Just Jane To Fly(Update)

Have noticed that Just Jane’s taxi run dates for next year have been put on the Lincsaviation website, does that mean the plans to fly her are off for a while? Wouldn’t have thought all the neccesary work to make her airworthy could be done in the winter and have her taxing by early next year.

Hello,

It was circulated a bit back that the weeks lanc, or parts of, had been lent to a certain mr P. Jackson of New Zealand, to help out with the filming of a certain remake.

I wonder if an off shoot of this would be to give New Zealand its own flyable Lanc.

Would possibly explain some of the delay in filming.

Cheers

633

The late Lancaster you refer to is KB976 which belongs to Kermit Weeks. It wasn’t damaged in a hurricane – it had part of a hangar collapse on it during building maintainance . It is however still a good candidate to fly should Mr Weeks feel the need.

Let’s be honest…there may not be an interested party in the UK that wants to own and fly her.

Look at the UK, it’s not exactly a poor nation filled with poor people anymore.
Judging by the expenesive cars, boats and homes I see, there are a lot of people with a lot of money.
With all that wealth you mean to tell me there isn’t one history-minded aviation-minded guy out there willing to spend a few (hundred thousand? million?) quid on a Lanc?
There seems to be awaiting list for Spitfires, Hurricanes and mustangs…not to mention the bizjets that are perfect for a quick trip to Nice with their “niece” or “wife of a close friend” (to quote Carly Simon) to say nothing of yachts, race horses, auto racing teams, vintage Ferraris…(the value of those in the UK alone would pay to new build a squadron of the things).

In the US there are several privately owned B-17s (as opposed to non profit groups like the CAF, EAA, Collings Foundation) there is no reason why the UK couldn’t have a private Lanc.

It seems nobody wants to spend the money..either on Just Jane (yes, I know it’s not for sale)…or the late Lanc that was wrecked in a hangar collapse during the 1987 hurricane.

Yet, there is money to be found to fly a Vulcan for a few years. It seems that to many, honoring WWII glories and sacrifices are less important that having a noisemaker for airshows.

(It’s a bit like Kermit Weeks mosquito and Shorts flying boat…he bought them when no one in the UK would, and UK aviation anoraks have been complaining ever since.)

In short, I’m far from convinced that (aside from a few of us) anyone really wants a second flying Lancaster.

Hmm, true, true.

Then again, if the ever penny-pinching MoD looked at the BBMF budget during a tough year, saw that there was already a civilian Lanc flying and decided to save themselves some money…

That logic doesn’t work when you already have more civilian owned flying Spit’s and Hurricanes in the UK than operated by the BBMF, and even after selling one PRXIX to fund the rebuild of LF363, they still added a MKIX and there’s even the potential of the MKXVI low to come as well…..

And we know the BBMF had agreed to take on RR299 prior to her and her crews tragic demise……:(

So, why not a 2nd Lanc with the added display flexibility that would give, not to mention the glorious site of 2 x Lancs on special occasions….:D

And with the already mentioned EU insurance and other CAA/EASA rules and regs and costs associated with a civil operated 4-engined WW2 bomber (look at Pink Lady/Sally B) then the donation of an airworthy Just Jane to the nation to be operated under her mil identity by the military is probably the best way of ensuring her longer term future…..

until the AVGAS runs out…..

Then again, if the ever penny-pinching MoD looked at the BBMF budget during a tough year, saw that there was already a civilian Lanc flying and decided to save themselves some money…

All the better having 2 Lancs.
as said above if anything went wrong with the BBMF Lanc and this opportunity for just Jane was missed than we could have no Lanc flying.

with 2 on the circuit shared hours will help both airframes and back up for displays if 1 goes tech.

there’s no reason why it cannot be made to fly just money at present.
the skill’s are at present out there . look at the way the BBMF Lanc was stripped and rebuilt a few years back at Coventry.

the skills and know how may not be around in a few years to come.
Merlin engines can be rebuilt to Zero hour’s . what are we talking for that price . 1 million for all four to be rebuilt overhauled?.

What was the figures for the BBMF Lancs strip down & rebuild at Coventry ?

Miss the chance know and you will be kicking yourself later. what have the Panton Brothers got to loose only some Money you cannot take it with you when you pop your clogs . But what a legacy and memorial to leave .

You’ve hit it on the nail there, Davski, I reckon. The brothers are probably thinking more long term than we give them credit for. The BBMF is always vulnerable to political/budgetary issues, and funding could be withdrawn at short notice. This would leave JJ as the sole visible presence for all the guys that served in heavies in Bomber Command.

(Thinks – be nice to see it flying with the Blenheim, you reckon?….)

Or……

How about, in thinking about it’s long term future, they have approached BBMF, and they’ve said they would take it only if it was airworthy…….;)

I wish them well and hope that this aircraft, if it makes it to the air, will still be flying if, or when, the RAF decide that they can no longer justify supporting the BBMF.

You’ve hit it on the nail there, Davski, I reckon. The brothers are probably thinking more long term than we give them credit for. The BBMF is always vulnerable to political/budgetary issues, and funding could be withdrawn at short notice. This would leave JJ as the sole visible presence for all the guys that served in heavies in Bomber Command.

(Thinks – be nice to see it flying with the Blenheim, you reckon?….)

This the sort of thread on this Forum that really gets my goat and makes we wonder why i bother with it at all, the sort of total rubbish that is voiced!!!

