Lancaster

[Splitpin]

Thank you JK for this ...magic work.



and a few random shots,

[Charl]

Up to the usual high standards, Marty

That dark *menacing* blue does rather suit the character of the plane, eh?
Many many years ago I built the Revell 1/72 Dambusters model which embodied that.

EDIT: And by gum it has been re-tooled and you can build one today!

[Splitpin]

Thanks for looking Charl....it does suit that blue paint.

They also looked good in coastal command colours and the Tiger force.

https://www.chezbois.com/corgi/modern_corgi/168407.htm

https://www.chezbois.com/corgi/modern_corgi/181949.htm

[aerofoto]

Caught up late with this LANCASTER stuff, so, time for a bit of "clap trap" .... sorry I meant "CLASSIC CHAT" .... from me on this particular subject although I don't (intentionally) mean to digress this topic by virtue of the content of my/this contribution.

Most are aware the LANCASTER evolved from the failed MANCHESTER and ultimately concluded with the post war LINCOLN .... with a number of "LANCASTER" versions, of varying logistical capability and operational purposes, having being developed in-between.

Some might not be so aware though that LANCASTER's (along with a VIKING and an early VISCOUNT too) were used as test-bed aircraft during early post war British jet engine development between 1946 and 1950 ....

LANCASTRIAN JET TEST BED




It was also during this period that former RAF LANCASTER (along with HALIFAX and HALTON) bombers were converted for civil use (as was done in the case of some former USAAF B-17 FLYING FORTRESS and B24 LIBERATOR bombers as well). The impositions of WW2 had essentially resulted in British civil aviation being suspended through more pressing need of military aircraft development.

The post war abundance of war surplus LANCASTRER's, and the pressing necessity of restarting civil aviation again following some 6 years of global conflict, spawned hasty re-development of these airframes in particular .... especially in the case of Britain's far flung colonial territories and/or regions of political/economic influence around the world.

With the exception of its long-ranging pre-war developed SHORTS series commercial flying boats, Britain essentially lacked similarly logistically capable, self-developed, land-based civil aircraft .... hence its rapid re-development of LANCASTER bombers (re-named AVRO LANCASTRIAN 691 aircraft) into passenger carrying commercial PAX transports despite these aircraft lacking suitability for such purposes. Again "ABSOLUTE NECESSITY within a post WW2 world transitioning into peacetime became the primary motivation for such redevelopment .... as Britain sought to maintain what remained of its pre-WW2 empire.

The very first civil conversions of LANCASTER bomber derived LANCASTRIAN aircraft were actually undertaken in Canada though, by VICTORY AIRCRAFT LTD, during 1943, and for TRANS CANADA AIRLINES. Configured for up to 10 PAX, these aircraft successfully operated trans-Atlantic air mail services between Montreal and Prestwick/the UK throughout the remainder of WW2.

Upon conversion to AVRO 691 LANCASTRIAN's .... these aircraft became the earliest logistically capable post war British civil air transports.

Each of these aircraft were powered by 4X 1,610 HP ROLLS-ROYCE MERLIN T.24/2 engines and certified for a MTOW of up to 64,993 LBS .... with payloads of up to 6,600 LBS and had capacity for 9 to 13 PAX. Each had an airspeed of 230 MPH, a range of some 4,100 miles, and were capable of a maximum service ceiling of up to 30,000 FT.

Some 30 LANCASTRIAN aircraft conversions were delivered to BOAC from 1945 .... and to both SILVER CITY AIRWAYS and SKYWAYS also. On April 23rd 1945, one such BOAC aircraft (G-AGLF) operated a demonstration flight between London and Auckland/New Zealand .... completed in 3 days days and 14 hours .... and at an average en-route speed of some 220 MPH. LANCASTRIAN aircraft also operated regular BOAC services as far abroad as Australia from May 1945.







From 1946 a total of 10 LANCASTRIAN aircraft were also operated by BSAA (BRITISH SOUTH AMERICAN AIRWAYS (formerly BRITISH LATIN AMERICAN AIRLINES) on scheduled commercial air services, across the Andes, between Santiago and Buenos Aires, and to other destinations throughout the South American continent, and to British Caribbean ports. During 1946 a BSAA LANCASTRIAN also operated the very first scheduled commercial air service from the, then, new Heathrow Airport at London.



A BSAA aircraft (G-AGWH "Star Dust") made notoriety on August 2nd 1947 .... mysteriously disappearing in the Andes, on a scheduled commercial flight between Buenos Aires/Argentina and Santiago/Chile, and within less than 30 minutes of its scheduled arrival time. Searchers, at the time, failed to locate any trace of the aircraft (most South American countries within the Andean region subscribe to the the following saying .... "LO QUE LOS ANDES TOMAN ELLOS NO DEVUELVEN/WHAT THE ANDES TAKE THEY DON'T GIVE BACK"), but, during recent years, a certain high altitude glacier, on a major mountain (actually located within vicinity of the of the 1972 FUERZA AEREA URUGUAYA FH-227 crash site) located on the Argentine side of the Andes, has begun spitting out parts of the BSAA LANCASTRIAN wreck .... along with remains of its crew and PAX too .... some 80 years after their disappearance ....

BSAA "STAR DUST" LANCASTRIAN DISAPPEARANCE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0O1Cap__2SU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFqBuHMxbeE

QANTAS EMPIRE AIRWAYS also briefly operated a pair LANCASTRIAN aircraft (along with converted B24 LIBERATOR's and PBY CATALINA aircraft too) on scheduled commercial services to Manila, Tokyo, and London .... in conjunction with BOAC (QANTAS crews flew these aircraft as far west a Karachi where BOAC crews then operated continuation of these services to London). One of the 2 QANTAS LANCASTRIAN aircraft (VH-EAS) was written-off, on April 7th 1947, as the result of a non-fatal ground-loop incident upon landing at Dubbo/New South Wales/Australia.



6 LANCASTRIAN aircraft were also briefly operated by ALITALIA from 1948 .... during Italy's early post WW2 civil aviation recovery period.



Civil configured LANCASTRIAN aircraft were also briefly operated by FAMA (FLOTA AEREA MERCANTE ARGENTINA) .... and also as military transports operated by the FUERZA AEREA ARGENTINA.

These aircraft also participated in the Berlin Airlift .... during which period some 15 LANCASTRIAN's operated in excess of 5,000 flights between June 1948 and May 1949.

Whilst the LANCASTRIAN was a fast and logistically capable aircraft .... for the "military purposes" it was originally intended .... it was hardly suitable for civil type operations. Once again most civil configured LANCASTRIAN aircraft were used "only through absolute necessity" in order to promptly reinstate commercial aviation .... and launch new services too .... during the immediate post WW2 recovery period and until superior civil customized aircraft types became available.

Mark C

[Splitpin]

Interesting post, thankyou Mark.
Nice to see you back.

[aerofoto]

Nice to see you back

Not been away .... as such.

Haven't logged-in frequently .... unless I've something (meaningful) to contribute.

Been "EXCEPTIONALLY BUSY" over the past almost 2 years looking after what I represent .... you know where

Mark C
AKL/NZ