Thumper
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
Thread Starter
Thumper
Damn, Thumper just flew over, first time that we have seen her this season and right over our house en route the hotel where we are dining this evening in an hour's time 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: 4 Civvy Street. Nowhere-near-a-base. The Shires.
Posts: 559
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like
on
1 Post
Indeed she has 2 new identities this year
from lancasterassociation.co.uk:
BBMF Lancaster PA474 will re-emerge from its winter overhaul in two different colour schemes.
OC BBMF, Sqn Ldr Andrew Millikin, has announced that the starboard side of the bomber will wear the markings of 50 Squadron's VN-T representing the Lancaster flown by his grandfather, Flying Officer Douglas Millikin DFC, on 27 of his first tour of 30 operations.
The port side will carry the markings of 460 (RAAF) Squadron's W5005 / AR-L. Its nose art features a kangaroo playing bagpipes to recognise the Australian and Scottish heritage of its crew.
from lancasterassociation.co.uk:
BBMF Lancaster PA474 will re-emerge from its winter overhaul in two different colour schemes.
OC BBMF, Sqn Ldr Andrew Millikin, has announced that the starboard side of the bomber will wear the markings of 50 Squadron's VN-T representing the Lancaster flown by his grandfather, Flying Officer Douglas Millikin DFC, on 27 of his first tour of 30 operations.
The port side will carry the markings of 460 (RAAF) Squadron's W5005 / AR-L. Its nose art features a kangaroo playing bagpipes to recognise the Australian and Scottish heritage of its crew.
When I was a young trainspotter locomotives rarely changed their names, normally retaining the same one throughout their working life. Now it seems they change their names (and livery) frequently. Same thing seems to be happening with aircraft. Glad she is now back to City of Lincoln - I thought Thumper was a very silly name.
Did the BBMF ever refer to the Lanc as Thumper? As mentioned before the identity of PA474 has never changed but the paint scheme is changed regularly to have her represent various squadrons or iconic operations. I think that it was more the marketing departments or the media who started calling her Thumper.
It seems they did - https://www.raf.mod.uk/bbmf/theaircr...umpermkiii.cfm
She has always carried the name City of Lincoln. I always thought it was just a certain part of the spotter/enthusiast fraternity that called her Thumper, in much the same way as they refer to 'Tooms, 'Stangs and Bricks.
Anyway, good to know she is back in the air.
Anyway, good to know she is back in the air.
The BBMF Lanc has invariably been known as "The City of Lincoln" since she started wearing the Lincoln coat of arms on the right side of her nose in the mid-70s. However, the aircraft's colour scheme is changed on a regular basis with markings chosen to replicate a specific Lanc from WWII.
'Thumper' was the name of DV385, a 617 Sqn Lanc with the tail code KC-A. This was chosen as an appropriate scheme during the Op Chastise 70th anniversary. Previously she wore the markings of EE139 "Phantom of the Ruhr". EE139 served on 2 different sqns during the war (100 Sqn and 550 Sqn) with differing tail codes, so PA474 wore HW-R on the right side and BQ-B on her left.
Being a single word the 'Thumper' name became quite popular. She is invariably known simply as 'The Lanc" on the Flight!
'Thumper' was the name of DV385, a 617 Sqn Lanc with the tail code KC-A. This was chosen as an appropriate scheme during the Op Chastise 70th anniversary. Previously she wore the markings of EE139 "Phantom of the Ruhr". EE139 served on 2 different sqns during the war (100 Sqn and 550 Sqn) with differing tail codes, so PA474 wore HW-R on the right side and BQ-B on her left.
Being a single word the 'Thumper' name became quite popular. She is invariably known simply as 'The Lanc" on the Flight!
Avoid imitations
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Wandering the FIR and cyberspace often at highly unsociable times
Posts: 14,574
Received 422 Likes
on
222 Posts
Two paint schemes? I've just thought of a way to double the size of the RAF's entire fleet....
Actually referring to the BBMF Lancaster as 'Thumper' seemed to become popular at the time the Canadian aircraft was over here. It was known as 'Vera' and referring to Vera and Thumper became common.
I do like the recognition of the OC's family connection
I do like the recognition of the OC's family connection
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Somewhere flat
Age: 68
Posts: 5,563
Likes: 0
Received 45 Likes
on
30 Posts
Of course, PA474 was brought back to flying condition in No 5 Hangar at RAF Waddington (the old AVRO Repair Hangar from WW2) in 1965/66 and given the name "City of Lincoln" then. She carried the markings of Nettleton's KM-B which was his aircraft for the Augsburg Raid. (Although in red rather than the light grey of the time).
