33 replies to this topic

[Paul Hurdsfield]

I just thought this may be of interest to the TNFNW gang

Lancaster bomber to visit Manchesterfor AVRO Centenary on 16thMay

The AVRO Lancaster of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF) will visit Manchester on Sunday 16th May 2010. The visit forms part of the commemoration of the centenary of the founding in Manchesteron 1stJ anuary 1910 of A.V. Roe & Company Ltd, the first company in the world to be set up for the sole purpose of designing and manufacturing flying machines.The world war 2 bomber which was designed and produced in Manchester will perform a flypast over various points in Manchester on Sunday 16thMay 2010 as follows :-

16.25 hrs – Manchester Airport– Aviation Viewing Park Travelling from East to West along runway 23R

16.32 hrs – Barton Dock Rd, Trafford Park Travelling from Eccles towards Stretford.

16.35 hrs – Manchester Town Hall Travelling from Stretford towards Oldham

16.36 hrs – Brownsfield Mill – Gt Ancoats St. Travelling from Stretford towards Oldham

16.38 hrs – Bae Systems factory – Greengate – Middleton Travelling from Manchester Centre towards Chadderton

[Pullman99]

I just thought this may be of interest to the TNFNW gang Lancaster bomber to visit Manchester for AVRO Centenary on 16th May

Thanks for that Paul. Avro's centenary is a significant aviation milestone. It's a pity that the Lancaster couldn't be joined by the Avro Vulcan B2, currently at RAF Lyneham since its move from Bruntingthorpe, is nearing the final stages of its engineering programme to allow it to resume its display programme this year. I'm in Derby at the moment. It would be nice to think the (Merlin powered) Lancaster could make a quick pass over the Rolls-Royce factory in Nightingale Road on the way back to RAF Coningsby!

As an aside, the original Nightingale Road factory, the opening ceremony for which took place on 9th July 1908 by Lord Montagu of Beaulieu, has been derelict for a couple of years and is facing an uncertain future although I believe that The Rolls-Royce Heritage Trust is keeping an eye on things including the removal of the famous Battle of Britain memorial window from the main entrance. Derby City Council has bought the site for redevelopment. The birthplace of many of the world's greatest cars and aero engines - including the Merlin and the record breaking "R" Type needs to be acknowledged.

Edited by Pullman99, 17 May 2010 - 12:37.

[Phil Rainford]

http://news.bbc.co.u...ews/8685193.stm


This could prove a problem


PAR

[MCS]

It would be great to see some pictures chaps! (Fingers now crossed)

[Slurp1955]

http://news.bbc.co.u...ews/8685193.stm


This could prove a problem


PAR

That's a shame, as from Paul's timetable it would be over my back garden at 16.23 hrs. I wonder if airspace over the Ruhr is closed today......?

[Tony Matthews]

I wonder if airspace over the Ruhr is closed today......?

Can't we send a Pathfinder or PRU Spitfire to find out?

[alansart]

That's a shame, as from Paul's timetable it would be over my back garden at 16.23 hrs. I wonder if airspace over the Ruhr is closed today......?

...and over mine at about 16.26. I'll have a camera ready just in case it does happen

[FrankB]

Surely piston engines at less than 5000 ft are going to be less susceptible to problems caused by ash than are jet engines at 25000 ft plus.

I wonder if the Lancaster is (was?) routed any where near the Derwent dams as it crosses the Pennines from Lincolnshire?

[alansart]

Very quiet around here. I've a feeling it's been cancelled

Edit: It has!

http://news.bbc.co.u...ter/8685196.stm

Hopefully it will be rescheduled.

Edited by alansart, 16 May 2010 - 15:54.

[Paul Hurdsfield]

Well what a let down
It is No1 sons 39th birthday and we were having a family lunch at the Lowry
At 16.25 I was outside with No1 Grandson on the balcony overlooking the Irwell with a fairly clear view.
At 16.45 I went back inside and had my pud

Edited by Paul Hurdsfield, 16 May 2010 - 18:39.

[Phil Rainford]

And the clouds had broken to leave a mainly clear sky


PAR

[Gatmo]

It's a sure sign that Simon Arron is looking to take to the skies when all you can see at every major UK airport is "Flight Cancelled - Volcanic Ash outbreak"..................

