I was led to believe that PA474 was fitted with the larger Lancaster MkV (Lincoln) rudders when she was being used for R&D on laminar flow wing tests on such aircraft as the Folland Midge, until replaced by Lincoln B2 RF342 at Cranfield in 1958. This was done because this configuration gave better directional stability for the trials. They were never replaced when PA474 was recovered by No 44 Squadron B.C based at Waddington, after the aircraft had been passed through storage at Wroughton and Henlow..

…and yet again I say, PA474 was BUILT with the larger rudders, and there are many photographs of her service in Africa that prove it.

…which is totally original to PA474, too.

A slight confession. Seen PA474 countless times, and to be honest I wasn’t sure that two Lancasters together would really be much different. But as I saw them from a distance flying around Waddington around 10.00am this morning it literally gave me goosebumps to think that was how it might have looked when the squadrons returned from a raid. Also brought back some poignant memories of my late Mother telling me how she used to lie awake at night listening to them joining up over Lincoln before heading off East. Quite a moment. Thanks to all concerned.

This kind of thing has been coming to mind a lot for me, especially after some utterly moronic comments I’ve read (on other forums) about the BBMF being ‘boring’ etc.

We’ve been lucky enough to have PA474 in our skies for many decades, and she makes a lot of appearances every year. There’s an element that takes her for granted, and it strikes me that with the CWH machine in tow and everyone currently looking anew, some people would do well now to remember just how bloody lucky we are to have an airworthy Lancaster.

I was giving this some thought and remembered that in the olden days the Lancaster PA474 which is currently being referred to in the media and by its millions of fans as “Thumper III” used to be known not by its ever changing port-side nose art identity but by its constant starboard nose art identity, “City of Lincoln”. I wonder why the BBMF have allowed this change to develop away from ‘City of Lincoln’ in media reports.

Yes, I remember that too; in the 80s it was always ‘City of Lincoln’, carried on the port side of the nose before the aircraft started wearing more elaborate nose arts and it had to be moved to the other side. I first noticed the move towards calling it by it’s nose art identity when the facebook page really got going, with references to ‘The Phantom’, but it really seems to have gotten out of hand now with this ‘Thumper’ stuff.

Whether it’s a conscious PR thing to make the aircraft seem more friendly and accessible somehow, or a practice usually kept within the Flight that has slipped out into the PR world, or something else, I don’t know, but although one could argue that it doesn’t really matter, I’m certainly one Lancaster fan/BBMF supporter who doesn’t like it. BBMF, can we not just stick to ‘PA474’, please?

Fair point, David! :highly_amused:

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No…thank YOU.

FM213 has more fuselage windows, and is fairly bare inside compared to PA474, which has a lot (if not all by now?) of the wartime equipment fitted. ‘474 has an oval lower bomb aimer’s window, whereas 213’s is rectangular, and ‘474 has the H-shaped aerials fitted either side of the nose as well.