Replica Lancaster cockpit section made as accurate as possible by reference to IWM exhibit

A new arrival at the RAF Spitfire and Hurricane Memorial Museum at Manston is an interactive replica Avro Lancaster cockpit section which has been built over a six-year period by retired electronics engineer Norman Groom, using many original parts and with reference to Avro plans. Prior to starting construction, Norman — who is now 85 — was given out-of-hours access to the nose section of Lancaster I DV372, which is displayed at IWM London in Lambeth, to take measurements and detailed photographs so as to ensure the replica was exact in every detail.

During April the museum was working with the Thanet, Kent-based Hilderstone Radio Society to develop the cockpit into a fully functional flight simulator. From mid-May onwards, to coincide with the 80th anniversary of the Ruhr dams raid, visitors will be able to book guided tours of the 15ft-long cockpit section and sit in the pilot’s, navigator’s, flight engineer’s and radio operator’s stations. Sitting in front of an array of original Lancaster instruments, the pilot and flight engineer will be able to ‘fire up’ the four Merlin engines, the sound of which will be piped into the simulator.

Dennis Jackson, the museum director says, “The Lancaster Experience is in memory of the museum’s former trustee and volunteer Gerry Abrahams, who passed away at the age of 99 during January. Jerry flew 31 ops with No 75 (New Zealand) Squadron over Germany. He later became a Bomber Command instructor, and was also involved in the Berlin Airlift.”

The starboard side of the cockpit section features custom-designed nose art, courtesy of the military and fine artist David Bryant, who lives a short distance from the museum. It carries an image of Jerry Abrahams in golfing attire, next to his 31 mission symbols.