AVRO Lancaster

[AJI]

Are there any RAF warplane enthusiasts on here?

I am just looking to find out how much value an original A.V.Roe & Co. LTD (AVRO) Lancaster technical and flight handbook would be worth these days?

Not that I am planning to flog it or anything, as it was my Grandad's when he used to fly the Lancaster. But all the same it would be nice to know if it had any value of today.

The handbook in question was issued to technical ground staff and also flight crew in which it contained detailed instructions and information about the air-frame, electrical and operating features of the Lancaster (during the war years of course).
It is a lovely handbook with plenty of guided plans and drawings that shows things such like the fuel pipe system and how it delivers the fuel to the engines, the oil system and pipelines, electrical systems, air frame structures, operating instructions on the engine start up, general flying etc. etc.

[mybrainhurts]

Oh, look....

[cazzer]

My Grandad worked at Avro's all through the war.
He built the Lancasters cockpit instrumentation panels.

(on his own, just him, with only one screwdriver, the way the owd bugger used to tell it)

[Eric Mc]

AJI said:

Are there any RAF warplane enthusiasts on here?

I am just looking to find out how much value an original A.V.Roe & Co. LTD (AVRO) Lancaster technical and flight handbook would be worth these days?

Not that I am planning to flog it or anything, as it was my Grandad's when he used to fly the Lancaster. But all the same it would be nice to know if it had any value of today.

The handbook in question was issued to technical ground staff and also flight crew in which it contained detailed instructions and information about the air-frame, electrical and operating features of the Lancaster (during the war years of course).
It is a lovely handbook with plenty of guided plans and drawings that shows things such like the fuel pipe system and how it delivers the fuel to the engines, the oil system and pipelines, electrical systems, air frame structures, operating instructions on the engine start up, general flying etc. etc.

I presume you are not talking about the "Pilot's Notes" book - which was republished quite recently.

[NiceCupOfTea]

Does it have a guide for checking your spark plugs at the back, and how to do bodywork on a Peugeot 306?

[mybrainhurts]

While we're on the subject, anybody know what role Woodford played in the design and/or manufacture of the Lancaster and Vulcan...?

I drive past regularly and often wondered.

[AJI]

mybrainhurts said:

Oh, look....

Yep, I'm guessing there will be similar information within that Haynes book (haven't read it by the way), but there is a difference between a Haynes copy and an original production from the AVRO company.

I am actually interesting now in buying the haynes manual to accompany the original.

[AJI]

Eric Mc said:

I presume you are not talking about the "Pilot's Notes" book - which was republished quite recently.

No, not the "pilot's notes".
I'm guessing its the manual that has been shown further up the thread that Haynes have produced.

Edited by AJI on Sunday 9th May 16:57

[cazzer]

mybrainhurts said:

While we're on the subject, anybody know what role Woodford played in the design and/or manufacture of the Lancaster and Vulcan...?

I drive past regularly and often wondered.

The Lancaster was designed at the Avro factory at Greengate in Middleton, Oldham.
A lot of them were built there too. I assume built in other places as well.

[B19GRR]

Lancasters were definitely assembled at Woodford with parts coming down from Chadderton, up to 48 per week at peak IIRC. I started my working life there, alas the interesting stuff was all history, they were assembling the 146 line (Regional Jet) and ATP (748 successor) at the time, pretty bloody boring to be honest. Didn't take me too long to realise my schools career officer was a lying git

They were definitely involved with Vulcan production and at the time I was there they still had the rusting white Vulcan to the side of the runway. They also worked on Buccaneers and Nimrods and plenty more. I used to enjoy the yearly airshow as a kid from the farmland at the end of the road I grew up on.

Cheers,
Rob

[mybrainhurts]

Ta...

[dr_gn]

AJI said:

Are there any RAF warplane enthusiasts on here?

I am just looking to find out how much value an original A.V.Roe & Co. LTD (AVRO) Lancaster technical and flight handbook would be worth these days?

Not that I am planning to flog it or anything, as it was my Grandad's when he used to fly the Lancaster. But all the same it would be nice to know if it had any value of today.

The handbook in question was issued to technical ground staff and also flight crew in which it contained detailed instructions and information about the air-frame, electrical and operating features of the Lancaster (during the war years of course).
It is a lovely handbook with plenty of guided plans and drawings that shows things such like the fuel pipe system and how it delivers the fuel to the engines, the oil system and pipelines, electrical systems, air frame structures, operating instructions on the engine start up, general flying etc. etc.

Look at EBay #120565153575.

and #370375277034

and #120565153584

and loads more. See how much they go for.

Edited by dr_gn on Sunday 9th May 17:55

[Simpo Two]

My military expert chum advises £10-£30. Apparently there were a lot around.

[disco1]

I've got my great uncles flight records from his WW2 days as a flight engineer on Halifax and Lancasters. Some of the records cover his 617sq days on tallboy missons on the Biefield viaduct, Dortmund Elms, Heligoland, and the u boat pens. These must be worth quite a bit? (not that we'll ever sell them)

[AJI]

That is cool.

Good to see people keeping hold of these things.

[dr_gn]

disco1 said:

I've got my great uncles flight records from his WW2 days as a flight engineer on Halifax and Lancasters. Some of the records cover his 617sq days on tallboy missons on the Biefield viaduct, Dortmund Elms, Heligoland, and the u boat pens. These must be worth quite a bit? (not that we'll ever sell them)

Heligoland is an interesting place. I have spent quite a bit of time in Hamburg, and there are boat trips from there to the island (or what's left of it!). I must go there one day:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heligoland

Maybe your Great Uncles missions are listed in the link above?

[disco1]

dr_gn said:

disco1 said:

I've got my great uncles flight records from his WW2 days as a flight engineer on Halifax and Lancasters. Some of the records cover his 617sq days on tallboy missons on the Biefield viaduct, Dortmund Elms, Heligoland, and the u boat pens. These must be worth quite a bit? (not that we'll ever sell them)

Heligoland is an interesting place. I have spent quite a bit of time in Hamburg, and there are boat trips from there to the island (or what's left of it!). I must go there one day:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heligoland

Maybe your Great Uncles missions are listed in the link above?

Yeah, his records include the tallboy runs on the coastal batteries. He had quite a lucky life by the sounds of things, bailed out a number of times. Once where his plane was shot to bits over Turin but made it back to blighty by the skin of its teeth. Unfortunately 1 of his crew didn't make it, they found him 3 months later in a hampshire lake. The pilot recieved a flying cross for his actions as he held the plane level whilst the crew jumped out.

Scary times for teenage boys, the pilot was the old man of the bunch in his early 20s!!!

My g/uncle served 2 tours and stayed on in the RAF as a test in-flight engineer on loads of different test planes right up to the intoduction of the hercules. He supplimented his service with loads of invitations to 617sq diners, even the Germans contacted him in the 70s to ask him about his wartime experiences.

Someone should write a book about him...

[Eric Mc]

Does the manual cover this version of the Lancaster?

[dr_gn]

Eric Mc said:

Does the manual cover this version of the Lancaster?

B II with Bristol Hercules engines.

[AJI]

Nice picture !