LINCOLN TO AUSTRALIA

Mmmm, must remember to reset the VSI to QFE/QNH next time. I would love to see what he sets on an altimeter!

The vendor seems to be having problems with the principle of ‘rate of climb’ ?

Perhaps his house is suffering subsidence, although at the rate shown it must have fallen down a mine shaft.
Richard

Yes indeed – the BFP wasnt fitted when we got the nose to restore, bit I’d be surprised if this was fitted.

Bruce

The vendor seems to be having problems with the principle of ‘rate of climb’ ?

Obviously I can’t confirm the provenance but this VSI came from your Lincoln apparently!

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Avro-Lincoln-Bomber-Rate-of-Climb-Indicator-Nice_W0QQitemZ320498703182QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Collectables_Aeronautica_MJ?hash=item4a9f361b4e

Made it to Moorrabbin today and saw the Lincoln. Clearly, there’s much work to do on a very long-term restoration but she’s in a far better climate than in the UK.

Great collection; the Beaufighter’s a gem.

Peter,

The Lincoln parts that have arrived so far have been cleaned and sorted and are in temporary storage onsite at the museum while long term undercover storage is being developed.

Existing parts in Australia are starting to be identified and gathered, with a top turret plexiglass, and tail leg assembly recently on offer.

The rear fuselage tailplanes, fins and rudders, main wheels, centre-section trailing edges and other misc parts are yet to arrive, (the transport arrangements from London to Melbourne included a stopover at a transist location, and those parts are still located there at this point in time).

At this stage the Museum’s immediate plans are to place it into undercover storage and continue to collect remaining parts, it will be a very long term project.

regards

Mark Pilkington

Any Updates Mark?

Great stuff! :dev2:

No Worrie’s Mr P 😉 , I would very much like to have a squiz.:eek:

Such a pitty my grandfather Jim(Ex Raaf Erk), who worked at the Bend is still not around 🙁 , he would have got a big kick out of this.

I am wishing you Mark and other’s involved with these with these project’s, the best of luck, and hopefully with these sort of project’s, we can keep the younger generation mind’s still interested in the history of Australia in the Air!.

And you Mr Mark seem to be a one such person with a burning ambition to achieve just that need we have here in Oz to preserve some of that history :diablo: .

Good on ya Mark!.

Oooooo Rooooo all!!!

“undercarriage still exist here in Australia, in fact the museum has had two oleo’s in its collection for many years “

Mark, this is good news! I know there is a big task ahead, and yes, some parts do have corrosion issues, but the fact remains is that you now have a substantially complete airframe to work with, and it is in good hands.

Bruce,

I hadnt considered the issue of them fitting, just repeating a legend of where the undercarriage and engines went, I would agree engine cores for spitfire projects could easily be their fate.

David,

There is a lot of interest and support for the Lincoln project in Australia, perhaps not as significant an airframe as the Halifax, but still an important type in Australia, with both the GAF built examples built and flown with the RAAF, and the Avro built RAF examples flown at Woomera with ARDU and WRE.

This will be along term project for our museum, we are still receiving container size deliveries of parts and havent as yet received everything so we still are yet to exactly what we are up against.

It is a big project and as you and Bruce know some parts, particularly the steel work in the narcelles and engine mounts, and the centre-section trailing edge, are in poor condition.

Other parts are in surprisingly good condition given the 20 odd years of dis-assembly and relocations, and external storage.

Our first objective is to receive and identify what we have and what we are missing, a close second is to place the parts into “undercover” and long term storage.

Luckly many of the parts we are missing such as undercarriage still exist here in Australia, in fact the museum has had two oleo’s in its collection for many years with one on display in the entrance hall.

At this time the major airframe parts are still outside, but that will be resolved as soon as the last items have arrived, smaller parts are already being sorted and stacked into a dedicated store.

It will be a long term project but there is enough of a Lincoln to put back together, and it will certainly be a welcome addition to Australia’s national collection, to represent our last 4 engined heavy bomber and largest aircraft ever built here.

regards

Mark Pilkington

Mark is there any hope to getting the nose/cockpit from Camden? And please mate do the old girl two things, start a campaign with the local council/government to give you guys some more room and a HUGE hanger. And please finish her as a Mk 31 long nose RAAF bird. That would do her justice.

A couple of other questions for you too,

Any more update re the Lancaster remains and where she might end up? Oh and do you have any pics of her currently?

And any word on any other parts for the Lincoln, engines etc……

Mark

It is very heartening to see this Lincoln now in Australia, in the care of a museum with a clear purpose for its future.

I remember seeing the dismantled parts laying in the grass at North Weald in the 80’s, and slowly watching the engines, u/c legs, and cocpit dissapearing over time. My thoughts then, were that it was not long for this world!

Fortuately 20 years on, it has a brighter future now. 😀

Being a unique and very relevant Australian operated type, you should be able to draw parallels with the Canadian Halifax project, by using it as an example in promoting fundraising, and project management.

Good luck to you, Mark and team.

Mark,

I think thats unlikely, as the Merlin 68 wont fit a standard Lancaster. They will fit into a Spitfire however, and I suspect that is what happened to them – used as core engines, or have moved on into other collections.

All the best

Bruce

Phil,

No, we do have engine mounts, narcelles and cowls, props and spinners but no engines.

I understand the engines from the Lincoln RF342 were transferred into the Duxford Lancaster KB889 when both were owned by Doug Arnold in the 1980’s.

BTW, let me know when you are well enough to visit and I will arrange a cooks tour.

regards

Mark Pilkington

Hey ya Mark mate!

Did you get any Donk’s with all that stuff ?:confused:

WOOO HOOOO great stuff mark mate!

Congrate’s Mark mate!!:D

Most interesting photo’s. I only wish I was well enough to drop down there and have a gig and sniff :rolleyes: .

WOW,

That’s a top photo Mr Mark12, Bagged it and gone straight to my huge collection!! 😉

Well done to all concerned with the project, with the biggest to Mr P of course! 😀

Gotta go, crook as a human!!

Still have a ripper Virus/cold and…….

It’s like MASH 4077 😀 , an urgent mission still in operation here called

” Phil through the eye of a needle ” 😉

A full bowel Evac!! :dev2:

Catch it all soon on the double DVD box set 😮

I NEED A FARKIN HOLIDAY!!!!!!!!!! 😮

Looking good Mark.

I do hope you can come to some accommodation with the cockpit section at Camden.

A shot of the RAAF formation aerobatic team in Malaya in the 1950’s. I am not sure which squadron, but I can find out.

Mark

For those interested,

here are some pics of the Avro Lincoln centre-rear fuselage and wing panel trailing edges are delivery to the museum.

A 4th container with the 4 propellor assemblies and wing tips has arrived in the port of Melbourne for delivery in the next week.

regards

Mark Pilkington

Mark

Did the rep from CAPA ever get in touch with you re: the Lincoln in Canada?

I’m sorry I haven’t personally followed up but I have been kind of overwhelmed

Hi David

I am very aware of the Ventura, I am part of the team working on it. It is in the same hangar as our museum. Virtually all of the parts are now in place and much of the wing work has been done.

But like many projects it is currently stalled for money.

The Ventura Memorial Flight Association is the group doing the work and are an amazing resource that have done amazing stuff with archives records photos bomb camera footage….unreal.

Now we just need to find the the money to make the last lap and it will be in the air!!!

Thanks Tom H