[D-Type]

On the Avro theme, does anyone know if any 504's have been preserved, particularly in flying order? I feel the 504 belongs in the air alongside the Lancaster and the Vulcan.
If the event is rescheduled, hopefully this will be after the Vulcan is airworthy.

[FrankB]

There is an airworthy 504 in the Shuttleworth Trust's collection in Bedfordshire. It is well worth a visit at any time, but especially on flying days. There is also the strong motor racing through Richard Shuttleworth, the founder of the collection.

" Richard built up a sizeable collection of old cars, and somewhat later, aeroplanes, restoring them to working order. These now form the nucleus of the Collection at Old Warden Aerodrome, which was also constructed by him. He had a very successful racing career, culminating in the winning of the first British Grand Prix at Donnington Park in 1935 driving his 2.5 litre Alfa Romeo Monoposto. He raced at Grand Prix worldwide and participated in the South African Grand Prix where his car went out of control and he was badly hurt. This led to his retirement from motor racing and he took up flying because 'it was safer'!"

[elansprint72]

On the Avro theme, does anyone know if any 504's have been preserved, particularly in flying order? I feel the 504 belongs in the air alongside the Lancaster and the Vulcan.
If the event is rescheduled, hopefully this will be after the Vulcan is airworthy.

Yes. The Avro apprentices at Woodford built one using traditional methods back in the 70s and I think a couple more are in the sky world-wide.

What a shame the Lancaster was not scheduled to fly into Woodford, rather than Ringway. Presumably this is due to the hostile site manager at Woodford who was over-joyed to have an excuse to cancel the bi-ennial airshows when we had foot and mouth and that was the end of that.

Now the airfield is due to close, what will become of the white Vulcan?



Photo shows the BBMF Lancaster departing Woodford in the 70s (note lack of upper turret; the show commentator appealed to anyone in the crowd who had one to get in touch. Guess what?).
Rather ironically, the aircraft at the bottom of the shot are HP Victors (an AVRO V-bomber rival) waiting to be converted to tankers; HP having gone bust.

I live on the approach to runway 07, anything going that way is at about 400 ft; they usually wave back.

[Pullman99]

Now the airfield is due to close, what will become of the white Vulcan?

This is the Vulcan B.2 XM603 that is looked after by the Avro Heritage Society. There is also the Avro Heritage Group that operates a museum collection at Woodford but I am not sure if they are separate organisations. Hopefully sense will prevail and that they will not be homeless.

Avro Heritage Group website

Air Britain pic of XM603


I go past XM575 at the Aeropark at East Midlands Airport most mornings!

Edited by Pullman99, 17 May 2010 - 13:42.

[Odseybod]

There is an airworthy 504 in the Shuttleworth Trust's collection in Bedfordshire. It is well worth a visit at any time, but especially on flying days. There is also the strong motor racing through Richard Shuttleworth, the founder of the collection.

" Richard built up a sizeable collection of old cars, and somewhat later, aeroplanes, restoring them to working order. These now form the nucleus of the Collection at Old Warden Aerodrome, which was also constructed by him. He had a very successful racing career, culminating in the winning of the first British Grand Prix at Donnington Park in 1935 driving his 2.5 litre Alfa Romeo Monoposto. He raced at Grand Prix worldwide and participated in the South African Grand Prix where his car went out of control and he was badly hurt. This led to his retirement from motor racing and he took up flying because 'it was safer'!"

And not forgetting the just-about-airworthy replica of the Avro Triplane built for "Magnificent Men", also resident at Old Warden.

p.s. And an Anson, of course.

Edited by Odseybod, 17 May 2010 - 13:30.

[Sharman]

I really can't understand why they cancelled it, there must have been much more ash over Hamburg in 1944

[Paul Hurdsfield]

I really can't understand why they cancelled it, there must have been much more ash over Hamburg in 1944

No H+S then

[Rob29]

Hope the ash clouds don't cancel any air shows this summer.The Lancaster was due to fly over here the previous sunday,but I forgot to go out to look-was watching Spanish GP I think! A ceremony was scheduled to comemerate an incident that happened in 1964-a Valiant V bomber crashed a few hundred yards from where I now live- killing the crew.

