Mystery appendage - Lancaster nose probe for what?

[pb43]

Does anyone know what the nose probe was for. Obviously late war or early post-war as still armed and has GEE fitted.

 

[Airframes]

From memory, it was for wind gust testing at the RAE, but I'd need to check my references.

 

[Lancaster630]

interestingly it looks like it had a bomb tally that has been painted over as well

 

[pb43]

From memory, it was for wind gust testing at the RAE, but I'd need to check my references.

Found out from another source it was for the development of a gust-alleviation system for the Brabazon. The probes detected gusts which signalled the ailerons to deflect, alleviating the gust-load and also smoothing out the ride. Lancaster Mk.III ME540.