AvroLincoln
3rd Apr 2009, 14:43
From the current on-line Lincolnshire Echo newspaper:
A Lancaster bomber based in Canada has been grounded – meaning Lincolnshire now has the only remaining airworthy equivalent.
Out of 7,377 Lancasters built in the 1940s, the Avro Lancaster at the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight at RAF Coningsby and the one at the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum are the only bombers able to fly today.
Now, the Canadian museum has discovered corrosion in the propellers, forcing engineers to ground the plane until the blades can be replaced.
This means that the PA474 Lancaster in Lincolnshire is now the only model in the world in good enough condition to fly.
In an appeal for funds the Canadian museum said: "Unfortunately without new propeller blades we will not be able to meet our flying commitments for the 2009 season.
http://iad.anm.co.uk/anmdefaultad.gif (http://ads.anm.co.uk/ADCLICK/CID=fffffffcfffffffcfffffffc/AAMSZ=452x118/POS=/SITE=THISISLINC/AREA=NEWS/SUBAREA=/ARTICLE=869613/acc_random=2938204086/pageid=/RS=10561.10224.10181.10226.10547.10466.10497.10310.10507.103 94.10467.10475.10484.10291.10396.10410.10403.10376.10344.104 07.)
"In order to honour our commitments, we must endeavour to make our Lancaster airworthy once again."
Since the appeal went out, the Canadian museum has been loaned a set of propellers by the Greenwood Military Aviation Museum, in Nova Scotia.
But engineers there say the blades need to be inspected before they can be sure they are suitable and would only solve the problem short term.
"Even if we are able to make use of the blades donated by the Greenwood Museum, we feel it necessary to purchase permanent while they are available," the statement added.
The cost to buy, ship and overhaul these blades would be around £50,000.
A Lancaster bomber based in Canada has been grounded – meaning Lincolnshire now has the only remaining airworthy equivalent.
Out of 7,377 Lancasters built in the 1940s, the Avro Lancaster at the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight at RAF Coningsby and the one at the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum are the only bombers able to fly today.
Now, the Canadian museum has discovered corrosion in the propellers, forcing engineers to ground the plane until the blades can be replaced.
This means that the PA474 Lancaster in Lincolnshire is now the only model in the world in good enough condition to fly.
In an appeal for funds the Canadian museum said: "Unfortunately without new propeller blades we will not be able to meet our flying commitments for the 2009 season.
http://iad.anm.co.uk/anmdefaultad.gif (http://ads.anm.co.uk/ADCLICK/CID=fffffffcfffffffcfffffffc/AAMSZ=452x118/POS=/SITE=THISISLINC/AREA=NEWS/SUBAREA=/ARTICLE=869613/acc_random=2938204086/pageid=/RS=10561.10224.10181.10226.10547.10466.10497.10310.10507.103 94.10467.10475.10484.10291.10396.10410.10403.10376.10344.104 07.)
"In order to honour our commitments, we must endeavour to make our Lancaster airworthy once again."
Since the appeal went out, the Canadian museum has been loaned a set of propellers by the Greenwood Military Aviation Museum, in Nova Scotia.
But engineers there say the blades need to be inspected before they can be sure they are suitable and would only solve the problem short term.
"Even if we are able to make use of the blades donated by the Greenwood Museum, we feel it necessary to purchase permanent while they are available," the statement added.
The cost to buy, ship and overhaul these blades would be around £50,000.