That pictures a cracker! I see she was still wearing the Comic Relief red nose when it was taken.

Ah…. that’ll be a no then :rolleyes:

Back to my cave…..

As has often been said, nothing is impossible… but I think they’d be a hell of a lot more work. That and the cost getting them back from Cyprus would be immense.

I think the best that could be hoped for them is for one to go on static display at either Paphos or at Akrotiri.

What would the public think when seeing a Shack flying past? “It’s a weird Lancaster” perhaps? (The Americans did when they saw it over there?)

Being a substitute for a Lancaster could work out to be an advantage. With limted hours available per year from the BBMF, there’s always going to be a gap to fill when their schedule won’t work.

To a lot of the public, something single engined, wearing roundels, that growls overhead is always a Spitfire.

Similarly, I’ve overheard people pointing at a Shackleton telling other less knowledgable members of their group that “It’s a Lancaster, see the twin tail and four engines?”…

Set up a poll somewhere non aviation, see whether it provides a positive public response. I asked a few questions, and posted a bit on a couple of car forums, and despite people not knowing about the Shackleton, they were impressed, appreciative, and supportive.

So long as the costs don’t spiral, or meet similar figures per year as the Vulcan I can’t see it being a problem for fundraising. I think another good course of action on the operating front would be for us to approach the team who operate Sally B, for some advice.

It was getting heavily discussed when I was down there last Thursday. There were a couple of ideas floating about about the future of the airport, but nothing definite. It’s going to make life awful for those employed there at the worst time of year.

The answers should be with you now Peter! Thanks for the pm.

Ric

There has been a rising local activity at Porjus to keep the wreck “as is”. I think they have manage to make the site a “K-märkt” place, meaning that it’s not allowed to be changed, by removal etc.
In FP, or the other paper, some years back one magasin had Lancaster as the topic and a swed, born up north, wrote about Elsy. Don’t have the paper by my side, but the Air Force Museum saved some parts and brought them to the museum in 1985. The way RW writes, that “due to lack of interest in it, it was taken back” in 1992 is not realy correct. Just for lack of interest you don’t take it all the way back, transport Linköping-Vidsel with C-130, by car to Porjus and by helicopter the last distance.
Think the local activity got the museum to bring it back. So can’t realy see it Easie’ly done to take her away from there.

An other project to focus on would be the Lancaster south of Skanör/Falsterbo, in the water, at depth of about 18-20 meters. Papers are already done, now it’s up to a proper location and money to take care of the plane. This one is also in a ‘bad’ condition, but consider Easy Els (reading the swedish paper above) landed with uc out bounced 75 meters, slided for 175 and then stoped on the nose, fell back down, (probably) put on fire by crew and burnt out all the way from nose to empanage, and from left- to right inner engines. The engines, turrents etc was taken by the SwAF at the time. Later a scrapp dealer “dismantled” the remaining fuselage and wings but never collected it. The outerwings and engines where pretty intact at the time (1944).
Easy Elsie has been debated by swedish air entusiasts but as often a solid plan, money and logistics, to recover has not been presentated. Now local athorities has been awoked and further plans to recover will be hard. To build a “shed” in situ would not be easily done either.

Sorry, alot of negative swedish thought’s but my positive thoughts and actions goes to other rare and more intact airframes to save.

Some interesting points.

If the interest locally has gone through the roof; it’s probably due to them getting my letters. The letters, I might add, that they don’t have the courtesy to reply to.

It’s also interesting that while fighting to keep the wreck where it is, the local authorities were quite happy to give one of the tail fins to the Tirpitz museum in Tromso. I guess this and the people that keep selling bits of NF920on ebay are seen as less of a threat than me, as my interest is in the whole thing.

I did write that the tail was returned due to lack of interest, I have it in writing from Sven Scheiderbauer, director of the Flygvapenmuseum… I quote from his correspondence

“The museum (Flygvapenmuseum) picked up the tail 1985 and transported it to Linköping, but 1992 when I became the director I returned that part to Porjus, because it was not interesting for the museum “

So it is correct.

Easy Elsie didn’t bounce, she made a textbook landing, gear down on what the pilot assumed was a meadow. As she lost speed the undercarraige sank into the marsh and she tipped up on her nose, which ejected the flight engineer through the windscreen and broke the pilots knee. The aircraft was then set on fire to avoid it being reused. It is believed (though unproven) most of the stuff recovered from Elsie in the early 50’s was used as spares for RA805, the single Lancaster sold to Sweden. Then the rest got cut up.

I put forward a plan to recover what was left. It was to be done using military assets, and was green lighted by the Royal Engineers at the time. I actually sat down with the Colonel and the whole thing was ready to go. Your Swedish chums turned us down AGAIN.

So there she sits and there she will most likely stay. I’ve since let the MOD know I’ve no further interest. On to the next one we go…

As for the blunt talking Yorkshireman… scrap is what it is if you can’t see past the pound signs. Used alloy wheels are scrap. Old washing machines are scrap. Anything with historical significance isn’t. If you can’t see the significance of what’s left of a genuine 617sqn Lancaster then you are past helping.

If however you want to discuss old Jaguars, I’m listening because thats where I make my pennies to go flying. If you know where there’s a Mk1 Jaguar in a field do tell as they’re getting a bit rare too, and you obviously don’t care for scrap.

Regards to all,

Richard Woods