PA474, BBMF Lancaster update at day 100

Good to see things are going well and we look forward to seeing her in her new atire on the 12th Sept and her support team, we will have the rags at the ready to clean her where required on arrival.

Well done to all in Atlantique engineering as well it is good to see and hear all the trouble to keep this fine aircraft back in the air for a number of years to come.

Shame that Tone and his merry men find it hard to support other aircraft in British aviation to keep them flying we could name one or two.

All the best to the BBMF and every one else that keep PA474 in the air.

Please Jacko, keep these fantastic, informative updates coming!! (as well as the pics!!) 😉

Great stuff, keep it coming! 😀

A couple of more photos showing some progress

Flap tube material has been delivered and the contractor is busy making the tubes up. Wing bolts are being delivered on 12th March so BAeS can carry out the remedial action on the wing boom. It is still going to plan. Substantial progress should be visable by the end of the month.

They are, indeed, fantastic pictures!! 🙂

As a Lancaster enthusiast who loves all this kind of stuff, and who loves ‘474 but almost never gets to see her in the flesh anymore due to location/life circumstances, I’m running out of ways to say ‘thank you’ for this privelleged view into her servicing.

Seriously, again, thank you. 🙂

Inner engines fitted

It’s coming together slowly. Inboard engines are fitted.

Very nice – the outboard engine frame just looks like how my Auster does at the moment 😀

*spoilt once again for great piccies*

Oh dear, sounds like the flap tubes are starting to hold things up somewhat?

They should have been delivered 3 days ago to the contractor for machining, but that didn’t happen. The wing bolts shouild be delivered by 9th March with BAeS doing some remedial action and additional NDT starting on the 12th March. The flap tubes have been the critical path since we decided to replace them. Items we found damaged during the servicing will be sent to QinetiQ I believe, for investigation to why the problem occured and to see if we need to do more inspections.
The old flap tubes are probably going to Corgi for them to make little models of the Lancaster for public sale. A similar thing happened to the spar of BBMF Spitfire AB which we did a teardown on.

We are still looking at 10-20th April as an output date.

Col

*spoilt once again for great piccies*

Oh dear, sounds like the flap tubes are starting to hold things up somewhat?

Progress continues

A few more photos from today. Inboard engines will be going on this week. Port U/C is on. Still waiting for the flap tubes and wing boom bolts. Until we get these, the outboard fuel tanks and the outboard engines can’t be fitted. A busy month lies ahead.

I think there’s some sort of unfounded, noble idea floating around in enthusiast-ville about NX611 being nice and safe where and how she is right now, ‘just in case’ she’s needed for the skies one day.

Bloody silly idea really, as we all know that PA474 is going to live forever! 😀

Bazv- that’s what I was thinking of, couldn’t remember which book it was in though, cheers!

Incidentally any truth to NX611 being held in reserve for BBMF?

NX611 is privately owned and is nothing to do with the Mod I think that answers that question. Where do these rumours start:confused:

Metal Elevators

In ‘Lancaster at War 2’ by Garbett and Goulding they describe a flight test accident to a Lanc 111(PB579) during a VNE dive(375mph)in sept 1944.
The investigators found that the elevators had been damaged during the dive or pull out and suspected that the fuel jettison cover panels for the inboard tanks had opened and torn off during the pull out and shredded the elevators.The quick fix was to fit additional internal supports to the elevators then tape and string the fabric to them.The longer term fix was to fit metal skinned elevators to all aircraft,but they do not mention a timescale for this mod.

Looking good!

Can’t wait to see the Lady in her new clothes! Incidentally any truth to NX611 being held in reserve for BBMF?

Wrong caption – for aileron read elevator. Yes, they are metal on PA474.:dev2:

Yes, I think they did change from fabric to metal covered elevators on Lancs, didn’t they? Not sure what ‘474 has got though, I always thought they were metal but..?

Brilliant pics again, we’re SO lucky to see these! 😀

Later war?

Good question Cees. Hamiltons Lanc has metal covered elevators also..

Thanks very much Jackattack

Question.

It seems like the elevators are metal covered. S-for Sugar at Hendon (and I think early Lancs) has fabric covered elevators iirc. Is this so and is this a late war modification?

Cheers

Cees

A few more shots now some of the engine bearers have been fitted.