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The Expert
17th Jun 2008, 19:19
Trying to find out the following for research purposes :-

When did the Canadian crop-sprayer Avro Lancaster fly into Glasgow? Does anyone know the exact date please? I know only that it was in the mid to late 1970s.
What happened to that particular aircraft please? I was told verbally that it went on to Woodford as a restoration project but was damaged during a fire in the hangar and when the roof fell in on top of it. Can anyone confirm please?
How many flying Lancasters are there now?Many thanks in anticipation

twochai
17th Jun 2008, 19:47
The Lancaster owned by the Canadian Warplane Heritage flies by my front window monthly during the summer, supporting various veterans' functions.

This link contains more info, including the CWH flying schedule for 2008:

http://www.warplane.com/pages/aircraft_lancaster.html

I should also mention the Toronto Aerospace Museum, located at the former RCAF Downsview in north Toronto, which is restoring to display condition FM1104, the Lancaster which was mounted on a pedestal for thirty years at the foot of Strachan Street, exposed to the elements (of which we have a few) on the Toronto waterfront.

philbky
17th Jun 2008, 19:53
Full details to 2002 are here:

http://groups.msn.com/AvroBomberPreservationAssociation/general.msnw?action=get_message&mview=1&ID_Message=17

Can't find anything since and the current Kermit Weeks Collection page doesn't list it but it is widely believed that the collection has it in store awaiting restoration.

treadigraph
17th Jun 2008, 20:09
KB976/G-BCOH arrived at Strathallan 11/6/75.

Don't know about a fire, but the roof collapse at Woodford was on 12/8/87 when it was owned by the late Charles Church.

Some parts were stored outside Doug Arnold's hangar at Biggin Hill along with sundry parts from other Canadian Lancs for a bit in the early 90s. I think these eventually found their way back across the Atlantic to Kermit Week's collection at Polk City, FL.

Two fliers, PA474 with BBMF plus C-GVRA as twochai's post.

G-ASXX at East Kirby is active and does taxi runs at East Kirby from time to time, but I believe it's unlikely to fly again. Shame as it flew home all the way from Bankstown in May '65.

G-LANC at Duxford was another Doug Arnold potential flier, but since his death it has been restored for the IWM as a static exhibit.

ZH875
17th Jun 2008, 21:05
There is a project in Australia to rebuild a Lincoln bomber for static display, this was the former RAF serial RF342. This team has also aquired the remains of KB976 & KB994.

Lincoln Pics (http://www.aarg.com.au/Lincoln.htm)

Info (http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/avrolincoln/message/10)

The Expert
17th Jun 2008, 21:56
I'm flabberghasted at these replies. It beggers belief that a Lancaster could fly acoss Canada, then over the North Atlantic in the old wartime stages, to land at Glasgow then Strathallen, and then end up as bit parts for someone else's restoration project. :eek: This aircraft flew, complete in its own right.

treadigraph
18th Jun 2008, 07:05
One of those sad things following the demise of the Strathallan Collection. If anyone could have got it flying again it was Charles Church, but the collapse at Woodford, followed by Chuch's death in his Spitfire V ultimately did for the project.

I remember the pile of Lancaster bits outside at Biggin - various fuselage and wing sections, couldn't possibly say whether they constituted enough for an entire aircraft!

forget
18th Jun 2008, 09:43
G-ASXX at East Kirby is active and does taxi runs at East Kirby from time to time, but I believe it's unlikely to fly again.

........... if I were a betting man. ;)

smuff2000
18th Jun 2008, 11:36
If my memory serves me PA474, the BBMF Lancaster, used to be the gate guard at Waddington, when G-ASXX was flown back from Australia for restoration they where going to use PA474 as a spares source, when they started inspections on both airframes they found that 474 was in better condition than SXX so based the resoration on this frame instead.

The Expert
18th Jun 2008, 11:39
KB976/G-BCOH arrived at Strathallan 11/6/75.

Thank-you sir - this is important information for me. :ok:

forget
18th Jun 2008, 11:41
If my memory serves me PA474, the BBMF Lancaster, used to be the gate guard at Waddington,

Lancaster Gate Guard was at Scampton, not Waddington.

Good stuff on Just Jane here - :ok:

http://www.warbirdregistry.org/lancregistry/lanc-nx611.html

philbky
18th Jun 2008, 12:02
KB976/G-BCOH arrived at Strathallan 11/6/75.

Thank-you sir - this is important information for me.

You obviously missed that info in the link I posted.

The Expert
18th Jun 2008, 12:39
Quote:
KB976/G-BCOH arrived at Strathallan 11/6/75.

Thank-you sir - this is important information for me.
You obviously missed that info in the link I posted.

I thank you too and I thank you two! :ok::ok:

treadigraph
18th Jun 2008, 12:51
A pleasure Mr Expert!

Can you imagine the spectacle at an airshow if things had been different...?

"And now ladies and gentlemen, running in from the left, the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Lancaster, Spitfire(s) and Hurricane(s)...

"...followed by Charles Church's Lancaster, Spitfire(s) and Hurricane...

