Here are a few photos from the Halifax bomber (NA337) being restored that I took on June 15, 2004. This airframe was attached to the SOE and was returning from a mission in Norway when it was hit in the starboard wing (right between the motors) by a 20mm anti-aircraft cannon (might have been 30mm – not sure off the top of my head regarding Axis ack-ack at the moment). This ignited the gas tank in the wing, resulting in the aircraft being ditched in lake Mjosa around 2am on April 24th, 1945. All the aircrew survived the crash, but only 1 survived the exposure to the icy waters as it was not until around 7am that anyone from a nearby town came out to look for survivors. In the end only 1 man, the tail gunner, survived. The airframe was raised from approximately 250 meters of water in 1995.
An interesting note: The gentleman who survived the ordeal was still alive when the aricraft was recovered and has had a chance to view the airframe. Also recovered was his thermos of tea which was returned to him some 50 years later. (I wager the tea had gone cold by then 😉 ).
Note: These pics are what I have off-hand at the moment. Should anyone require a specific photo of a specific area or section of the aricraft, or any detailed information for that matter… Just let me know.
By: DCK - 13th June 2006 at 13:01
The crew of the Halifax
By: HP57 - 21st May 2006 at 19:47
Thanks Deryck,
very helpful
Cheers
Cees
By: ollieholmes - 21st May 2006 at 19:02
They have come through for me. Thank you.
By: turretboy - 21st May 2006 at 18:34
Deryck,
They came through on my end!
Regards,
By: Deryck - 17th May 2006 at 21:15
Cees, your bombbay and throttle pics.
The throttle box is enclosed so there is not much to see. From the front(pic 2) you can see the control rods dropping down and then they run rearwards in the tunnel(pic 3) under the seat. The sketch might help.
The bombbay is ‘black on black’ and very difficult to get much detail. Some shots of the hinge mechanisms. They intend to make the doors operable and they are working on the hydraulics.
Someone wanted some u/c details, that too is ‘black on black’. We set the oleos to simulate a loaded condition. One shot shows the u/c bay rear and the other the front. We are working on the bungee emergency lowering gear at the moment. The brake hoses have been added. Hope these are useful.
Hmmm! I guess the pics got lost!
I tried again, but they just will not attach!
Deryck
By: Shorty01 - 16th May 2006 at 10:37
Sometime ago on this forum there was a link posted to a German website that was offering to raise a known “complete” Halifax wreck for a sum of money. I’m not sure of the link now. Someone here will probably know.
By: landraver - 16th May 2006 at 10:29
can anyone tell me how many halifaxes there are left in the world where they are and in what condition?
By: HP57 - 12th May 2006 at 20:12
Cees, Do Turretboy’s pictures give you what you need? Let me know if you need any more detail of anything.
Deryck
Deryck,
Well, any info on the throttle box and bombbay is welcome. Mike’s pics are great and are a great help but the bombbay structure is very complicated.
Cheers
Cees
By: ollieholmes - 12th May 2006 at 18:27
Does anyone have any of the wheelbays and uc legs?
By: Deryck - 12th May 2006 at 18:18
Cees, Do Turretboy’s pictures give you what you need? Let me know if you need any more detail of anything.
Deryck
By: turretboy - 12th May 2006 at 04:17
Mantog, £17 million might get you a Hali, but I’m not sure about airworthy.
Cees, I am close?
By: mantog - 12th May 2006 at 01:02
Yes, it’s a great shame there are no airworthy Halibags. I’ve always had a soft spot for this aircraft. long story – if I were to have one of these crazy lottery wins of a stupendous amount e.g £17 million I’d be looking to try get one airworthy. Mind you, perhaps I’d need more?!
How much would it cost to put NA337 in the air, bearing in mind the work that has already been done?
By: sea vixen - 11th May 2006 at 19:59
i think its a great pity there is only 2 halifaxs left intact today out of over 6,000 produced. you would think there would be at least one airworthy. not much thought to a great aircraft and the brave people who operated them. its a good job some people still care and remember…..
By: turretboy - 11th May 2006 at 19:00
Cees,
Here is one I posted here before, but I will check my files tonight to see what else I have from the restoration.
Regards,
By: HP57 - 11th May 2006 at 18:28
Back earlier in the thread someone asked the time required to restore NA 337, it was 10 years and a couple of months and some 350,000 manhours. The cost of the materials involved was about $1.0M.
Federal Government funding was received (I seem to recollect around $300,000.) to help with the recovery, which was done by Dacom Sea Sub, the remainder was raised from donations by the public, only one restoration member was a paid employee to oversee the work on the majority of the project, one other was paid to help restore the main spar. The value of the volunteer labour was estimated at around $9.0M.
Deryck,
Money well spent I would say. Do you have any pics showing the general bomb bay? For my 1/32 model I need some info on the structure and the manuals I have don’t give any clues (as do the scarce pics on the internet of the bombbay).
Cheers
Cees
By: DCK - 11th May 2006 at 18:20
Heres a picture of his grave.
By: Deryck - 11th May 2006 at 14:55
Back earlier in the thread someone asked the time required to restore NA 337, it was 10 years and a couple of months and some 350,000 manhours. The cost of the materials involved was about $1.0M.
Federal Government funding was received (I seem to recollect around $300,000.) to help with the recovery, which was done by Dacom Sea Sub, the remainder was raised from donations by the public, only one restoration member was a paid employee to oversee the work on the majority of the project, one other was paid to help restore the main spar. The value of the volunteer labour was estimated at around $9.0M.
By: DCK - 11th May 2006 at 12:04
Sorry for bumping this back up.
But.
I discovered the pilot and the crews graves last night, by accident.
I was jogging in a suburban area of Lillehammer when I saw a sign that said “Commonwealth war graves”.
30 or so British soldiers were buried there, alongside the crew of the Halifax and the pilot A. Turnbull, DFC. I belive one member of the crew survived the crash in 1945.
By: HP57 - 21st November 2005 at 19:08
Very inspiring pics
Cheers
Cees
By: minter - 21st November 2005 at 16:12
second that ..great, what a birthday present 🙂
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June 29, 2004 at 10:30 pm