Discussion
Excellent programme!
Its seem completely absurd to me that only one Lancaster has been saved and is funded from the public purse.
I saw the only airworthy Vulcan flying last year, the situation is even worse; its funded privately and once again struggling to find the funding to stay in the air.
I have no particular interest in planes or the RAF, but for God's sake how on earth can this be?
Its seem completely absurd to me that only one Lancaster has been saved and is funded from the public purse.
I saw the only airworthy Vulcan flying last year, the situation is even worse; its funded privately and once again struggling to find the funding to stay in the air.
I have no particular interest in planes or the RAF, but for God's sake how on earth can this be?
james S said:
Excellent programme!
Its seem completely absurd to me that only one Lancaster has been saved and is funded from the public purse.
I saw the only airworthy Vulcan flying last year, the situation is even worse; its funded privately and once again struggling to find the funding to stay in the air.
I have no particular interest in planes or the RAF, but for God's sake how on earth can this be?
Don't you really understand the huge effort required to keep these machines in the air (especially the Vulcan)?Its seem completely absurd to me that only one Lancaster has been saved and is funded from the public purse.
I saw the only airworthy Vulcan flying last year, the situation is even worse; its funded privately and once again struggling to find the funding to stay in the air.
I have no particular interest in planes or the RAF, but for God's sake how on earth can this be?
And who are you levelling the blame at for failing to have only one Lancaster flying in the UK (there is a flyable one in Canada too)?
How many flying Lancasters should there be and who should pay for them all?
Tango13 said:
I wasn't very impressed with the way they wrote No 9 Squadron out of the attacks on the Tirpitz nor the way they ommited to mention the de-homing policy was in force before Harris took control of Bomber Command.
Ditto that about IX squadron.Here's a scan of my Dad's log Book for October 1944, showing he flew on that raid.
Eric Mc said:
Don't you really understand the huge effort required to keep these machines in the air (especially the Vulcan)?
And who are you levelling the blame at for failing to have only one Lancaster flying in the UK (there is a flyable one in Canada too)?
How many flying Lancasters should there be and who should pay for them all?
Are you in a bad mood Eric?And who are you levelling the blame at for failing to have only one Lancaster flying in the UK (there is a flyable one in Canada too)?
How many flying Lancasters should there be and who should pay for them all?
I'd be interested to know whether the Lancaster or the Vulcan cost more to keep airworthy. To be honest I'd rather see an airworthy Wellington or Hampden than the Vulcan (impressive plane though it undoubtedly is).
What's most sad for me is that some types, Halifax, Stirling, Hampden, Whitley etc simply don't exist (other than as mangled up bits). I wonder if this is to an extent because of the tainting of Bomber Command after Harris's 're-interpretation' of the Pointblank plan?
Riff Raff said:
Ditto that about IX squadron.
Here's a scan of my Dad's log Book for October 1944, showing he flew on that raid.
Sorpe Dam on 15 Oct 1944... Here's a scan of my Dad's log Book for October 1944, showing he flew on that raid.
As for funding the Lancaster and other warbirds, how many benefit cheats, feckless layabouts and maintenance payments to Pakistan is each one worth? And families getting up to £26K pa free - that must add up to a bit.
Yertis said:
Are you in a bad mood Eric?
I'd be interested to know whether the Lancaster or the Vulcan cost more to keep airworthy. To be honest I'd rather see an airworthy Wellington or Hampden than the Vulcan (impressive plane though it undoubtedly is).
What's most sad for me is that some types, Halifax, Stirling, Hampden, Whitley etc simply don't exist (other than as mangled up bits). I wonder if this is to an extent because of the tainting of Bomber Command after Harris's 're-interpretation' of the Pointblank plan?
Bad mood - not at all.I'd be interested to know whether the Lancaster or the Vulcan cost more to keep airworthy. To be honest I'd rather see an airworthy Wellington or Hampden than the Vulcan (impressive plane though it undoubtedly is).
What's most sad for me is that some types, Halifax, Stirling, Hampden, Whitley etc simply don't exist (other than as mangled up bits). I wonder if this is to an extent because of the tainting of Bomber Command after Harris's 're-interpretation' of the Pointblank plan?
