RCAFM Museum – Halifax NA337 Interior

What attention to detail. First class restoration.

Absolutely fantastic pictures, Mike! I hope I can get down to visit the Museum in the near future. I just sent you a PM, and have posted a question about trying to find some technical drawings or pictures showing details of the Preston Green Turret. From the pictures you posted above, I would presume the mid under gunner entered the PG turret through the circular opening that is surrounded by checkered lino. Thanks.

Thanks Deryck,

Only dimensions and some sketches will suffice.

Cheers

Cees

OK, Cees, I will see what I can find.

The cockpit area was not in too bad a shape so we may have been able to just clean the bits up and restore them, so this means that we may not have any drawings either.

If Harry can’t find them they probably do not exist!

I will not be back there until next week.

Incidentally, we did contact the supplier of the Lanc. ammo trays and the company that roll formed them for the supplier has gone belly up but the supplier does have some roll formed material on the shelf! So this might work out OK.

Deryck

so new and shiny, shame she doesnt fly, just recently found out (last week) that my great uncle flew on halibags and he was canadian mite have to point the family in the direction of this fantastic aircraft

Great pictures of an impressive interior. As said before, it is nice to spot it in such a good and complete condition.:)

Stieglitz

… what a completely justifiable, and worthy recovery this has been!

It just shows what can be done, with the right resources, the right people, and the mindset of preserving a very apt memorial to those who fought for our futures.

I’m in awe of this Halifax re-build. Congratulations to all who have been involved with this.

Thanks very much Mike,

Fantastic pics and also showing some details of things I didn’t have enough info or drawings on.

Deryck,

Do you have drawings of the bombdoor/flaps pedestal? The triangular box on the right of the pilot’s seat.
I cannot find any drawings and Harry Fraser Mitchell has also tried but came up nought. At least some sketches and dimensions will be very helpful.

Cheers

Cees

Reading back I can now tell you all that the chequerboard patten on the floor of the hali is actually lino! I friend of mine recovered a big chunk of this stuff recently.

I was wondering about that.
I was hoping some poor soul’s contribution to the war effort wasn’t painting checks. 😀

Reading back I can now tell you all that the chequerboard patten on the floor of the hali is actually lino! I friend of mine recovered a big chunk of this stuff recently.

I guess at the time lino was a bit of an exotic material :p

Top job… wish we could do something like that over this side of the pond…. here’s a halifax story..:

Some years ago, I visited an antiques shop in Sandwich, Kent, UK and bought an ‘air raid spotters guide’ because I am intereted in such things. Inside was a handwritten note which declared the book to be the former property of p/o Bill Ralph of 640 Sqn RAF. It said that he was killed on ops and the book passed to his brother. Following a minute or two of research I found that 640 sqn was based at RAF Leconfield flying Halibags… Less than a week later I was posted (I was in the RAF at that point). Would you believe it… RAF Leconfield. The book went home and took me with it! I still have it, framed with a painting of the halifax in which Bill Ralph was killed. I know the story of the loss (two trips from the end of a tour and the last 640 Sqn aircraft to be lost) due to Bill Norman’s 640 Sqn book.

Well done with the restoration! I love it.

looks like it Peter,

Cees

Great shots Mike!

You lucky devil you!;) It looks even better inside than outside now!
Good call on the throttle box color Cees, also in the second load of pics is it just me or is the main pilots panel an all in one job?

A few more photos from the museum shop…….

New nose glazing to replace the not so “optically clear” glazing currently fitted to the aircraft and an end view of rear turret ammunition ducting.

Cheers,

Last week I was fortunate to have another chance to tour through NA337. It’s still very much a work in progress.

I hope no one minds if I post a few more photos……..

Thanks again Deryck!

Absolutely outstanding photos, of a job very well done; what a terrible shame that such a sight is not available to us here in the UK.

Cees, that may well be covered by the “Fools and Bairns” clause. I never told Mike the job was finished. The cockpit is very much a work in progress.
Deryck

Thanks Deryck,

I would have thought so. With all the attention to detail that has gone into NA337 I never would dare to think the throttle box would be forgotten to stick out like a sore thumb 😀

She is looking better and better.

Keep it up

Cees

Yes, it looks nice but it’s the wrong colour 😎

The throttle box should be black with the throttle levers
in (anodized?) grey aluminium. it looks odd this way
But I wouldn’t refuse if it was offered to me.
:diablo:

Cees

Cees, that may well be covered by the “Fools and Bairns” clause. I never told Mike the job was finished. The cockpit is very much a work in progress.
Deryck

oooh just look at their shiny throttle box Cees… :p 🙂

TT

Yes, it looks nice but it’s the wrong colour 😎

The throttle box should be black with the throttle levers
in (anodized?) grey aluminium. it looks odd this way
But I wouldn’t refuse if it was offered to me.
:diablo:

Cees

Nice pics Mike

Nice photos too. So this is where you hang out too is it Elliot?

Ali 🙂