lancaster taxy experience

[aeropilot]

deviant said:

Whats a flight in a B-25 or B-17 worth?

Depends on how much you think the 'worth' is...?

Out in the USA you can get a 30min flight in a B-25, B-17 or a B-24 for about 450 dollars.

[Incredible Sulk]

TEKNOPUG said:

Eric Mc said:

Because of the shortage or trained pilots, the three big four engined heavies used by the RAF (Lancaster, Halifax and Stirling) were all designed for single pilot operations. The flight engineer performed some of the duties normally allocated to a co-pilot. He usually had a small folding seat next to the pilot to enable them to sit down and assist during take off and landing.

The US did not have the same shortage or manpower so their bombers (even the light twins such as the Mitchell and Boston) were configured for two pilots.

Edited by Eric Mc on Friday 5th March 16:06

So if the pilot is hurt during a mission then the plane is lost?

Eric Mc said:

That was a possibility. Usually, the pilot gave his flight engineer some basic flying instructions so that he could at least try and fly the plane straight and level to give the cvrew the chance to bail out.

Having said all that, the only piece of armour plate on the aircraft is visible in the photo, which is behind the pilot's head.

Some of the aircrew apart from the pilot may have had some flight training. My old man ended up as a Navigator in Lancs (sitting in the seat visible in the middle of the photo) after displaying not enough aptitude in basic training to become a pilot!

I suspect he would really like to get into a Lancaster again, but at 90 years old and not very mobile, it might not be a good plan to book him on a taxy run.

[aeropilot]

Incredible Sulk said:

I suspect he would really like to get into a Lancaster again, but at 90 years old and not very mobile, it might not be a good plan to book him on a taxy run.

Don't you believe it. You'd be surprised at how the years and 'immobility' might suddenly disappear for a short while.
I've seen it a number a veteran's.....garranteed way of making him feel 20 again.

[Simpo Two]

aeropilot said:

Don't you believe it. You'd be surprised at how the years and 'immobility' might suddenly disappear for a short while.
I've seen it a number a veteran's.....garranteed way of making him feel 20 again.

Do it - magazines like those from the Spitfire & Blenheim societies are full of photos of aged veterans reliving their past. Next year might be too late. You might find it unlocks old memories that soon will be lost for ever.

So, just me and Zippee then? That means he'll have to go forward to drop the bombs while I hold it steady!

Edited by Simpo Two on Tuesday 9th March 18:43

[Leadfoot]

richw_82 said:

The only place you're going to get better value for money is paying around £1500 (last time I checked... it may have changed) to the Canadians for a flight in their Lanc.

There's nowhere else you'll get in a running Lancaster.

Ric

http://www.warplane.com/pages/membership.html

[deviant]

aeropilot said:

deviant said:

Whats a flight in a B-25 or B-17 worth?

Depends on how much you think the 'worth' is...?

Out in the USA you can get a 30min flight in a B-25, B-17 or a B-24 for about 450 dollars.

Well to me I think just the experience of taking off and doing a few circuits would make it spectacular value for money!

aeropilot said:

Incredible Sulk said:

I suspect he would really like to get into a Lancaster again, but at 90 years old and not very mobile, it might not be a good plan to book him on a taxy run.

Don't you believe it. You'd be surprised at how the years and 'immobility' might suddenly disappear for a short while.
I've seen it a number a veteran's.....garranteed way of making him feel 20 again.

I wouldnt hesitate to book him in for it! He will have some very good memories attached to his time in the RAF, he spent the prime years of his life there so I'm sure he would love to relive that even for a day.
If his health really is poor enough that he wouldnt be up to it look at taking him to the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight museum.
I did it a few years back and it is a brilliant tour, its on an acitve RAF base and there is a small museum to look around before being taken through to the hangar where all the aircraft were in various states of undress being worked on. The tour guide said that when they get veterans in they try and give them their own tour guide and actually take them up to the aircraft and let them get on board if they can.
Just make sure you ring ahead to make sure the aircraft are going to be in.

I saw a TV show were they took a Spitfire veteran out in the 2 seat one at Duxford. As soon as they were off the ground the lady in the back said "You have control" and immediately the old boy was back in the groove looping and rolling the aircraft all over the sky.

[aeropilot]

deviant said:

aeropilot said:

deviant said:

Whats a flight in a B-25 or B-17 worth?

Depends on how much you think the 'worth' is...?

Out in the USA you can get a 30min flight in a B-25, B-17 or a B-24 for about 450 dollars.

Well to me I think just the experience of taking off and doing a few circuits would make it spectacular value for money!

That's exactly why I did it

Here's a photo I took from inside the top turret of the B-17G whilst flying around San Francisco bay

Edited by aeropilot on Wednesday 10th March 08:50

[MKnight702]

I would like to come and play too please, always wanted to do the taxi in a Lancaster thing. The sound and smell of 4 Merlins mmmm

[Lucas CAV]

Not sure if anyone has seen this but here's a link with a photo tour of FM213 - the Canadian Lanc.

http://www.primeportal.net/hangar/dave_kitchel/lan...

