Dambuster Lancaster Bomb -aimers window

[FR47]

Does anybody know if the Dambusters Lancaster had the rectangular or round window below the bomb-aimers position? I'm not refering to the dome, but the window on the fuselage underside.

Cheers,

Dave.

 

[ian lanc]

Does anybody know if the Dambusters Lancaster had the rectangular or round window below the bomb-aimers position? I'm not refering to the dome, but the window on the fuselage underside.

Cheers,

Dave.

aup your nick name does it go like this..... 'GIBBO'

ian.

 

[A4K]

Being a B.III 'Special', ie. based on the B.III, I would assume it would have the rectangular window, but that's just my opinion.
Will check my photos tonight to see if I can prove or disprove it.

Evan

 

[Graeme]

Hi FR 47 and Evan. This is the front and under side of the Avro Lancaster 'Special' with Upkeep mine...

 

[A4K]

Great pic Graeme!

 

[ian lanc]

i think Graeme has answered both our questions dave !

thanks for the picture graeme 8) do you have any other pictures of the dambuster, like the two you have just put up, i've seen that there is some sort of long areal coming out near the nose and that is on AJ*G gibson's lanc', i wonder what it is

i don't mean the external air temp' head/tube.

oh by the way me and FR47 are both making the tamiya 1/48 dambuster and we need to get them made up as true as possible and it does seem that the norden bombsight holder was indeed left in the nose 8)

ian.

 

[FR47]

Hi Graeme,

Many thanks for posting the pix.

Very, very useful. Certainly answers my question.

Cheers,

Dave. (aka Gibbo as Ian says)

 

[FR47]

Hi Ian,

Check this out:

http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ot...ter-lancaster-spotlights-6634.html#post362210

Dave.

 

[ian lanc]

looks like the rear light needs to be repositioned dave !! with those pictures on that other thread.

ian.

 

[Graeme]

do you have any other pictures of the dambuster, like the two you have just put up

Hi Ian,
Unfortunately these plans won't fit on an A4 scanner. Trying to get a square peg in a round hole.

i've seen that there is some sort of long areal coming out near the nose and that is on AJ*G gibson's lanc', i wonder what it is

If you're referring to 'this', its an ABC 'airborne cigar' jamming aerial...

oh by the way me and FR47 are both making the tamiya 1/48 dambuster and we need to get them made up as true as possible and it does seem that the norden bombsight holder was indeed left in the nose 8)

I've got an article by one Doctor Keith Mitchell (pictured) from 1994 who built a rather large R/C Dambuster Lancaster. He goes into detail how he researched his model and is convinced, after talking to an ex 617 Squadron member that the spotlight arrangement at right, is 'correct'.

Good luck with your model!

 

[ian lanc]

hi gra',

below is a picture of gibson's lancaster you can see the aeral to the left still don't know what it was for




regards... ian.

 

[FR47]

Looks Like the rear one's OK, but the front one needs to go for'd and to thre side.

Dave.

 

[A4K]

Just a small detail, but according to Guy Gibson's book 'Enemy coast ahead' the Lancaster B.III 'Specials' (type 464 provisioning) of the Dambusters were specially fitted with two fighter-type radio receivers (at his request) for improved communication between aircraft.

From me too, guys, good luck with your models!

 

[FR47]

Many thanks for that snippet of information and thanks for kind words.

Regards,

Dave.

 

[A4K]

No worries! (..and the radios were TR-33s if I remember right)

 

[FR47]

Hi A4K

Do you know where that radio was positioned? I'd suspect somewhere within the reach of the pilot rather than the w/o. Maybe on the left of the seat rather than below the control panel - may affect the compass?

Cheers,

Dave

 

[A4K]

G'day Dave,

Unfortunately he didn't say...I assumed one would have replaced the usual radio in it's rack, and maybe the other on the radio op's table.

I'd like to know too as I've got the Tamiya Dambuster kit back in NZ awaiting construction one day...

Evan

 

[Dragonsinger]

Hi Guys
Watched a program last month "The Last Dambuster". It featured the bomb aimer of the lone Lanc which attacked the secondary target. Seems like they took off late in the reserve aircraft, engine snag on their own cab, and were the only ones to reach the target.
The bit to interest you guys is that later in the program they traced the crash site of this aircraft and dug it up and identified it. The bomb aimer was with them and pounced on a lump of perspex saying "Look! this is my bomb aimers window. I last saw this when I was dropping the bomb." It is square, or at least oblong. (For all Terry Pratchet fans this does NOT mean eldritch.)
The aircraft was positively identified by the mounting for an experimental machine gun ball turret fitted only on this aircraft. The ball had been removed but the mountings were still in place in the airframe.
Because I know you lot, I will ask my local internet geek to see if he can trace the program and download a copy.
You may also be interested to know that the Elvington Air Museum just outside of York has a genuine "Bouncing Bomb", (practice bomb filled with concrete. I believe it's the one you see in the footage of the practice run at the seaside.), and a Grand Slam practice bomb.

Dragonsinger

 

[A4K]

Thanks Jim! That was interesting. I've never heard of that ball turret before!

Evan

 

[FR47]

Many thanks Jim? for taking the trouble to confirm the sape of the window. You've also settled another controversy: whether or not to fix the ventral gun. It would seem not.

My thanks again,

Dave