RAF Bitteswell Lancaster Test-Bed

[LotusOmega375D]

My Dad met a retired gentleman last week who had spent all his life at RAF Bitteswell. My Dad remembered cycling over there as a kid and seeing a Lancaster with a fifth "Mamba" engine parked up by the A427 road. The gentleman (who kept his own records of pretty much everything that happened there) confirmed this. I guess it must have been this one (SW342). Does look odd, doesn't it?



Other bike-ride destinations for my father in the 1950s included RAF Bruntingthorpe during the B-47 Stratojet era. He would sometimes see them take-off with RATO rocket-bottle assistance like this one, which must have been an impressive sight.

[Eric Mc]

After WW2, many Lancasters were used as test beds for various engines and for other purposes.

Indeed, if it wasn't for Fairey Aviation using PA474 for many years as a test aircraft, it is highly unlikely it would have survived to become Britain's last airworthy example.

[spitfire-ian]

Some more here http://www.lancaster-archive.com/lanc_photos_testb...

[Ali Chappussy]

I did my apprenticeship at Bitteswell in the 70's, fond memories of the place.

[richw_82]

Did you do anything on the Shackletons? The AEW2's were all conversions done by HSA at Bitteswell in the early 1970's.