Some pics

Thanks,
What an ingenious use:D
Wonder what more could have originated from that scrapping site.
Great thread, but I am biased of course.
But good to see that there is an interest in YAM’s magnificent achievement.
I wonder what would happen if a Hercules propeller blade would turn up. That would make
a very nice mould to make new propblades.
During my visit in 2008 I returned a piece of shattered Rotorl propeller blade of a 77 sqn Halifax
to Elvington (from where the aircraft had originally taken off and I had recovered some wreckage including a complete Merlin).

I also had a new made lid of the oxygen bottles crate with me that I couldn’t use for my project but donated
to YAM. It was completely made according tot the factory drawings and was lacking in YAM’s Halifax.

I always wondered if it has been fitted in the flight engineers compartment or that it has been dumped.
The chap I gave it to at the reception didn’t seem to have a clue. How often do bits of Elvington based
Halifaxes return to Elvington 65 years later. The blade was never to be seen during my last visit. Pity.

Pic of the mock up as Ian mentioned.
Strangely this has an original Halifax pilot’s seat and the Halifax doesn’t. Is this a private display by any chance?

It’s a Boulton Paul type E turret that was completely restored to working condition. The Hastings wing was modified a bit because of the difference between the wider circular Hastings fuselage and the more angular Halifax fuselage. About three feet on either side had to be added. And the undercarriage was of course changed into the Halifax type. Although the Hastings used a similar wheel arch as compared to the Halifax it was much slimmer and lighter.

Very sensible decision John,

So the flight engineers position (boiler room) is included?

The crew stations are the most important bits of any cockpit section. After I decided to stick another two feet on my Halifax cockpit the result is
rather bland. Too much structure and not enough to see the flight engineers position. Anyway it was fun to build:D

Don’t know if it is from RG475. Is that the Walton on the Naze aircraft as mentioned in the Hurricane book?

I had read somewhere that the leg originated from the Messier factory where it has been on display. Pics I have seen it looked
to be in great shape. In Holland there is a complete undercarriage leg and wheel as a memorial in a farmers garden. When I
looked at it in 2003 the magnesium looked good as it had been regularly painted.

The RAF Museum’s storage has so many items that could be put to good use in assisting projects.

Hi Jester,
No, the cockpit was donated to the CMFT Halifax reconstruction/replica in Canada.
When I first visited Elvington and the Halifax during 1997 a VHS video was available which I later had transferred to DVD to
prevent it from wearing out (have seen it many times and will do so more). Don’t know if it is still available. During my next
visits in 2008 and 2015 I never saw it in the shop.
On the video there is footage of the four engines they received from France, being SNECMA built Hercules as used on the
Noratlas I assume that the cowlings are from this type as well, but someone may correct me on that.
They used the wings of Hastings TG536 but the outer wings were very corroded and they obtained a better set from a
scrapyard still in the wooden packing cases. During my last visit last year one wing was displayed outside on a Queen Mary
trailer. Please get this inside or to Canada to aid Karl K’s project. Too valuable to let it rot away.
Any forumites here who worked on YAM’s Halifax by any chance?
Cees

Indeed,
I cannot see IWM doing anything other to the cockpit section than as a walk through exhibit. I wonder what their plans are as it is in a corner, completely stripped of fittings etc when I saw it two years ago and in a corner of a hangar. There is a possibility that the second Canadian Hasting wing package might be incorporated together with this cockpit into a fully reconstructed aiframe but with the funding needed it doesn´t seem likely.
Offering it to YAM, which as an important museum in the northern part of the UK has proved itself many times, could be the best thing.