Lancaster query

[the lancaster kicks ass]

nope that's a standard FN50 turret...........

 

[mosquitoman]

I was just guessing because I know that the conversion happened to the Lancin the RAF Museum

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

well good guess..........

 

[Concorde247]

ok can anyone??

Guys - you must be having a bad day!! All these "blonde moments!!" heres all the info on this particular Lancaster.

This is a standard lancaster Mk I

Coded KM-O Serial Number R5740 which was in 44 squadron 5 Group Bomber command.

It was lost without trace after taking off at 22:51 from Dunholme Lodge airbase on the night of 25/26 June 1943 on a raid to Gelsenkirchen.

The crew have no known grave and are listed as missing on the Runnymead memorial.

Interestingly enough, there were EIGHT crew in this aircraft that night instead of the usual seven. their names are listed below:

PO. D. macL. Struthers

PO. D.M. Sharp

Flt/Sgt. T. Johnstone

Sgt. R.J. Dash

Sgt. E.R.H. Griffiths

Sgt. R.H.W. Thompson

Sgt. K.W. Langstaff

Sgt. N.H. Morris

MAY THEY REST IN PEACE

 

[mosquitoman]

Was one of them a trainee pilot on his "second Dickie" mission?

 

[Concorde247]

Its possible, but i dont have any further info in my records

 

[A4K]

The third one from the tail (and the fueslge above and around it) looks strange, like it was overpainted or something, or more like something was spilled from the mid-upper turret area (oil leak?)

The fueslage colour looks faded around the edges of it, as if it reacted with the metal.

 

[Canberra Man]

yes do you see the fairing around the turret, well that's the home of an interupter rail, if the guns are traversed over the fairing in places where the lanc could get hit, an interrupter gear would prevent the guns firing and so damaging the aircraft, most turrets use this system, however few have the gear so visible on the outside..........

Another system of interruptor gear which was used on later Lancs and Halifaxes used a cylindrical paxolin tube which was electro plated with copper. The copper was etched off on the parts off the tube that coincided with the wing tips, the cockpit canopy, the fins and the hump of the rear turret. I have actually operated one at RAF Melksham when I was on my electrical mechanics course in 1951. It was stripped down so that the input and output carbon brushes could be seen and light signified the gun solenoids operating.

Ken

 

[Flyboy2]

Is the tail turret damaged? It looks like it took some bullet hits