I agree on that Mark

Cheers

Cees

Tom,

The Yorkshire Air Museum Halifax is an excellent example of a composite reproduction” with the blending of original parts and FSM, with its mix of original structure, mixed with FSM cockpit and Hastings Wings, it provided the only “complete” display of the Halifax in the UK, (and for a time in the world) “Friday 13th” lets future generations see this very important part of the Bomber Comand story of WW2.

Mark Pilkington

Just a correction but the Hastings was developed from the Halifax just as the York was from the Lancaster. The centre section is identical and the intermediate wingsection between the engines has a wider span than the Halifax but it is fully compatible to the Halifax. I would say that 75 % of that airframe is Handley Page and not a replica. A bitsa yes, but other projects have started with much less and are called “original”.
If the IWM had loaned the nose section of PN323 to YAM then it would have been a magnificent airframe (it already is take a few shortcuts or two but I am not complaining)
Not starting a debate here mind you.

Cees

Thanks Jerry

Cees

Thanks Jerry, hadn’t seen that one.

Stiff competition I see, some familiar names

Cheers

Cees

Don’t they have some more Mustang wreckage (nr 01 I believe) in storage?
Cheers

Cees

I think an external replica can be a temporary solution until an original example can be sourced or reconstructed/

I visited the Military Aviation Museum at Soesterberg yesterday and they have a full scale Fokker G-1 on display, built by a furniture factory in the mid-eighties. It looks impressive and until there is no substantial original remains or the rumoured reconstruction, it serves as an important gapfiller for the time being.

If on the other hand too many replicas are put on display at the same location the danger is that the whole thing misses the point.

Difficult to find the right balance. Perhaps the Planes of Fame have got it right.

Cheers

Cees

cig,

The current “intention/strategy?” is to restore the aircraft to represent a GAF Australian Built, RAAF Service aircraft, most likely a mark 30, however in solving the missing cockpit section issue an extended length mark 31 reproduction cockpit/nose might be just as hard/easy as a mark 30 cockpit/nose.

While the cockpit/nose reproduction is a major project in itself, the use of Lancaster drawings by various people in the UK to create Lancaster Cockpit sections demonstrates it can be done, and the Lincoln is the same structure until forward of the windscreen where the Lincoln’s nose, although longer, is probably less complex in terms of compound curves etc to re-create? and this has always been the intended solution of the missing cockpit section.

There is a surviving mark 30 cockpit/nose existing here in Australia however this project has not proceeded with any reliance on accessing that object and it is not expected to be available for the project, but does form a wonderful reference for photographs and dimensions.

Surprisingly there are many parts of Lincolns remaining in Australia that cover the some of missing items from RF349 including turrets, main undercarriage, H2S fairing etc, however any leads on further Lincoln parts in the UK would be appreciated.

Various options therefore exist:

1 of the first 5 RAAF Lincolns (locally assembled Avro built B2 Lincolns)
A representative GAF built mark 30
A representative GAF built mark 31

A representation of one of the many RAF Lincolns operated at Woomera
(The museum holds one of the Python Engines on display)

Restoration of RF342 as itself.

These issues have all been subject of casual debate as we removed parts from the container and spent 5 hours putting them through a clean and dis-enfectant process on Tuesday, (which gets repeated again this afternoon for the two wing outer panels to be removed from the container this afternoon).

Once the aircraft has been fully delivered to the museum and formally donated, its future outcome will be a decision for the museum to make, given the work ahead I dont think the final configuration, identity or colour scheme will have much impact or resolution until either fitting of turrets, or re-constructing the cockpit commences causing a final commitment of decision.

I guess I personally lean towards displaying a different element of the Lincoln to the other three survivors, RF398 is a perfectly preserved and displayed RAF service Avro built B2, B-016 and B-010 in Argentina as also both Avro built B2, interestly none of these survivors carry the mid-upper turret installation, and RF398 is also sans its Boulton Paul remote control nose turret.

The Bristol type 17 mid upper turret with 20mm Hispano cannon installed in the Lincoln would have to be the “ultimate” manned turret installation of the heavy bombers of the 20th century, and therefore perhaps a “key” feature of the Lincoln over the earlier Lancaster design.

Obviously the aim is to put a Lincoln on display in Australia to preserve the type given its local production and operation, but RF342 in its own colours and heritage could achieve that as well. Perhaps in time its original cockpit can be acquired? and re-fitted?

regards

Mark Pilkington

So, we are talking about representing it as something that it isn’t and
never was?

The only identity she can have in my opinion is RF342.

Ohhh walking on thin ice here:cool:

Cheers

Cees