Lancaster Heading for Scrap.

[Rogi]

Without re-posting a link to another site (email service that is very popular and has news videos), and since this is talk about an aircraft, I've recently been made aware that a Canadian Lancaster here in New Brunswick is due for the scrap heap.

11 Mission Veteran in WW2 and converted after the war.

They mentioned the costs associated in the video about transportation or even making a new hanger, which seem huge.

Is there anything that could be done to find this bird a home? It seems a waste when a lot of museums could obtain this bird.


If this is in the incorrect section, please move it to the appropriate one as I thought of posting in news, but was un-able to.

 

[Totalize]

Igor,

I think you posted this in the correct section.

I read that article as well.

Here's the link to the news piece.

Video - Canada - News - MSN CA

I hope word will spread about this aircraft's plight and someone will come to it's rescue.

 

[vikingBerserker]

That just makes me sick to my stomach.

 

[nuuumannn]

That's very sad. Moving it will cost a fortune; you'll need around three or four big flat beds after its been dismantled, which wouldn't be an easy task considering fasteners and such like will have fizzed away. Probably the quickest option in dismantling it would be to cut through the spars with a blow torch and then worry about repairs later, but this can do irreperable damage if the cutters are not careful, you also need a team of good skin bashers to make components to replace or strengthen the spars that were cut. Then of course, there's getting it onto the trucks, which will require a biggish crane. Once its dismantled, a suitable shelter is needed where it can be stored and if necessary worked on within it. Lancasters being what they are require a lot of room as it is, but to put one together within the confines of a building is quite difficult, unless it's a big hangar, so it'd probably have to be done out doors, then maybe build the shelter around the completed airframe. Even if it had a wall less shed, with a roof over it, that would be of considerable use to it where it is parked, that is, if the land owners want it there.

Let's hope a largeish preservation body in Canada sees the plight of this aircraft and comes to its rescue. A problem with this is that in Canada at least, Lancasters are not as rare as elsewhere; there are more Lanc survivors in Canada than anywhere else, so in terms of preservation rarity, since the national museums have one in their collection and obtaining a second might not be what they want to spend their meagre cash on, it might not be considered a rare enough airframe for saving, which is a great shame, but a fact of life in terms of what is financially worthwhile for these bodies.

 

[gumbyk]

Not letting this leave the country is going to kill it. It seems like a situation of "we can't fix it, but we won't let anyone else do it"

 

[GrauGeist]

...there are more Lanc survivors in Canada than anywhere else, so in terms of preservation rarity...

I've read that there's only one in the U.S. and even then, it's stored away, waiting for restoration.

 

[nuuumannn]

I've read that there's only one in the U.S. and even then, it's stored away, waiting for restoration.

Canadian built Mk.X KB976 with Kermit Weeks, although it's far from complete. Parts of it are in the UK, rear fuse and a section of its nose are in two different locations, bits are in Australia to be fitted to an Avro Lincoln restoration and rumour has it (just a rumour - no real substantiation - there is definitely Lanc parts in Wellington, but no one on the outside is sure which aircraft they are from), bits are also in New Zealand to assist with Peter Jackson making the Dambusters movie. The link to KB976 is that Kermit had The Vintage Aviator build him an Albatros D Va, so he might have sent bits of his Lanc to Wellington.

This is the aircraft that was flown from Canada to the Strathallan Collection in Scotland (rego G-BCOH), then after the collection was auctioned off it went to a group in Woodford, where, whilst under restoration, a beam fell from the roof of the hangar it was in and broke its back. Kermit bought it in bits and slowly it has been diminishing in size since.

 

[GrauGeist]

That's too bad that it's a carcass now...I haven't followed it much and what I knew about it is from obviously dated reading material.

This might be a good opportunity then, for a complete Lancaster to be added to a U.S. colletion

 

[Lucky13]

IT SHOULD NOT, CAN NOT BE ALLOWED TO BE SCRAPPED!!

 

[nuuumannn]

This might be a good opportunity then, for a complete Lancaster to be added to a U.S. collection

Most definitely. I'm sure there are more than a few people who'd like to see one in the States. It could complement the Mossie at Oshkosh. Fingers crossed it isn't scrapped.

 

[N4521U]

A bloody sin!

 

[Rogi]

That's very sad. Moving it will cost a fortune; you'll need around three or four big flat beds after its been dismantled, which wouldn't be an easy task considering fasteners and such like will have fizzed away. Probably the quickest option in dismantling it would be to cut through the spars with a blow torch and then worry about repairs later, but this can do irreperable damage if the cutters are not careful, you also need a team of good skin bashers to make components to replace or strengthen the spars that were cut. Then of course, there's getting it onto the trucks, which will require a biggish crane. Once its dismantled, a suitable shelter is needed where it can be stored and if necessary worked on within it. Lancasters being what they are require a lot of room as it is, but to put one together within the confines of a building is quite difficult, unless it's a big hangar, so it'd probably have to be done out doors, then maybe build the shelter around the completed airframe. Even if it had a wall less shed, with a roof over it, that would be of considerable use to it where it is parked, that is, if the land owners want it there.