"...and last but by no means least, Doug Arnold's Lancaster, Spitfire(s) and Hurricane..."

The airframes all existed... and still do, but rather more scattered.

philbky
18th Jun 2008, 13:37
Charles Church was instrumental in the "rebuilding" of a number of Spitfires - rumour says some were more new builds than rebuilds - and at the time he died the number of Spitfires flying around the world was higher than at any time in the preceeding 20 years.

A tragedy that he died in one of his own Spitfires - and that he died after the impact, fully aware of what was happening.

treadigraph
18th Jun 2008, 14:51
I was watching Church performing aerobatics in the Spit in the vicinity of a friend's house near Finchampstead a few minutes before the crash - driving home a little later I met ambulances and fire engines heading down the A30 towards Blackbushe - only the next morning I found out what had happened.

The Expert
19th Jun 2008, 10:12
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3156/2591072488_b9f6e317f5.jpg?v=0

Spitfire at Glasgow, June 1987
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3052/2591072300_15ee6c3153.jpg?v=0

DucatiST4
20th Jun 2008, 20:04
I had a chat with the Pantons last year, they have no desire or intention to get Just Jane flying again.

Lancasterman
11th Jul 2008, 18:48
It sounds like the Pantons intend to fly it by 2010 according to the Lincolnshire Echo!

octavian
11th Jul 2008, 21:55
re post 11 from forget; the Lancaster on the gate at Scampton was originally R5868, now in the RAF Museum at Hendon. That was replaced on the gate at Scampton by NX611 after it was bought by Lord Lilford from the Reflectaire auction at Blackpool. This aeroplane was subsequently acquired by the Panton brothers and now lives a cherished life at East Kirkby. Others have described the fate and whereabouts of KB976 so I won't repeat it.

spargazer
9th Oct 2013, 10:09
The Lancaster was destroyed in a roof collapse at Woodford in about 87 as discussed. Details can be found on the "The Official Woodford Farewell Group" on facebook, it was all very sad, and avoidable.

Centaurus
9th Oct 2013, 11:29
The Mark 31 "Long Nose" Lincoln came into service in March 1955 with 10 and 11 Squadrons being so equipped, these aircraft were disposed of in 1961/1962 with the introduction of the Lockheed Neptune.

Only No 10 Squadron based at Townsville were equipped with the Lincoln Mk 31 (Long nose). They were flying much earlier than 1955. 11 Squadron had the Neptunes.

The project to rebuild a Lincoln in Melbourne is a fine idea but I wouldn't hold my breath on it. In 15 years from now, maybe?

Dick1939
26th Oct 2013, 07:29
If anyone wants the full and accurate story of 976, ask me. I went to St. Albert in April 1974 first to buy it then spent months preparing the aircraft for its flight to strathallan - I also flew back with the Lancaster as the BCal crew wouldn't fly the trip if I wasn't to prepared to fly with them! After Charles church purchased the aeroplane, he took me on to both run Popham and initially to be in charge of the rebuild at woodford. I was there when the hangar roof collapsed and was responsible for the storage of the damaged aircraft after.
What readers will not be aware of is the fact that on Charles church's behalf I was trying to trade or purchase the lanc parked in Nova Scotia and at the same time Charles was trying very hard to buy Fred's (RIP) Lancaster too. Charles had a plan to fly three lancasters. Now there's something to imagine! Then there was the Beaufighter we were negotiating for..........there was no stopping Charles! If Charles had been alive today, imagine Popham!!!
Cheers all.....Dick

Blacksheep
30th Oct 2013, 14:04
If my memory serves me PA474, the BBMF Lancaster, used to be the gate guard at Waddington, when G-ASXX was flown back from Australia for restoration they where going to use PA474 as a spares source, when they started inspections on both airframes they found that 474 was in better condition than SXX so based the resoration on this frame instead. Your memory is faulty, Sir.

PA474 was at RAF Henlow to be prepared for static display at Hendon, having been used for "Midge Wing" and "Laminar Flow Wing" trials at Cranfield then handed off to the RAF Air Historical Branch. The O.C. 44 (Rhodesia) Squadron at Waddington, Wg.Cdr. D'Arcy, persuaded them to hand the aircraft over to 44(R) and it was flown to Waddington in 1965. Despite some discussion of PA474 becoming a gate guard for the station, it was intended that the aircraft should continue flying in 44(R) Sqn colours, as K-MB, Sqn.Ldr. Nettleton V.C.'s aircraft.

Work began on restoring the aircraft to its wartime appearance with gun turrets etc. The front and rear turrets had been installed in 1966 when I first laid a spanner - or to be more accurate a Hellerman Crimping Kit - upon the aircraft. My job was to strip out all the trials wiring and old rubber insulated original wiring and replace it with (then) modern Nyvin. The rubber insulation was rotting and falling off - in places the conductors were completely bare! The restoration team got her to Farnborough for the 1968 air show and kept her flying until transfer to the BBMF in 1973, though I last worked on her in 1969, when I was posted out to Changi.