[Simpo Two]

Well so far we have a crew of three:

Pilot	Simpo
Fight engineer	Zippee
Navigator
Wireless operator
Bomb aimer/front gunner
Mid-upper gunner	Matt
Rear gunner

Plus room for a few in the bomb bay - PM to join in

[peterperkins]

Lucas CAV said:

Not sure if anyone has seen this but here's a link with a photo tour of FM213 - the Canadian Lanc.

http://www.primeportal.net/hangar/dave_kitchel/lan...

That's interesting, I like the SATNAV velcroed onto the instrument panel. A bit different for our lads in WW2 flying at night over Germany in the pitch black, freezing cold & scared to death, with a compass and a few tatty maps. OK there may have been RDF or one or two other fancy gadgets but it puts it into perspective.

[Eric Mc]

peterperkins said:

Lucas CAV said:

Not sure if anyone has seen this but here's a link with a photo tour of FM213 - the Canadian Lanc.

http://www.primeportal.net/hangar/dave_kitchel/lan...

That's interesting, I like the SATNAV velcroed onto the instrument panel. A bit different for our lads in WW2 flying at night over Germany in the pitch black, freezing cold & scared to death, with a compass and a few tatty maps. OK there may have been RDF or one or two other fancy gadgets but it puts it into perspective.

It changed massively between 1939 and 1945.

In 1939 it was -

moonlight
maps
sextant
compass
tuning in to German radio broadcasts using the RDF loop

By 1945 it was


all the above plus -
H2S ground mapping radar

GEE - using radio transmissions broadcast from the UK which allowed the bomber to work out its position over continental Europe

Oboe - similar to GEE in some ways but more accurate allowing the bombers to pinpoint their aiming point much more precisely

[Mr_B]

B17 B24 and P51 flights in the US. http://www.collingsfoundation.org/cf_flightexperie...

The show with the old Spitfire pilot sounds like the show Spitfire Ace. This clip here I think.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgO2cjMnB9c&fea...

Along with navigation aids also came other problems, mostly that H2S was a huge give away to the enemy who could home in on aircraft using this system. You have to remember though that with that came accuracy that wasn't there before, so a trade off.

[Simpo Two]

Mr_B said:

Along with navigation aids also came other problems, mostly that H2S was a huge give away to the enemy who could home in on aircraft using this system.

Close but that was Monica, the tail-warning radar that SN2 sets could detect from over 100 miles away. Monica led to more bomber losses than anything else in the war.

[Mr_B]

H2S was also a huge give away that remained in use until the end of the war. Monica was known about and removed from all aircraft, plus it was not a nav aid and probably did more harm than good.
Despite being told not to, some crews used H2S from just after take off and all the way to their targets,when it should have only been used near the target, it was giving away their position though all the time it was on.
The German night fighter commander at the end of the war, General Schmid, said the use of H2S was the greatest mistake by the RAF as it allowed him inflict heavy casualties.

[Simpo Two]

Any active device can only be used until the enemy learns how to detect it - interesting reading at www.207squadron.rafinfo.org.uk/wesseling/wesseling... If aircrew ignored advice it may have been because the device/s were 'secret' so how could they possibly be detected? The same kind of human weakness that means each side finds it very hard to accept that its codes have been broken!

[deviant]

aeropilot said:

deviant said:

aeropilot said:

deviant said:

Whats a flight in a B-25 or B-17 worth?

Depends on how much you think the 'worth' is...?

Out in the USA you can get a 30min flight in a B-25, B-17 or a B-24 for about 450 dollars.

Well to me I think just the experience of taking off and doing a few circuits would make it spectacular value for money!

That's exactly why I did it

Here's a photo I took from inside the top turret of the B-17G whilst flying around San Francisco bay

Edited by aeropilot on Wednesday 10th March 08:50

Thank you sir, fantastic picture!

Were you free to wander around the aircraft? Could you swivel the turret?

Oh oh did they let anyone get in the ball turret?!

Mr_B said:

B17 B24 and P51 flights in the US. http://www.collingsfoundation.org/cf_flightexperie...

The show with the old Spitfire pilot sounds like the show Spitfire Ace. This clip here I think.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgO2cjMnB9c&fea...

Along with navigation aids also came other problems, mostly that H2S was a huge give away to the enemy who could home in on aircraft using this system. You have to remember though that with that came accuracy that wasn't there before, so a trade off.

Thats the show I was harping on about. Absolutely fantastic to see the old boy flying a Spitfire again and that noise from the Merlin!!!!

[aeropilot]

deviant said:

Thank you sir, fantastic picture!

Were you free to wander around the aircraft? Could you swivel the turret?

Oh oh did they let anyone get in the ball turret?!

Yes, free to wander around most of the aircraft, except down to tail turret and the ball turret was inoperable, so that was out of bounds as well. The dorsal turret was locked off, so, no, you couldn't swivel it.

deviant said:

Thats the show I was harping on about. Absolutely fantastic to see the old boy flying a Spitfire again and that noise from the Merlin!!!!

Sadly, Pete Brothers died in Dec 2008, so, not that long after that was filmed

[Wheelrepairit]

olly22n said:

always fancied being a rear gunner....saying that, I haven't given it to my dad yet

Ill always remember when I sat in the Lancaster at Bentwaters all those yrs ago the story they told me of why the rear gunners window was hinged, so it could open quickly.

Said it was so they could hose out the remains of the last poor soul who was in there and get back up asap.

Any truth in that ive no idea, just something that stuck in my mind from all those yrs ago.

Kinda puts me off the rear gunner seat.