# Inside a Lancaster



## k9kiwi (Dec 15, 2006)

Don't get dizzy.

Lancaster


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## syscom3 (Dec 15, 2006)

That was interesting.


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## Gnomey (Dec 16, 2006)

Certainly was, good find.


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## the lancaster kicks ass (Dec 17, 2006)

how annoying it wont load anything but a tiny section of the pictures, ah well, back to my stills it is


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## bomber (Dec 17, 2006)

This is an alternative

http://www.pan3sixty.co.uk/tours/duxford/lancasterfs.html


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## the lancaster kicks ass (Dec 17, 2006)

fantastic stuff thanks!


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## Milos Sijacki (Dec 17, 2006)

Good stuff. Congratz on it.


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## bomber (Dec 17, 2006)

You can see the difference between a daytime and nightime version


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## the lancaster kicks ass (Dec 18, 2006)

how do you mean?


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## Matt308 (Dec 18, 2006)

I have to claim ignorance that I did not realize that the Lancaster only had one position for the flight controls. I guess I never thought about it having anything other than a more modern side by side seating arrangement for pilot and copilot.


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## twoeagles (Dec 18, 2006)

You could get a really good tan flying the Lanc on day missions!


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## the lancaster kicks ass (Dec 18, 2006)

yes there is good all around visibility in a lanc, and the single pilot controls (although easily adapted to take a second set of controls) were one of the drawbacks picked up on by those fighting for the B-24 and B-17s in our now infamous lanc vs. american bombers debates.............


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## bomber (Dec 19, 2006)

the lancaster kicks ass said:


> how do you mean?



If you note on a nighttime lancaster there's a cowling over the instrument panel so as to minimise the light from the small instrument lamps leaking out of the cockpit...

On a daytime lancaster that cowling simply isn't there..

So you can see one is fitted out for as a daytime bomber the other is a nighttime bomber.

Simon


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## R-2800 (Dec 19, 2006)

nice find


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## the lancaster kicks ass (Dec 19, 2006)

bomber said:


> If you note on a nighttime lancaster there's a cowling over the instrument panel so as to minimise the light from the small instrument lamps leaking out of the cockpit...
> 
> On a daytime lancaster that cowling simply isn't there..
> 
> ...



ah, well i couldn't load one of them so there's my problem


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## bomber (Dec 20, 2006)

try again, as it's got better for me over the last few days, maybe it was some problem at their end..

The first day all I could get was the initial picture with no rotation, now I have full rotation.

Simon


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## k9kiwi (Dec 20, 2006)

Strangley enough a night time bomber usualy has the overhead wires for the shade cloth removed from the canopy.

I will now walk away and get the pliers to prise my tongue away.


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## bomber (Dec 20, 2006)

Ah but that bomber is from the BBMF... and although fitted out as a nighttime bomber is in fact only flown during the day..

The other bomber is a static display.

Simon


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## twoeagles (Dec 20, 2006)

For years I wondered what the attraction was for this aircraft, but I now 
admit, having learned more and widened my scope, to a real admiration
for the Lancaster. I would absolutely love to feel (and hear) four Merlins
vibrating through the throttles, and trundling off into the blue under that
massive greenhouse...I am clearly getting older and more sentimental.


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## blue_halloween (Mar 6, 2007)

yes seen this a couple of times.. wait till ive got my own.,... he he he he


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## jaggedpixel (Mar 14, 2007)

Pretty interesting that. Seems very clostrophobic espeacially in the tail end. A lovely looking bomber but I wouldnt have liked to have seen action in it


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## bomber (Mar 15, 2007)

Having sat in the pilots seat I can tell you there's more room in your family car, it's a very narrow but deep fuselage.

The gun turrets are like wearing an extra skin, there's no room to do anything but turn with the turret.

The narrowness of the fuselage and the position of the radio equipment taking up the lefthand side of the fuselage makes the crossing of the wingspar a real challenge... you're looking at getting over a 2.5ft obstacle through a 2.5ft square hole with no ability to position yourself to the left or right of it, you just have to tackle it head-on.

Visibilty from the cockpit however is the best of any bomber, such a panoramic view. The propellor tip on No. 2 engine spining past a foot to the left side of your head I'd guess would be a bit unnerving.

As for whether you'd want to see action in one... I'd take a 4 engined plane anytime that after droping it's bombs could take the stresses impossed by entering into a corkscrew dive and generally fly like a fighter..

Regards

Simon


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## Black Magic (Dec 3, 2007)

Fantastic view indeed!!!

I use this old 3d beacuse I've a (probably stupid) question to ask you mates; no need a new 3d... 

What is that shield we can see in the back of the pilot seat?
The black metal shield with a yellow circle painted in the centre.
What's its function?

Thank you.


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## k9kiwi (Dec 4, 2007)

To stop fast moving pieces of metal blowing the pilots head off. Rumor has it that in the event this happened it caused a certain amount of distress to the other crew members.

It is a bullet proof plate.


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## Black Magic (Dec 5, 2007)

Thank you man!


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## kool kitty89 (Dec 8, 2007)

The first one has two controls, Lanc. And both have an interesting fold-away seat next to the pilot's.

I think the Lancaster looks better from this point of view than from the outside.


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## k9kiwi (Dec 15, 2007)

Most Lancasters only had one set of pilot controls. The second set were added for training at HCU's (Heavy Conversion Units).

The fold down seat is for the Flight Engineer, monitors throttles and fuel flow etc during flight. Most pilots preffered the FE to remain standing while flying as he was an extra set of eyes in the dark.


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## kool kitty89 (Jan 14, 2008)

I'd imagine the folding seat would be used by the copilot in the models fitted with 2 control columns.


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## A4K (Jan 15, 2008)

check out this site too - great pics and info on all matters NZ military aviation -

Kiwi Aircraft Images


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