Let's hope a largeish preservation body in Canada sees the plight of this aircraft and comes to its rescue. A problem with this is that in Canada at least, Lancasters are not as rare as elsewhere; there are more Lanc survivors in Canada than anywhere else, so in terms of preservation rarity, since the national museums have one in their collection and obtaining a second might not be what they want to spend their meagre cash on, it might not be considered a rare enough airframe for saving, which is a great shame, but a fact of life in terms of what is financially worthwhile for these bodies.

The funny thing is that the Museum here in Ottawa could house it (we already have one on Display too) and we have the space (even if it is just to store it) in the new hanger the museum built a couple years ago, there is a section where it is just for storage and it has some of Avro Arrow's components (part of the huge wing etc) there.

I get that we don't want the aircraft to leave Canada, In all honesty I'd love it to stay, but I don't understand why they need to scrap the bird. At the very least they could cut the Cockpit section and use it as something tourists to a museum could walk through, we have a cut cockpit section at the Ottawa Aviation Museum from a Lancaster.

The biggest thing here is that, at least here in Ottawa, we are moving away from an Aviation museum and more into a Space Museum, we have some hunk of Junk that is huge from the space station sitting in the new hanger (some kind of container they used to store some parts or something from the space station, didn't really pay attention when I visited the tour to it, because I assumed we were an aviation museum and not Space ) , if they used that space for this Lancaster, I think it would be worth it more. The museum is always trying to trade for Canadian/British Commonwealth items anyway, we gave up our other He-162 for a Bristol F.2B Fighter.
We have the Lancaster sitting in our backyard and no one wants it? Whats wrong with that picture.

If I could, I'd house the thing in my backyard lol
I mean 11 Mission Veteran Lancaster and they are thinking of scrapping this one? Is it that bad and far from any type of salvage to keep it?

Worst car scenario, if it is beyond repair/movement just strip the skin off and ship a piece to each Aviation museum here in Canada, at the very least have a piece to remind everyone of this bird.

 

[Airframes]

Whoever signs the order to scrap this aircraft should be flogged, drawn, flayed and quartered.
OK, I can fully appreciate the restrictions, problems, and enormous costs involved in preservation, even to a very low standard. But to forbid it leaving the country, and scrap it instead, is unforgivable.
If an outside party has a genuine interest, and the means, then let them take it and preserve it as best as possible, whether in sections, or as a complete airframe, so that it can be displayed for generations to come, with its individual history and that of those who served in her.

 

[stona]

If an outside party has a genuine interest, and the means, then let them take it and preserve it as best as possible, whether in sections, or as a complete airframe, so that it can be displayed for generations to come

I agree with the sentiment but the problem is finding an interested party with the means, and they would need to be substantial. "There's the rub" as some bloke from Stratford upon Avon once wrote

Steve

 

[Rogi]

Assuming transportation cost is really half a mil, how many aviation enthusiasts would give $1 for this bird not to be scrapped and better yet, just transported elsewhere? I mean come on just tack on $1 extra to the museum's entrance fee or some fee for special exhibits.

Or even better yet, how hard is it now a days to start a "donation" drive to help preserve the aircraft. At the very least some parts of it. Reminds me a lot of that P-40 in the dessert (I think Egypt) that locals etc ended up stripping for parts and selling on ebay, some birds seem to be destined for the scrap heap, no matter what their history is. It'd just be nice to see this one or some parts of it preserved

 

[buffnut453]

Entirely agree - crowd-fund it and I'm sure the dosh could be raised quickly!

 

[stona]

Entirely agree - crowd-fund it and I'm sure the dosh could be raised quickly!

Unfortunately the results of fund raising for various projects over the years would not support this contention. The efforts to get and keep XH558 flying have been immense and continuous, but also a struggle and that is a very high profile project. The same can be said of numerous other projects, this is despite an estimated annual attendance at UK air shows of 3 million people.

I don't know figures for attendance at museums in Canada or the UK but I can say that I've been to the RAF museum at Hendon on several occasions when I have been and one of a handful of people there. I can say the same of the IWM at Duxford every time I have been (excluding air show days). Last time I visited the RAF museum at Cosford I think I was the only visitor !

I'm not trying to pour cold water on anyone's hopes, I'm just cautioning against over optimism

Cheers

Steve

 

[buffnut453]

The beauty of crowd-funding, though, is it's global so you're not reliant on people in one country. I imagine the long-awaited Peter Jackson remake of "The Dam Busters" would expand interest in this project.

 

[fubar57]

Though it may not do any good, I have just sent a letter to my Federal representative in Ottawa to see if he will look into it and search for other options. It would be nice if the other Canadian forum members could do the same with their local MPs. To any other members, this is the MP I sent my letter to...Bob Zimmer | Prince George?Peace River Maybe the other international members could flood his office with letters as well.

Geo

 

[Rogi]

Though it may not do any good, I have just sent a letter to my Federal representative in Ottawa to see if he will look into it and search for other options. It would be nice if the other Canadian forum members could do the same with their local MPs. To any other members, this is the MP I sent my letter to...Bob Zimmer | Prince George?Peace River Maybe the other international members could flood his office with letters as well.

Geo

Thought about sending someone a letter, just didn't know where although I did send an email to our IPMS President here to see if we could figure something out

Maybe send one to our aviation museums here too, gotta think about it and send it in a bit.