Reminds me of music fans who “hope their band will break up” if one of the members quit. It’s a fascinating subject, having such a destructive feeling towards something you love.

Anyways, I wish them luck in getting it airborne. It is the natural progress of things and if it can be done, I say go for it 100%. The world could use a few more Lancs in the air. Why stop at 2? Get the third one airborne and after that a 4th!

Personally, if I was fortunate to own my own ‘static’ airframe and over time managed to get the engines running, then discovered that there was a distinct possibility it could be made airworthy again, I can’t imagine why, funds willing, I wouldn’t make it airworthy. It seems to be the next logical step to take. The owners must get asked all the time if the Lanc’ can fly – I’d love to be there on the day that they say ‘yes, it can!’

I wish them well and hope that this aircraft, if it makes it to the air, will still be flying if, or when, the RAF decide that they can no longer justify supporting the BBMF.

Easy…. one was excellent (2 Fins),the other was crap (single fin) :diablo:

Ducks 😀 😀 😀

Don’t blame the Finn’s, or the ducks, they had nothing to do with it.

DS
:diablo:

Never could tell those two apart:rolleyes:

Easy…. one was excellent (2 Fins),the other was crap (single fin) :diablo:

Ducks 😀 😀 😀

Funny, I thought it was a Lanc!

Got me coat… :diablo:

Never could tell those two apart:rolleyes:

a stirling job

Funny, I thought it was a Lanc!

Got me coat… :diablo:

I still fail to see why need another, yes i would love to see it and see 2 lancs it would be amazing.

But the BBMF are designed to honnor the few and they do that with britans only air worthy lanc if a civilan one flies this make it null and void.

As said they only way you could do this would be fly the 2 at big airshows such as RIAT

This the sort of thread on this Forum that really gets my goat and makes we wonder why i bother with it at all, the sort of total rubbish that is voiced!!!
The Lanc is honoring the “Few” is it!!!!! Strike me down if im mistaken but the “few” i belive flew Spits and Hurricane’s durring “The Battle Of Britain”, not Lancasters ( there was alot more that a few lost in Lancs!). Following on that theory the BBMF should only have one Spit and one Hurricane, and there should be no Civilian one’s allowed:eek:
As has been said, everyone allowed there oppinion but its the Patton brothers A/C and so far they have done a stirling job with her, they have talken her from a lifless gate guard to a living breathing machine. So you on here who dont want her to fly would rather she had been left to rot on Scamptons gate would you???
I for one would love to see her fly and fully support any decision that her owners come to:D

re

Even is she is restored to airworthy condition and not actually flown, like a lot of museum a/c, if will gurantee her long term future.

The Pantons confirmed their wishes in the local paper recently, and have admitted if its possible, they will do it.

I would figure that over the years, a lot of parts have been replaced, be interesting to know how many were “brand new” hence not as much work needed as restoring the French Lancaster that came from a remote island.

Even if the Panton brothers get JJ into the air, which will bring the airworthy Lanc total to 3, all it would mean is that the 55,000 are represented by 3 Lancs instead of 2.

Not strictly true. The 55,000 are represented by the Veterans we see at Memorial Parades and the odd airshow, by their presence at the NMA at various occasions during the year. They are represented by the names inscribed on countless War Memorials, by their widows, by their children who were not born until after their deaths in many cases. They are represented by the legacy of the life we live now, the mere fact that we have choice. They are represented by the wind sighing through the trees around the perimeters of old Bomber Command airfields.

They are remembered by the Panton’s at East Kirkby. But not only are they remembered there, we are given the opportunity of sharing in that experience of Remembering. That, to me, is a very precious gift.

Yes, there would be three airworthy Lancasters with the potential of being able to see two together on occasion in the UK.

The Panton’s will decide, one way or the other.

Regards,

kev35

I still fail to see why need another, yes i would love to see it and see 2 lancs it would be amazing.

But the BBMF are designed to honnor the few and they do that with britans only air worthy lanc if a civilan one flies this make it null and void.

As said they only way you could do this would be fly the 2 at big airshows such as RIAT

I fail to see how another airworthy Lanc could diminish the BBMF memorial effect. Anybody with the slightest interest should on seeing a Lanc either the ground or in the air is going to remember the sacrifice of Bomber command. Lets face it, there aren’t that many complete examples left given the amounts built.

What it could do is mean that there is now double the availabilty of a Lanc for such memorial fly bys. Let’s face it, if there was to be 2 flying, I would imagine both still have a low amount of annual flying hours…

The idea of two flying at a display I cannot see happening very often – perhaps Legends. Apart from enthusiasts, is there going to be more of a draw just because there is two Lancs in a line up? Perhaps initially, but I am sure there will be a novelty effect initially. IMHO two Lancs flying together doesn’t make double the memorial…. It spreads the load so more people can see a single flying Lanc….

It’s up to the Pantons to do what they want with their airframe, but I’ll be honest, I side with Kev35’s view of the emotion stirred seeing a dusk start up, with costumed re-enactors is likely to be more emotive, as this is what happened when these machines went to war. having read Patrick Bishop’s Bomber Boys recently, I could imagine that that would be an overpowering feeling knowing that 55,000 climbed into a bomber at dusk, and didn’t come back, and I had a chance to see first hand part of what it was like…. I think this has more effect than a daylight flyby, but that is just my opinion..

Each to their own, but I reckon it’s best to see what happens rather than endless and pointless speculation…

Regards,
Scotty