Hi Daz, I wasn’t prepared for such a quick reply!!

I know for definite I wouldn’t be able to afford a kit, where as I might be able to afford a set of plans and build something at my own pace.

I’ve not done any serious flying since I was in the air cadets some years ago, but I’m looking to get back into it. I don’t have the means to operate a warbird, or buy a GA machine straight out so the homebuild option is looking very appealing. Also, I’d probably have the licence to fly it by the time I’d finished building it!!

If I could have something as easy on the eye as a Spitfire, I’d be very pleased, so maybe… who knows? I’m going to give it some serious thought.

Thanks!
Richard W

The Ghost Lanc is a popular legend up here in Derbyshire. We also have a ghost B29 too so if we could organise a schedule it would be one hell of an airshow.

Joking aside, the mountain rescue gets called out to the B29 site on a regular basis after people claim to see it crash. It’s not just locals who’ve reported it (most of them ignore it now) people from further out, even abroad have seen it when visiting or passing through the area.

As for the Lancaster, it supposedly haunts the Derwent area. Rumour has it a Lancaster crashed into Derwent Water while practising for the Dams raid, and it’s still down there. I’ve never really looked into it, apart from one bit- I can’t get the EDxxx serialed Lancasters to tally up with the number supposedly built…

serial range ED303 – EE202

620 Avro Lancasters ordered from A.V.Roe (Chadderton) in 1941 and built from November 1942 to June 1943 as 129 B.I and 491 B.III varying up to ED782 all as B.III from ED783

I keep counting I only get 618. 129 B.I’s and 489 B.III’s

????

Hi Peter!!!

The recovery attempt has not died off, I’m just having a few difficulties with the Swedish Authorities.

They want me to recover the aircraft bring it to the UK, restore/preserve what’s left, but only if I return it to Sweden once I’m done…

Not quite my idea of fun, so I’m letting them think I’ve gone away for a while then I’m going to contact everyone and anyone who’ll listen to me. They’ll end up seeing it from my point of view if just to make me go away. I’m 22, and I’ll keep hassling them for the next 50 years if needs be.

Regards
Richard

Got ’em!!

http://www.creationtrek.com/AVIATION/vanatu.htm

and

http://www.ozemail.com.au/~diving/articles/qantas95.htm

Radial engined Lanc? Now that would be fun… have you any more information on her? I was looking more towards ED475 off Hastings, she’s in about 45 ft of water. I know there was an engine pulled up offf her some years ago and she is still supposed to be in fairly good (for salt water) condition. I have some friends who are into diving and they were going to take a peek at her in the summer.

As for Elsie I think I may go across and see some people face to face to stop them avoiding me!

Regards
Richard W

Slowly!!:D

I have all the permissions bar one. She lies on government land, and I have been told anything that happens on it has to go through local government for the area…

As you can probably guess, they’re not too keen on me recovering the area, and take their time in replying to letters etc, or just don’t.

Most of the local population want the aircraft to stay where it is, or for someone to take it to the UK, stop any corrosion, restore some bits and then send it back for their little museum in Porjus…

Sorry, but if I want to spend loads of money with no results there are pubs in my town that can help me do that! There is a minority who think it should be recovered on principle, as it is the last 617 Lanc. Shame they don’t all think that way.

I’ll gladly help them recover her for their museum to look after but they aren’t interested in that route…so for the forseeable future it looks as though she is going to stay where she is. I see myself as having one course of action now… I will keep pestering until they say yes just to make me go away, or if the situation persists for yet another year I will look for another Lanc.

Regards
Richard W

Flood

Interesting… Not quite within the question but getting along with the ideal – probably the last RAF issue, British-built Blenheim survivor is/was Z7513 which was essentially lost in May 1942 when flying with 15 Sqn SAAF and then was rediscovered in a more or less complete state in February 1959 in the Libyan Desert.

Details:
http://www.filton.flyer.co.uk/bristol/survb149z7513.htm
I differentiate this from the Canadian built versions, which form the majority of the survivors, the wrecks (including Z7513, now nothing more than scattered components) that grace a few museums, and of course the Finnish Air Force Museums BL-200 which is the only surviving, and complete, British built Blenheim. Was Finland the last Blenheim operator?

Unless you know different!

Flood.

I believe there is another British built Blenheim in the Sahara, a Free French operated machine. I think it belly landed, and the crew stayed with it hoping for rescue, as it went down in a minefield.

It was a mine disposal unit that came across it, I think there was a picture of it on the net somewhere…can’t remember where though.

Richard W