[275 GTB-4]

Good to see...G for George honoured and those of the Bomber Command...

http://www.ramint.gov.au/

[J. Scott Morris]

The Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum will be flying their Avro Lancaster to England this August for a month long visit. The Lancaster will join the only other airworthy Lancaster in the world, owned and operated by the Royal Air Force's Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF), and participate in several events and activities.  You can check out the details here:  http://www.warplane....14-UK-Tour.aspx

And check out the CWHM website at   http://www.warplane.com

Enjoy!!  -Scott

[HaraldJoergens]

You might be interested in a virtual tour of a Lancaster bomber: 
 
It has been created for the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre in East Kirkby. There are three panoramas from the outside, eight of the inside, from the bomb aimer to the rear gunner, and a high resolution panorama of the Memorial Chapel.
 
Almost all details are labelled, many explained, just move the mouse cursor over an item of interest.
 
Click here open the panorama, and switch to full screen mode!

 
If you are interested in future aircraft panoramas, please sign up to our mailing list!
 
A bit more about the panorama can be found here.

[uffen]

Those are wonderful - thank you!

[Gary Davies]

Brilliant, just brilliant, Harald. Thank you.

[Dipster]

My awful internet connection struggled but it was well worth the wait! Thank you very much for the work you have put into this and for posting it. I am sure it is appreciated by all.

[GreenMachine]

That is a great set of pictures!

[Cirio]

I tuned into this thread thinking it would be about the England rugby union team.....

 

Great pics though.

[HaraldJoergens]

Thanks for all the kind comments! There has been an update, you can now start (and stop) all four engines individually from the cockpit. Turn up the volume!

[Lee Nicolle]

Is this Lanc airworthy? I feel there is a couple that run but are only allowed to taxi. Better than nothing ofcourse but planes are supposed to fly!

It probably costs 10 times as much however to make them airworthy. I suspect finding qualified pilots also may well be a problem.

 

In recent years I have been around museums & etc and have seen steam trains that go but are not allowed to be used, paddle boats ditto as well as aircraft that are not alowed to fly. There is quite a few cars that are being used and probably should not be too!

Sad but unfortunatly the age and maintenance costs preclude these things from being used .

[Steve99]

"Is this Lanc airworthy?"

 

No, sadly not, although there are (rather ambitious) plans to get 'Just Jane' back to airowrthy condition. The problem is, of course, cost. You can however take a trip down the runway in her. I visited her earlier this year - East Kirkby is a greart museum, well  worth the visit. Incidentally, the BBMF Lancaster is now ready to fly,and indeed makes her test flight today (Monday) from Coningsby.

[elansprint72]

The Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum will be flying their Avro Lancaster to England this August for a month long visit. The Lancaster will join the only other airworthy Lancaster in the world, owned and operated by the Royal Air Force's Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF), and participate in several events and activities.  You can check out the details here:  http://www.warplane....14-UK-Tour.aspx

And check out the CWHM website at   http://www.warplane.com

Enjoy!!  -Scott

Southport airshow last year- a day of impenetrable gloom in the UK. The Vulcan could not even get off the ground but turned up the next day unexpectedly which, of course, was no compensation to those of us who had bought tickets for it's one scheduled appearance.

 

 

Thanks for posting those lovely Lancaster panoramas, Harald.

[elansprint72]

A new by-pass has just been opened near to the site of AVRO Woodford, where many Lancasters (and much more) were assembled. The road has been named after Roy Chadwick who designed the Lancaster (and much more!) I live on what was late finals for the main runway and was treated to a very low pass by an  Avro Anson this morning as part of the celebrations. I'm going out to check my roof tiles; the last time I did this was when a really, really, big Antonov was landing with a clearly faulty altimeter. 

 

Incidentally Woodford aerodrome is now a housing estate (thanks, JCB) but there is an excellent museum which includes the white Vulcan; well worth a visit, or three- check the opening times.

[marksixman]

Thanks for drawing my attention to this thread. Links in post #23 still work !

 

Admiration for those who saw action in such machines just grows and grows.