Is this an Avro Lancaster?

[MReyn24050]

Could anyone confirm the identity of the aircraft parked at the rear of the Lancaster in the foreground of this photograph. This photograph is part of a much larger photograph which has a caption referring to the aircraft in the foreground, which states that it is photograph of a 617 Sqn "Dam Busters" modified Avro Lancaster ,Serial No ED825, that was used at A&AEE Boscombe Down for handling trials. The location could therefore be Boscombe Down and the aircraft in the background be another of Boscombe's test aircraft.
Is this aircraft another Lancaster with faired in nose? The wing certainly looks like a Lancaster ,yet the undercarriage doesnt look like a Lancaster undercarriage. Any ideas?
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c67/sabamel/Aircraft/Whataircraft.jpg

[m5dnd]

The Aircraft in the background is a Vickers Windsor. One of only 3 made.

But a very good photo..

Cheers

[RETDPI]

I would think a Halifax variant is more like it.

[MReyn24050]

I thought about the Windsor but this photograph shows she had an undercarriage wheel for each nacelle also she had a bomb aimers window not shown in the photograph at Post #1.
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c67/sabamel/Aircraft/VickersWindsor.jpg

[MReyn24050]

Thanks for that. As you say it is a Halifax, looking at the undercarriage structure and the windows below the cockpit pretty much confirms it.
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c67/sabamel/Aircraft/Halifax.jpg

[RETDPI]

I think so. The Windsor had continuous dihedral.
In contrast to the Windsor, the Halifax undercarriage was hewn from the living rock , like that of the later Hastings (and also not of four units). Also, IIRC I never saw a shot of a Windsor with three bladed props.

[m5dnd]

OK,

On further reflection I will retract my statement that its a Windsor, Sorry....

Hope You get Your answer confirmed!

Your's confused:confused:

M5DND

[GrumpyOldFart]

Wouldn't be a Lancastrian, by any chance?

[Robert Cooper]

With that nose fairing it's probably a Halifax B.Mk II Series 1 (Special). My guess but can't get the photo to blow up with any detail.

Bob C

[Brian Abraham]

Inclined to agree with you RC. Pitot mast beneath the nose is very much Halifax. Hailfax B Mk.II Series I (Special), SOE Special version for Special Operations Executive (SOE) used to drop supplies over Europe. Nose armament and dorsal turret removed, the nose being faired over. In August,1941, some twenty Halifaxes were supplied to the S.O.E squadrons, Nos 138 (Special Duties) and 161 from Newmarket, Stradishall and Tempsford.

[GOLF_BRAVO_ZULU]

Brian, that looks about right. The clue to the Halifax lineage is the main undercarriage legs. To discount the Lancaster, the U/C photograph at http://ipmsstockholm.org/magazine/1998/01/stuff_eng_detail_lancaster.htm demonstrates the arrangement that was common from the Manchester all the way to the Shackleton 2.

[MReyn24050]

Further to Brian Abraham's post. I have found a reference to the Hailfax B Mk.II Series I (Special), Special version for Special Operations Executive (SOE) in CH Barne's book "Handley Page Aircraft since 1907" published by Putnam. In the book he states that at the same time the external fuel jettison pipes were deleted (because the former landing weight restrictions no longer existed) and various improved flame-damping exhaust shrouds were tried out. If one looks closely at the photograph at Post #1 there appears to be some sort of fairings where the exhaust pipes would be ( or is it my imagination).