JB117 Lancaster Wreckage, Any help?

Would it be reasonable to assume that the aircraft exploded at some point after the crash? The assumption is purely based on the amount of internal debris found in the field. I would have assumed that as the RAF recovery team carted the wreck away on a Queen Mary, the internals would have gone with it. It was a PathFinder aircraft, and have been told that the RAF done a thorough clean up due to the equipment on board.
Thanks again guys.
L_L

Hi Marcel,
Apologies for the 2 year hiatus! Just came back to find your message.
That is absolutely fantastic! There is no mistaking that part, sticks out like a sore thumb now youve pointed it out. Can see the curve behind the gear wheel to accommodate the altimeter. Thanks Marcel. Always assumed that the part was from the engine or gearbox.
L_L

Item 23

Hi Larry,

first post in this forum.
Reason for this is your entry here 😉

I’ve spotted your “item 23”, green arrow.
It is from the adjusting wheel of the Oxy regulator.

I have a similar in my collection – also from an Avro Lancaster.

Best regards from Germany/Cologne, Marcel

[ATTACH=CONFIG]241522[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]241520[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]241521[/ATTACH]

Larry, AP2062A & C, Volume 1 is “The Lancaster Manual” in the RAF Museum series with narrative and diagrams. AP2062 A & C, Volume 3 contains the Lancaster part listings. Extracts from this (not all) are available from the RAF Museum Hendon library. AP1086, to the extent it would be useful, seems very elusive. You will see some discussion about this on the ED908 thread starting at post #119 on page 4 – you seem to be following the same trail!

Ah, OK. Thanks. I saw one on Ebay, but, like you said, a lot of the sections seem to be missing. That will be why. Is te Manual illustrated like a modern IPC, or s it just listed?
Do you know if the AP2062 is the same thing specifically for Lancs? Same applies, again, a few sections missing, which is why I think it may be similar material.
Thanks.

Larry, as you say, AP1086 is the parts listing. Complete copies seem to be non-existent. As I recollect, a copy in the National Archives is for an early version, and so not terribly helpful for wartime use. The RAF Museum at Hendon has some extracts. If you have a specific part number you are looking for, post it on the Forum and you may be lucky. Otherwise the RAF Hendon library may help.

That’s OK. Most of the parts are pretty nondescript. The small flat piece has a slight flare around the circle, but that could be any component. I don’t really want to open out the crumpled parts. There seems to be a piece of black stencilling on one of the skin pieces, that I cant really see without unfolding it.
On a related note, does anyone know where a coy of AP1086 can be found? Would that be a national archives job? I did find an AP2062 listed as a Lancaster manual. How would that differ from the AP1086? Is the 1086 like a parts catalogue and the 2062 is a specific lanc build instruction / assembly catalogue?

Larry,

The fuselage formers and wing ribs will normally have a flanged edge with rivets. The colour would tend to be either plain aluminium, painted green from the internal fuselage, or possibly black from the cockpit end of the fuselage, in the latter two cases with notches for the longitudinal stringers. There is no obvious sign of a flanged edge, except possibly for a tiny piece on Part 2. There does however seem to be a smooth circular edge on both pieces, but the distorted shape of Part 1 makes it a little difficult to work out from the photograph.

I am afraid it is a little difficult to determine because of the relatively small size of the fragments. Sorry not to be of more help.

Ok BobKat, this is the part I think is the former. There isn’t a lot of it. I initially just wrote it off (No pun intended!) as a piece of skin.
Part 1: The semi circles on the edge of the piece seems to match that of the former on your own aircraft.

Part 2: This is the initial part I thought was the former. I saw the semi circles on the other part when I was searching for this.

Vernier calipers opened out to 4″ to give size reference.

Larry, formers are found throughout the fuselage. Some have identifiable shapes enabling their position to be identified, but many do not. If you post a picture tomorrow, I will have a look.

Another thing BobKat: Looking at your photos, I think I have got a part of a former too. Ill post tomorrow. Where would that sit in the aircraft Would that sit in the middle of an almost hollow rib or subframe?

Thanks for looking BobKat. 10H is AM code for radio equipment, I had a snout at the W/Ops cutout section at Duxford and there seems to be a fitting similar to the plug (Its also called “Plug type 62” apparently if that’s any help?) with a wire coming off from the fuze board, head level on the port side of the fuselage. Still not 100% though as I couldn’t get close enough to cop a proper gander at the AM Codes.

Larry, I cannot find another higher resolution picture of the item you have circled on my picture 1. I cannot tell whether they are similar pieces – yours (the internet picture you found) seems to have a broken flange at one end, whereas the item in picture 1 seems to be cylindrical – I had assumed it was likely to be part of the electronics, but I could well be wrong.

Item 23. It has a straight edge, circled 1, and directly opposite has a curved edge, circled 2. They have remains of black paint on them so I assume they like that from the factory and not sheared off in the cash.

AM, Item 17 with measurements as requested. It appears to be curved behind the roller, so matches up perfectly.

It is labelled with AS1565A. The only thing I could find on line was a material spec for Aluminium Bronze (From memory I think). Is that a coincidence or is that a material spec of he washer”?

I found this on another forum. The AM codes and shapes match up exactly to item 15. It is from a Halifax apparently.

Here are some more images of item 15 with added measurement! Hopefully they are a little less blurry than the original!

Is this the same component as item 15 BobKat? (Circled in red) Looks similar but cant see it close enough.

Thanks BobKat.

AM, the piece at right angles to the cog is part of the casing I think. None of it spins, it is all fuzed if it is! One side is straight, the opposite side is slightly curved.

Larry, I think that pinion could be the drive shaft from the turret motor

Actually, it looks rather more like the pinion shaft for the turret hand rotation gear, apart from the piece that is at right angles approx. 1/2 way down the length of the shaft.

L_L, is that a part of the shaft or is it a piece of casing fused to the shaft through corrosion, perhaps?

Larry, please go ahead and copy whatever might help from ED908 to identify your pieces.

That’s what I thought. Was initially just looking at the rollers. I did think it could be one of the cogs for the super charger unit or the scavenger pump. Ill get some better pics.