The point I was emphasising is that we are lucky to have even one Lancaster airworthy in the UK. It could so easily have been none - and one day it may well be.
The vast bulk of wartime aircraft were destroyed in scrapyards within 5 years of the war's ending. They weren't needed and had no inherent value apart from the metal they were made of.
The Halifax situation isn't quite down to mangled up bits. We have the restoration at Elvington (which is part Halifax and part Hastings) and the beautifully restored example in Canada. Neither are flying, of course, but at least they are in one piece. A Hampden is being restored (again, non-flying) at Cosford.
The Ontario Halifax - what a beauty.
ScoobyDood said:
Quite probably as the filming at White Waltham was last September (have a few pics somewhere)
My old Pitts gets a cameo role, as does the Yak - scoots across in front of the camera just before the navex in the Dak. We've been trying to work out who was in the Yak - I thought it was JW911, but he claims not (wrong colour helmet).
The Lanc features excessively in all Bomber Command documentaries because we have a couple of examples still in existence that can be crawled inside and filmed.
If there was a flying Halifax/Stirling/Wellington etc we might get to see them too.
During WW2, Bomber Command must have operated at least 20,000 aircraft, of which just 7,000 were Lancasters.
If there was a flying Halifax/Stirling/Wellington etc we might get to see them too.
During WW2, Bomber Command must have operated at least 20,000 aircraft, of which just 7,000 were Lancasters.
Eric Mc said:
The Lanc features excessively in all Bomber Command documentaries because we have a couple of examples still in existence that can be crawled inside and filmed.
If there was a flying Halifax/Stirling/Wellington etc we might get to see them too.
During WW2, Bomber Command must have operated at least 20,000 aircraft, of which just 7,000 were Lancasters.
Much the same can be said about anything to do with the Battle of Britain, you'd think we'd had no other aircraft apart from Spitfires!If there was a flying Halifax/Stirling/Wellington etc we might get to see them too.
During WW2, Bomber Command must have operated at least 20,000 aircraft, of which just 7,000 were Lancasters.
eccles said:
Much the same can be said about anything to do with the Battle of Britain, you'd think we'd had no other aircraft apart from Spitfires!
The Germans thought so too - if shot down it was never by a Hurricane, always a Spitfire (less of a disgrace I suppose). So it was a legend even in 1940.eccles said:
Eric Mc said:
The Lanc features excessively in all Bomber Command documentaries because we have a couple of examples still in existence that can be crawled inside and filmed.
If there was a flying Halifax/Stirling/Wellington etc we might get to see them too.
During WW2, Bomber Command must have operated at least 20,000 aircraft, of which just 7,000 were Lancasters.
Much the same can be said about anything to do with the Battle of Britain, you'd think we'd had no other aircraft apart from Spitfires!If there was a flying Halifax/Stirling/Wellington etc we might get to see them too.
During WW2, Bomber Command must have operated at least 20,000 aircraft, of which just 7,000 were Lancasters.
During the war the Lancaster was not publicised ahead of the other RAF bombers. It just gradually became the dominant heavy bomber so that by 1945, all the main bombing squadrons were operating the type. The Stirling had been phased out and was being used as a glider tug and paratroop carrying aircraft.
The Halfax was a pretty versatile aircraft and during WW2 served in far more roles than the Lancaster did. Also, it was felt to be a better aircraft for operations in the Middle East (because the Bristol Hercules air cooled radials of the later marks were beter suited to the dusty and hot environment).
After the war, Bomber Command standardiised on the Lanc so the other four engined bombers were retired and scrapped. This allowed the Lancs to continue in service for another decade, which is why we have a couple of flyers today.
ph1l5 said:
Great program, I have never really though about the poor rear gunner it looks like he had the worst job of the lot. Cramped little office and he is sat there for 9 hours. Amazing blokes the lot of them.
there's a book about a Wellington rear gunner, by John Beede called simply, "Rear Gunner" when it was originally released, it was titled "They Hosed Them Out"brave men
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