Thumper
 

Good to see Thumper airborne again today after so long - looked and sounded like an airtest so maybe it will appear at displays again soon.

Over around 1130, over Woodhall at around 3,000 feet so seen by the 40s weekend crowd then returned about 12 at about 1,000 feet for a pass.

Yesterday we had the Mark V at 2pm. And at 3pm the Mark IX and Hurricane which made passes at about 300 feet.

As I wrote this we had the Mark IX which made passes again and over ourd garden at about 200 feet.

Blow me another Spit at 3.45 well below 200

And again at 5.15 wrapping up our 40s weekend. No more than 250 feet her black paint gleaming in the sunlight.

Please - what is Thumper?

BBMF Lancaster

City of Lincoln. ;)

A good day for WW2 era 4-engined bombers, with Thumper back in the air as well as the first flight today from MConnell AFB, after a 16 year restoration, of B-29 Superfortress 'Doc', and its original birthplace from Boeing's factory.

TTN


Thanks for asking that. Not having been aircrew I thought I was the only one who didn't know what Thumper was.

Life were simplert when I were on her - Papa Alpha!

Never heard of it either, why thumper?

Her 'nose art' is a rabbit called Thumper.


Previously she was 'Phantom of the Ruhr' and I dare say, others way before that too.

And as GeeRam says, it's not just Thumper that got some air under her wings, that other famous Disney character Doc, the B-29 took to the skies today after a 16 year rebuild, having been recovered from the White Sands ranges, it's the first time in 60 years she has flown.

It wasn?t easy, but B-29 Doc takes to Wichita skies | The Wichita Eagle

Minor correction Nut, Doc, like several other B-29 survivors was recovered from China Lake, California, not White Sands, New Mexico. She was the final recovery of an essentially intact B-29 from China Lake.

Glad to see them back up!

So good to hear about 'Thumper'.
No noise on this earth is better music than four Merlins at take-off.
No, I tell a lie .. eight of them sharing the air together.

There's been an ongoing thread on the Wix Hangar about 'Doc'.
It's been fascinating to follow the adventures of a collection dedicated 'fools' who never took NO for an answer.
Well done, guys.

Thanks Sandiego, my error, I remember reading the story of the epic journey to recover her. Such as laying a sleeper bridge etc to overcome some of the hurdles

Indeed, and why most refer to her as Papa Alpha or City of Lincoln (and another more derogatory term :E) and after her service over the winter she will likely emerge in another scheme representative of another wartime aircraft........

But, of all her previous 'identities' somehow 'Thumper' just seems the most fondly appropriate :ok:

She was so close last night you could see every detail if you weren't marvelling at the overall brilliance of her finish.

How about ten.....

http://i.imgur.com/mP7HIpf.jpg

When I flew her we just called her "The Lanc", and when we were on our own our callsign was "Lancaster". No air trafficker seemed to have a problem with that. It even worked in Europe (Germany included).