Does anyone know of a dam that needs "Chastising"?
Thread Starter
Does anyone know of a dam that needs "Chastising"?
Engine run today at the Bomber Command Museum at Nanton, Alberta.
Look at what's involved in the Upkeep of a Lancaster
Look at what's involved in the Upkeep of a Lancaster
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
Thread Starter
The NOISE is the reason to be there!
This is a video of a night-run that I took in "pre-Upkeep" days:
and here's a spectacular picture that a friend took the same evening (he also took the Upkeep picture):
I notice that T for Tommy is now M for Mother. Whose 617 Lancaster was that?
This is a video of a night-run that I took in "pre-Upkeep" days:
and here's a spectacular picture that a friend took the same evening (he also took the Upkeep picture):
I notice that T for Tommy is now M for Mother. Whose 617 Lancaster was that?
well,I have done many start ups in front of shackeltons before the exhaust mods and no ear defenders!This does not get you any disability money if your groundcrew!!Very spectacular ,especially if the odd fishtail exhaust came of and went flying away!!
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
The NOISE is the reason to be there!
This is a video of a night-run that I took in "pre-Upkeep" days:
https://youtu.be/_4cUX1qInT4
and here's a spectacular picture that a friend took the same evening (he also took the Upkeep picture):
I notice that T for Tommy is now M for Mother. Whose 617 Lancaster was that?
This is a video of a night-run that I took in "pre-Upkeep" days:
https://youtu.be/_4cUX1qInT4
and here's a spectacular picture that a friend took the same evening (he also took the Upkeep picture):
I notice that T for Tommy is now M for Mother. Whose 617 Lancaster was that?
Thread Starter
Thanks PN. After looking up Hopgood's crew, I see there were two Canadians, the Nav, F/O Kenneth Earnshaw, who was killed and the Bomb Aimer, F/O John William Fraser, who survived the war as a POW. I presume this is the reason for the choice of the aircraft's code letter.
Thread Starter
Well spotted zetec2. It's a Bristol Hercules.
Every time they start it up, it does a passable imitation of a taxying Varsity!
Also in the background is a Cessna Crane and the forward fuselage of a Lancaster, that was made for a movie.
Every time they start it up, it does a passable imitation of a taxying Varsity!
Also in the background is a Cessna Crane and the forward fuselage of a Lancaster, that was made for a movie.
Join Date: Oct 2001
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Thanks PN. After looking up Hopgood's crew, I see there were two Canadians, the Nav, F/O Kenneth Earnshaw, who was killed and the Bomb Aimer, F/O John William Fraser, who survived the war as a POW. I presume this is the reason for the choice of the aircraft's code letter.
Burcher, too, had been hit in the groin and stomach, which must have stung just a wee bit. Hopgood himself was badly hit in the head and continued to fly with the Engineer (Brennan) holding a pocket handkerchief to the head wound in an effort to staunch the serious blood loss. Remember, these guys were at a max height of about 100' and routinely flying UNDER electricity cables – in the dark. Despite these serious setbacks and wounds, Hopgood continued to the target, with Gibson and Martin, without a murmur and attacked unhesitatingly when ordered to do so.
On only 3 engines, with no suppressive fire from the front turret, he flew an accurate attack into the now thoroughly alerted defences and paid the price of being '2nd in'. The aircraft was badly hit in the port wing again and the other engine on that side was also put out of action; the petrol tanks were hit, ruptured, and burst into flames. However, even then, Hopgood’s heroism knew no bounds and he remained in control of a now blazing, fully asymmetric, aircraft while he tried to gain height and encouraging his crew to abandon the mortally hit Lancaster.
Due to Hopgood’s gallant efforts, 3 of his crew DID get out, although the seriously injured Minchin did not survive the very low-level abandonment despite the equally gallant efforts of Burcher; if you see pictures of the inside the Lanc's fuselage, imagine crawling along the fuselage with your leg hanging off, especially if you had to negotiate the infamous main spar from the wireless operator’s position to the rear escape door.
Bomb aimer Fraser and rear gunner Burcher did get away with it to become POWs, Burcher with a broken back after hitting the tailplane, having previously bailed out Minchin through the side door. They both only survived because they had the presence of mind to pull their ‘chutes INSIDE the aircraft and feed the canopy into the slipstream and be dragged out by it.; in the case of Burcher, he may have been assisted by being blown out of the aircraft as it exploded.
The whole episode probably took less time in actuality than the time you've spent reading this.
Finally, Dave Shannon recalled during the gut-tightening time between kitting-out and getting airborne, sharing a cigarette with Hopgood ‘round the back of the hangar’, where Hopgood confessed that he didn’t think that he would return; he’d reasoned - logically - that being number 2 ‘in’ was the poisoned chalice as the element of surprise would have gone and the defences would not have been degraded to any degree yet. And so it proved; but he went anyway. Heroism personified and Hopgood, too, should have been awarded a (posthumous) VC, IMHO.
Curiosity question - there is the nose portion of a Lancaster at the Flying Heritage and Combat Armor Museum (the collection of the late Paul Allen - it's just a couple miles from where I live). You're not able to actually enter - just look from the rear - but it appears there is only one set of flight controls. Watching the Dam Busters movie it appears the same - only the left seat has flight controls. Really? Only one pilot, no relief (some of those bombing missions were quite long)? What if he got hit - is it game over and you hope you can bail out? Or can the controls be moved such as the guy in the right hand seat can take control?
Join Date: Oct 2001
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Curiosity question - there is the nose portion of a Lancaster at the Flying Heritage and Combat Armor Museum (the collection of the late Paul Allen - it's just a couple miles from where I live). You're not able to actually enter - just look from the rear - but it appears there is only one set of flight controls. Watching the Dam Busters movie it appears the same - only the left seat has flight controls. Really? Only one pilot, no relief (some of those bombing missions were quite long)? What if he got hit - is it game over and you hope you can bail out? Or can the controls be moved such as the guy in the right hand seat can take control?
The pilot was assisted by a Flight Engineer to his right who looked after, inter alia, the engine and fuel management issues; he sat on an uncomfortable fold up seat that had to be folded away to allow the bomb aimer, who doubled as the nose gunner, access to the forward crew area.
Many pilots encouraged their FEs to learn how to fly the aircraft at least in straight and level flight so that the crew might be able to regain their base for a bail out in the circumstances you outlined above. Some pilots allowed their FE to fly a circuit and practise the occasional landing too; alternatively, other crew members that might have been washed out of pilot training were also earmarked by the captain to pilot the aircraft.
The Lancaster in particular was able to be fitted with dual controls to facilitate its use as a trainer at Heavy Conversation Units with the second pilot occupying the FEs seat with latter relegated to standing behind to undertake his duties and this is the usual fit for the BBMF Lancaster and Vera too if memory serves. Hope this helps.
