Lancaster - engine out?

[dr_gn]

The Lancaster just flew directly over our house - quite low, with the port inner engine stopped and prop feathered.

Quite a sight and sound!

Any info?

[Eric Mc]

Hope all is OK. A Lanc should fly OK on three.

[Eric Mc]

She apparently had an engine problem on the way to a display at Old Warden and has had to return to base.

[tubbinthug]

They all sounded great as it did some low passes over the woodvale rally. Flew right over me

[Richjam]

from twitter "Just checked with the Boss. As a precautionary measure lanc engine was shut down after an oil leak. Sorry for delay but needed to get facts!"

[dr_gn]

Thanks guys - glad it's nothing serious.

Strange when something so rare flies right over your house...made my afternoon!

[Simpo Two]

Must be a 109 out there somewhere...


Reckon it might fly on two with no payload and minimal crew.

[friederich]

I was at Old Warden this afternoon when it was announced that the Lancaster wouldn't be appearing due to an engine issue. Still, plenty to see even if it was a bit overcast for much of the day.

[mrmaggit]

I was at Duxford yesterday for the summer car show. They've got not only a Lanc but a Mossie there. Why aren't they being returned to flying condition?

[Eric Mc]

mrmaggit said:

I was at Duxford yesterday for the summer car show. They've got not only a Lanc but a Mossie there. Why aren't they being returned to flying condition?

Beacause

a) they have no plans to

b) it costs an awful lot

c) restoring to flying condityion can often men an almost 100% re-manufacture of the airframe. This isn't always desirable.

[Simpo Two]

I also have to think that if one is restored to flying condition, sooner or later it will end up as a smoking hole in the ground and then it will effectively be lost for ever. So it is nice to see them fly but in reality it is short-termism.

[magpie215]

The Lanc displayed OK at Blackpool though the reds were missing a hawk....8 ship display.

Believe the 9th had a birdstrike en route Blackpool.

[Working class]

What does 'feathering' the prop mean?

[magpie215]

Working class said:

What does 'feathering' the prop mean?

The prop blades are turned so they are not causing drag and the prop does not windmill

[Eric Mc]

Working class said:

What does 'feathering' the prop mean?

As explained, the individual prop blades rotate on their hubs so that they are edge-on to the airflow - creating less aerodynamic drag.

If a prop cannot be feathered - which can happen if the hydraulic system is damaged, it can cause massive problems due to the huge amount of drag created.

If the prop cannot be fethered and it starts to windmill in the airflow, you can end up with a runaway prop and the whole propellor assembly or even the engine itself can be ripped off the wing. These types of situations happened many times during WW2.

[Simpo Two]

Eric Mc said:

If the prop cannot be fethered and it starts to windmill in the airflow, you can end up with a runaway prop and the whole propellor assembly or even the engine itself can be ripped off the wing.

How can a (passive) prop rotate faster than the air that's driving it round? If that happened wouldn't the airflow slow it back down?

[dr_gn]

Simpo Two said:

Eric Mc said:

If the prop cannot be fethered and it starts to windmill in the airflow, you can end up with a runaway prop and the whole propellor assembly or even the engine itself can be ripped off the wing.

How can a (passive) prop rotate faster than the air that's driving it round? If that happened wouldn't the airflow slow it back down?

Variable pitch propellers remember - its analagous to going from fifth to first in your car...

[Hooli]

dr_gn said:

Simpo Two said:

Eric Mc said:

If the prop cannot be fethered and it starts to windmill in the airflow, you can end up with a runaway prop and the whole propellor assembly or even the engine itself can be ripped off the wing.

How can a (passive) prop rotate faster than the air that's driving it round? If that happened wouldn't the airflow slow it back down?

Variable pitch propellers remember - its analagous to going from fifth to first in your car...

Yup if the prop sticks with coarse pitch it'll get spun by the wind much faster than in fine pitch.

[Brother D]

Hooli said:

Yup if the prop sticks with coarse pitch it'll get spun by the wind much faster than in fine pitch.

Surely that is the other way round? - thought coarse pitch is angled towards feathered?

[Eric Mc]

I'm sure it is. But feathered is so coarse that the prop no longer "bites" the air - which is why it produces less drag if the prop has stopped rotating.