitting on its tail 'cos someone had pinched the twin cannon in the nose. Maybe a Harvard, maybe an Anson too.

We climbed into the Lincoln and explored it nose to tail. I found a lemonade bottle and took a swig as I was thirsty, except it was hydraulic oil :(

Anyway, by now some-one On High had noticed two youngsters walking acoss the wing of the Lincoln and airport security came round to find out what was happening.

We were driven back to the carpack and told to explain ourselves. We said in chorus 'We asked that man & he said it was OK', pointing at the luckless kiosk attendant. We were allowed to go with firm instruction not to come back, we didn't hang around long enough to find out what happened to the kiosk attendant.

It was a long time until I ventured back to that side of the airport.

Shame that the Museum bit the dust though.

[matspart3]

I too spent many a happy hour crawling over the Southend Museum exhibits, albeit some years after Kolibear's exploits, when the Museum had officially opened in it's purpose built accomodation northwest of the 06 threshold.

Despite it's closure in 1983, many of the exhibits still survive elsewhere

Lincoln - believed to be in bits at Sandtoft (still no confirmed sightings!!)
Beverley (cockpit section) - Duxford
Anson - BAE Systems Manchester?
Saab J29 - Coventry
Harvard -RAF Museum Hendon
Sea Fury - Airworthy in US
DH Dragon - Science Museum Wroughton
Piaggio P166 - ditto
DH Drover - Lasham?
Javelin - Rimini
Meteor & Sea Hawk - Charlwood
CASA 1-11 Was North Weald, may now be US
B25 - derelict @ North Weald
Skeeter and SARO - IHM Weston-S-M
F105 - Manston/Cosford?
Westland Widgeon - Flixton