Can anyone identify these crashed Lancaster plane parts?

Yes, of course, well spotted!

Mark, there would have been about fifty circular cooling fins around each cylinder and they always seem to be stripped from the crashed cylinders that I’ve seen so the crash site will probably be covered with them. The cooling fins have different internal diameters, depending on the thickness of the cylinder at that point, but the exterior profile is circular with a diameter of about nine-and-a-half inches.

hello Mark, the last photo LL19 looks like cooling fins from around the engine cylinder heads. Interesting stuff!

Are these the same wheels that would have been on LL727?

http://forum.planetalk.net/viewtopic.php?p=76847&sid=1db44ab1f89effe0bde66a8d42eb1066

If so, then the holes on the wheel look bigger than what I have.

LL12 as a wheel fragment

Mark, you gave the width of the face as 25 mm. Following Peter’s suggestion that LL12 might be a fragment of wheel, using the constructions shown in the attached pic, the wheel has estimated dimensions:
inner diameter 96 mm (3.8″)
outer diameter 146 mm (5.7″)

That’s not structural. My error.

What it might be is part of the engine or flying control linkages. Unfortunately my work has been limited to the nose section and I know very little beyond that.

If you do find parts of the nose structure, I will be over the moon.
Mike

More Pics

Ok here are some more photos of parts that were found. I have numbered every part individually so that part can be referred to when identifying.

http://i535.photobucket.com/albums/ee359/salnmark/lancparts/LL14.jpg
http://i535.photobucket.com/albums/ee359/salnmark/lancparts/LL15.jpg
http://i535.photobucket.com/albums/ee359/salnmark/lancparts/LL16.jpg
http://i535.photobucket.com/albums/ee359/salnmark/lancparts/LL17.jpg
http://i535.photobucket.com/albums/ee359/salnmark/lancparts/LL18.jpg
http://i535.photobucket.com/albums/ee359/salnmark/lancparts/LL19.jpg

Some of the parts I have ideas what they might be….

LL17g Strap buckle from goggles or helmet?
LL16e Linkage?
LL17h Fuel filter?
LL17j Electric cable plug?
I have duplicated LL14b, look at LL19b instead

Mark

I can’t help with the ident, but I find it very moving that the numbered wheel (4th photo) was handled by your father.
If nothing else, this alone is a very important find for you and your family.

The best bits will be put in a box frame and labelled with what they are and hang proudly on my wall

I can’t help with the ident, but I find it very moving that the numbered wheel (4th photo) was handled by your father.
If nothing else, this alone is a very important find for you and your family.

…did the MKII have Hercules engines? I thought they all have Merlins? :confused:

Yes, the Lancaster mark II had Bristol Hercules air-cooled radial engines; only 300 built, all by Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft (AWA on your data plate), so much rarer than Merlin-powered examples.

I’d be interested to see more parts but you could put several parts on each photograph to save time.

That’s great lateral thinking, Peter. Here’s an image of a wheel superimposed. I have to leave now. I should be able to estimate the diameter of any such wheel.
I’ll post that when I return.
Mike

This is amazing!!!
I have about 100 other bits I picked up. If there is a lot of interest I will take time to photograph a load more and post if that’s ok.

I have pieces of plexiglass, clear and blacked out as well

Interesting stuff!

Interesting too that your father’s Lancaster (LL727) was a mark II as the only piece that I thought I recognised was from a Bristol Hercules engine; hence my original question.

I think part LL1 may be an engine cowling mounting from one of the cylinder heads of a Bristol Hercules engine.

Are you saying this mounting might come from a Hercules or did the MKII have Hercules engines? I thought they all have Merlins?:confused:

Pourquoi? :confused:

Something to do with heritage, digging up artefacts, even on private land. They are not so tolerant as we are here. I didn’t know this until I googled it. I think you can get a special licence to use one though. 😉

Interesting stuff!

Interesting too that your father’s Lancaster (LL727) was a mark II as the only piece that I thought I recognised was from a Bristol Hercules engine; hence my original question.

I think part LL1 may be an engine cowling mounting from one of the cylinder heads of a Bristol Hercules engine.

Please tell us the story of your bomb-aimer dad, Mark.

It’s not just the broken lumps of metal that interest us.

A lot about my Dad is on the WW2 forum, link below. This goes into detail and tells most of the fascinating story prior to my visit to France 2 weeks ago. If there is anything else you like to know just ask.

http://www.ww2f.com/military-service-record-genealogical-research/35678-looking-more-infor-514-sqdn-lancaster-ll727.html

Mark

Please tell us the story of your bomb-aimer dad, Mark.

It’s not just the broken lumps of metal that interest us.

Is ll12 a fragment of a wheel

That’s great lateral thinking, Peter. Here’s an image of a wheel superimposed. I have to leave now. I should be able to estimate the diameter of any such wheel.
I’ll post that when I return.
Mike

…metal detectors are illegal in France 🙁

Pourquoi? :confused:

Could that fragment be part of a wheel rim?

That’s pretty small. In fact, there’s nothing that small by way of structure in the nose section. The normal diameter for lightening holes in the nose section is 35 mm.

It is definitely a structural piece as it follows the Avro standard shape for these. But it comes from somewhere else in the aircraft.

Leave it with me. If I find it or change my mind, I’ll tell you.
Mike

Mark, I’m sorry. I meant LL12
Mike

It is 25mm across (just under an inch)

10mm thick

holes are 10mm diameter

Mark, I’m sorry. I meant LL12
Mike