Maybe you should take some time to write a book;)

I had a large poster all about the Lancaster when I was a child (obtained from the Eastbourne air show) and it had a nice big pic of a B.II with the FN64turret.

I presume they took all the useful transferrable stuff off the B.II airframes turning them into empty hulks.

Am I right in thinking that the B.II didn’t have the same altitude or speed performance but was a bit more frugle on the fuel.

On a side note on different engines I remember seeing a picture once of a B17 fitted with four Allison V12’s. Looked like a very sleak customer.

Are you sure?

I would think they used them all up and scrapped the rest after the war. At least one was used as a testbed for jetengines.
There were only about 300 built (DS-serial range from the top of my head), The Hercules engines were thirstier but the climb was greatly improved. Don’t know about speed though as I would think the radial had more built in headwind.
Apart from that the Lanc was designed with underslung nacelles whereas the Halifax was designed origninally for radials which suited the Hercules extremely well.

Cheers

Cees

My thoughts exactly, I do not know how SG has made his money nor do i have any wish to know thats none of my business. I am just glad i have had the chance to see many Warbirds through the Fighter Collection that i never would have seen flying otherwise, Aircraft such as P-38,P-39,P-63, Hawk,P-51c,Hellcat,Wildcat,Bearcat etc, That i am eternally grateful for. We are lucky to have such a great collector in the UK.
I feel Stephen Grey is like all of us that collect just on a grander scale, You collect for the affection or intrest you have for what you are collecting not the money, If you thought about the money you probably would not collect at all.

Which makes you wonder if Mr Grey had actually bought his first warbird if he knew that so many people were discussing his toys. But then again, there was no internet in those days:D

Cheers

Cees

Handley Page Halifax B Mk III cockpit reproduction (HP57)

Sorry to say chaps that this project has stalled at the moment. Ik will continue at a new location but it won’t be a full blown cockpitsection as I intended. New plans are that only the pilot’s cockpit will be made (with a possibility the flight engineers position will be made as a seperate unit)

******:(

Cees

Hi Peter,

Well, the project is going very well. In the last few weeks we have completed the engine control box which is fitted behind the pilot’s bulkhead. It’s a very complicated assembly and it has been made according to the drawings and is practically indistinguishable from a wartime one. We are now concentrating on the pilot’s chassis which is almost ready in component form so in the coming weeks we can start assembling it. When that is completed we can fit the pilot’s seat (almost finished), the various trim consoles, the throttle box trunk, control wheel and rudder pedals. By that time I will post some pics to show what it looks like. The aim is to build something HP would be proud of:D

Thank heavens the drawings are available otherwise it would be very difficult.

Cheers

Cees