Halifax PN323 Forward Fuselage

I assume Old Freds nose is back at Lambeth?

Glad we are having this discussion but a bit disapointed that YAM’s fantastic Halifax is even being drawn into this!

PN323’s nose should be a on much greater public display….. If the nose was a Lanc nose no doubt it would have been restored regardless of cost and be be on prominant display as the bomber that won the war……

Good to read that the half cockpit at Elvington is being worked on. Funny that the seat in it is a genuine Halifax pilot seat while HR792 itself has one that looks to be adapted from an ejection seat.
Only a forward fuselage will never be a complete aircraft unfortunately. It would be fitting to incorporate it into a full reconstruction project such as taking place in Canada at the moment but losing PN323 will not be beneficial for the UK’s historic aircraft community if you ask me (you always may ask:eagerness:).

It would certainly be nice to fully restore it and replace some panels with perspex as on the Beaufighter II nose section to make it an excellent exhibit in it’s own right. It would be fully fitted out and visitors can look inside it without actually be inside.

It served it’s purpose for years (and I for one am very grateful as it really provided a lot of information for my own cockpit reconstruction) but a walk through exhibit is not beneficial for it’s preservation in the long run. Nowadays interactive displays can do a better job.
What do you think?
Cheers
Cees

The problem is, stingy people wont pay for the full tour!

And the accessible half nose section we have is currently undergoing a very thorough refurb. When it is done, the vast majority of the interior fittings will be genuine Halifax items.
Without paying for a tour, it’s as close as you can get to boarding a real Hali…

It should go to …. 🙂

I’d rather not see it incorporated on any replica or rebuild – it can be used at another Museum to illustrate Bomber Command, and indeed Coastal Command, aircraft in WW2. I’d really like to see it back at Lambeth, but failing that East Fortune or IWM North lack any WW2 BC exhibits

The veterans like it, and thats good enough for me.

I went in it too. It’s a proper job! Very convincing inside!

Full, from stem to stern. Pic attached taken from the boss’ chair.

Yes you probably have a valid point there. And Elvington and Sunderland are most definitely on my to do list on my next venture oop north.!

Rob

Just curious, the cockpit of the YAM Halifax, is it empty inside, or was anything reconstructed inside it ?

I sort of understand what you’re getting at, but equally I’d suggest getting on an interior tour of the Elvington Halifax. The effort that went into the project, and the fact it used genuine Halifax and converted Hastings parts really makes ‘Friday’ feel the part. Its got the right smell to it too!

As I said, Rich, I’m certainly not knocking their remarkable Halifax replica, representation or whatever description one likes to attach to it, but sometimes it’s difficult to put into words what I mean. But to me when getting close and personal with aircraft or parts of, nothing quite feels or smells like the real thing than… the real thing!

Rob

But used as a walk through, what more can PN323 give than a replica to justify it suffering the inevitable damage by so much use? You have to compromise by removing parts to make it a walk through, something that you can do with a clear conscience to a replica.

As for a ‘real’ Halifax, I’d happily take Elvington’s aircraft. Having had the pleasure of a wander around inside her, she’s close enough to qualify.

Be ideal to be loaned to East Kirkby.

Yes but no disrespect to it – walking through an original would in my eyes have more appeal, as going inside a complete ‘real’ Halifax is not possible. Then you get the best of both worlds!

Rob

We already have a full size replica Halifax half nose section on display, perspex on one side to show all crew positions back to just behind the engineer’s station…

If YAM’s Halifax cockpit is out of bounds to visitors, then what better way to educate their visitors on what one looked like inside than having this cockpit beside it, with some sort of walk through facility?

Rob

I know this will be controversial, but until the wings, props and everything else that’s ‘wrong’ with the YAM ‘Halifax’ is corrected, I wouldn’t want to see an original nose wasted on it; not that the IWM would ever hand it over anyway. It’s best off back as it was- a walk-through exhibit.

I would like to see the nose of PN323 on the YAM Halifax, and the new build nose currently on the YAM Halifax taken off and used as a walk through exhibit.

I can dream.