For you Lancaster lovers. . . |
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Shamu
Admin Group Logo Designer / Donating Member Joined: April 25 2007 Location: MD, USA. Status: Offline Points: 17603 |
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Posted: May 24 2016 at 2:26pm |
A one hour documentary from back in the day so its actually period specific, rather than looking back. Well worth the hour to watch it. Video from the Past [15] - The Lancaster - Night Bombers
(1943)
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Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force)
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hoadie
Moderator Group Joined: March 16 2006 Location: Niagara/Canada Status: Offline Points: 9003 |
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As much as I love the Lanc..you may want to take another look at the contributions the Halifax made.
She was quite a kite, as well. And made / served in large numbers. |
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Loose wimmen tightened here
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Pedro
Senior Member Joined: February 20 2016 Location: Cumbria, UK Status: Offline Points: 192 |
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Speaking of RAF bombers, unfortunately you may know that the only flying example of the Avro Vulcan bomber has recently been grounded to fly no more. Here's a picture I took of it at the RAF Leuchars air show a few years ago. Sadly, RAF Leuchars has now also bit the dust and is no more.
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Pedro
Senior Member Joined: February 20 2016 Location: Cumbria, UK Status: Offline Points: 192 |
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Better news is that there is now a Mosquito (the RAF twin engine fighter bomber of WW2) flying again, in Australia I believe and a quick squint on youtube will reveal some footage of it. Going back to the Vulcan, it was of course in service during the cold war as part of the UK deterrent and could carry nuclear armament but became obsolete when the UK went over to solely submarines for that purpose. It's last use by the RAF, when it was already being mothballed, were bombing the runways in the Falklands War, doing sorties all the way from Britain to the Falklands, a feat that required in-flight refueling. All of which, I suspect most of you know, but thought I'd just ramble on for a while....
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hoadie
Moderator Group Joined: March 16 2006 Location: Niagara/Canada Status: Offline Points: 9003 |
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quite a kite, as well
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Loose wimmen tightened here
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hybridfiat
Senior Member Joined: January 17 2014 Location: Western Austral Status: Offline Points: 175 |
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[QUOTE=Pedro]
Speaking of RAF bombers, unfortunately you may know that the only flying example of the Avro Vulcan bomber has recently been grounded to fly no more. Here's a picture I took of it at the RAF Leuchars air show a few years ago. Sadly, RAF Leuchars has now also bit the dust and is no more.
If that's the same Leuchars airshow I was at, then it was a very long time ago. Fog delayed the takeoff but the Vulcan eventually went. What an awesome sound and sight. The russian doing his 'Cobra' maneuver was a treat too.
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Shamu
Admin Group Logo Designer / Donating Member Joined: April 25 2007 Location: MD, USA. Status: Offline Points: 17603 |
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Supposedly there's a chance of a flying Canberra as well.
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Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force)
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paddyofurniture
Senior Member Joined: December 26 2011 Location: NC Status: Offline Points: 5255 |
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My Uncle Walter was a Pilot in a Lancaster in the RCAF and was killed on a Berlin raid in December of 1944. His photo hangs in my living room, I shall not forget him.
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Always looking for military manuals, Dodge M37 items,books on Berlin Germany, old atlases ( before 1946) , military maps of Scotland. English and Canadian gun parts.
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hoadie
Moderator Group Joined: March 16 2006 Location: Niagara/Canada Status: Offline Points: 9003 |
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Doc Hannah was a Lanc pilot. Only lost one crewman-kid named "Parker" from Chicago. He was tail gunner when they had mechanical probs in their Sterling, & crashed @ airport. After that - they transitioned to Lancs. He always knew where they were going - before the briefing. His crew chief would tell him how much gas they were carrying. 2,500 meant lite bomb load going to Berlin. Lite gas meant heavy bomb load, going to France.
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Loose wimmen tightened here
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paddyofurniture
Senior Member Joined: December 26 2011 Location: NC Status: Offline Points: 5255 |
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God bless them all.
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Always looking for military manuals, Dodge M37 items,books on Berlin Germany, old atlases ( before 1946) , military maps of Scotland. English and Canadian gun parts.
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Shamu
Admin Group Logo Designer / Donating Member Joined: April 25 2007 Location: MD, USA. Status: Offline Points: 17603 |
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The rumor mill always grinds.
We got Parkas, arctic underwear & snow shoes. The supply sergeant told us we would be going to somewhere they hadn't seen snow in a lifetime. We went to the Middle East. I always wondered if the supply "blunders" weren't just to keep the NAAFI gossip from being right! |
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Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force)
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Zed
Special Member Donating Member Joined: May 01 2012 Location: France Status: Online Points: 5586 |
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Just watched the documentary. It's a very good insight to the overall operational set up. The Lancaster has been one of my favourite aircraft ever since I was a kid; that and the Spitfire, Hurricane and Mosquito.
Maybe the sound of the RR merlins have something to play in that!
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It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice!
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hoadie
Moderator Group Joined: March 16 2006 Location: Niagara/Canada Status: Offline Points: 9003 |
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.. The sound of the Merlin...How sweet it is!!
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Loose wimmen tightened here
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Pukka Bundook
Senior Member Joined: February 02 2015 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 1369 |
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Great thread, this.
I have a real affection for all the old kites mentioned. Uncle Vic was a flight mechanic in the war, worked on the RR Merlins. Fantastic engines! Also still had a roll of canvas that was Mosquito 'skin' The Vulcan used to fly over the farm back in Yorkshire every now and then and was a beautiful thing to see! Used to see a Lanc , a S. Spitfire & a hurricane fly over on occasion as well, going to airshows. Lovely group to see. Uncle Vic was trained in Wellingtons as well. he said they often came back with no rear gunner ! He was once in the tail, and of course they often left the door open so they could see up the fuselage and not feel so lonely. He turned this time and hadn't locked his turret, and when he turned, it was straight down to the ground........(no back in the seat, as that is how you bailed out) he said he grabbed hold of the guns and shut his eyes till he got up courage to turn his turret & close his doors. Another fantastic bit of kit was the Lightning!!............used to scare the s.............out of me when I was tractoring, and they came silently overhead,....followed by the most horrific sonic boom as they departed! We lived in Forge Valley, near Scarborough,& the jets used to practice low level flying through there, keeping below radar height. Uncle Vic passed away last year. The lighting and the Forsdon Major is a interesting story! The photo isn't rigged. I will look out the thread re. this soon I hope. R.
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Pukka Bundook
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Here is a link to the story behind the Electric Lightning photo;
George landed in the greenhouse, and his canopy landed in the other end of the same greenhouse!
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Bear43
Special Member Donating Member Joined: August 11 2010 Location: Doland, SD Status: Offline Points: 3059 |
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To share a bit, my Grandpa Shea was in the Army Air Corps and trained on B-25 Mitche!! medium bombers. He was the tail gunner on his crew. He said he was the tail gunner because he was the only one of the crew that could fit back there. His words were, "If I had got back there and eaten a hamburger I wouldn't have gotten back out". He also said that the thing he hated most about it was gunnery practice in the air. He said in order to hit the target on the tow planes you had to aim at the tail of the tow plane and that made him very nervous.
I know it has nothing to do with the planes discussed, but all this brought back memories. |
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