Lancaster bomber

Phil Woollard · Post by **Phil Woollard** » Wed Jul 20, 2011 5:43 pm

We have just had the Lancaster bomber fly right over the house on it's way back from an air show further down in Cornwall, it brought a lump to my throat and a tear to my eye ( why does it do that )? it was maybe at 500ft could have been less, what a gorgeous noise!

Robert E Morey · Post by **Robert E Morey** » Wed Jul 20, 2011 6:15 pm

Phil,
That is so cool its still flying. We get an occasional B-17 over the house which does the same to me. Nothing sounds like the RR Merlins though, the Lanc is a beautiful plane.
Best regards,
Bob

Adrian Harris · Post by **Adrian Harris** » Wed Jul 20, 2011 7:01 pm

We're lucky enough to see it most summers - there must be a regular show appearance somewhere round here. They're not normally at that sort of height though

There is usually the two fighters with it, so six beautiful engines in harmony - no way to miss the noise they make together.

Adrian.

Phil Woollard · Post by **Phil Woollard** » Wed Jul 20, 2011 7:25 pm

She was on her own and looked brand new, no smoke to speak of from those Merlins and I could see the top of the fuz as she dropped away into the valley before rising again over Dartmoor

Phil Woollard · Post by **Phil Woollard** » Thu Jul 21, 2011 8:43 am

I've just realised why the crew were flying so low, they were taking a look at an english electric lighting that is on a stand at castle motors, very often we see aircraft using it as a ref point along the east west air corridor, that's a thing that i want to the inside of at 10,000ft I believe you can book a flight in one somewhere in south Africa

Stephen White · Post by **Stephen White** » Thu Jul 21, 2011 9:13 am

Great stuff, if off topic. Here she is:

Sadly, Thunder City in South Africa has now closed, so we can all dream. They had a fatal crash last year and that plus escalating costs caused Mike Beachy Head to sell up.

Unusual to see the BBMF flying low, not below 500 ft to stay legal.

All the best.

Stephen

Phil Woollard · Post by **Phil Woollard** » Thu Jul 21, 2011 9:51 am

Thanx for that Stephen , "off topic" we will be in trouble but while the cats away and all that !
I was thinking of discussing cup cakes next

Tim Bowman · Post by **Tim Bowman** » Fri Jul 22, 2011 3:42 pm

Hi Phil

Would love to see a Lancster in the air! as Bob said, over here there is a traveling WWII air museum with a B17, B24, B25 and P51. You can pay to go for a 30 minute ride and their flight path out to the coast and back brings them over our house and as you say, nothing sounds as good as those WWII motors! They're here in May, so it already came and went.

However, had an unexpected surprise over the weekend of the 4th. Totally unexpected but definitive sound of a Rolls Royce Merlin motor coming in fast and low. We were surrounded by trees so looking skyward and waiting when a lower then expected P51 D flew right over us. Normandy stripes and all! Made me want to jump and down.

Love that stuff!

Several years ago we went up and crawled around in the two bombers while they were in town.

Tim

Phil Woollard · Post by **Phil Woollard** » Fri Jul 22, 2011 4:19 pm

I suppose it's in our blood and this kinda thing brings us all closer together, Just the smell inside oil, bakealite, leather, rubber hoseing ,ali sheet ( for those who don't know , ali does have it's own smell) and as a Tiger had basically a me109 engine maybe we are not that far off topic either, love those pics Tim.....................P51 the Cadilac of the skies!

phil fitzpatrick · Post by **phil fitzpatrick** » Fri Jul 22, 2011 9:44 pm

Hi Phil
Your Lancaster might have been showing at Culdrose if it was
mid week.
There is only 2 still flying,the BBMF one over here and one in Canada.
I have a dvd of the Canadian Museum flight,shows every thing from
flight checking,start up procedure,take off,flying arround and landing.
I go to every Big Military Air show in the UK from May to October
so get to see it a lot,usually with the Spitfire and Huricain for
company.
Four of the biggest in July,Waddington,Yeovilton,RIAT at Fairford
and Duxford.
Keeps me away from my Tanks,but the old stuff is fantastic to see
fly close up and the Modern jets like the American Raptor and
the The Typhoon for our camp are incredibble the way they
both take off and from only a few feet off the runway turn verticle
and head for the stars.
Love the rest like the Grippen,Raffael,Tornado,F16 and F18 and
for my first time this year the Mig29.
Another first at Fairford this July was the big Herculise not just
doing there normal wing overs and Kai san landings,but went
straight off into Rolls and then Loops inline with the flight line and
towards and most difficult of all knife edge flying the length of the
flight line.
Yes Awsum stuff to see and the static displays have been excellent
aswell.
Saw the American Thunderbirds Team aswell this year,like the
Red Arrows but flying F16's,very good to whach and listen to.
If you Like Big look for a dvd called Soviet Airshow,they now have
the biggest of everything,the supersonic VSTOL Yak,THe Giant Mil
26 helicopter and the Largest aircraft in the world,the Antonov 225
Mriya,it has I think at last count 32 landing wheels.
The VSTOL Yak burnta a hole in the run way at Farnborough in the practice for the show,so they had to ban that part for the actual show.
Sorry about that

Its my other hobby,you shouldnt have started
me off.
cheers Phil

Phil Woollard · Post by **Phil Woollard** » Sat Jul 23, 2011 7:21 am

Hi Phil, don't worry let it all out, sounds great it's what we all need.
The Red Arrows fly down here once a year at the Fowey regatta I think it is, they fly over the small town and up and down the inlets from the sea, during the display the two that breakaway fly so low up the sea born inlets either side of the main viewing feilds that the aircraft are below crowd level and you can clearly see down into the cockpit at the pilots.If you are into the Red Arrows this must be their most spectacular display.
I must try to go again this year.
Thank god the conservatives are in power again or we would loose all of this!
Oh and arnt model tanks cool.

phil fitzpatrick · Post by **phil fitzpatrick** » Sat Jul 23, 2011 8:01 am

Yeh real cool

Just finished my Comet crew and ready for a photo session

Phil Woollard · Post by **Phil Woollard** » Sat Jul 23, 2011 8:13 am

If you wanna send me some of those pics Phil I will have a go at ageing them and send them back to you, keep the angle low and fill the frame much like you have been doing, and generally the crew were nearly always looking at the photographer.

phil fitzpatrick · Post by **phil fitzpatrick** » Sat Jul 23, 2011 11:44 am

Hi Phil
I had just taken 7 pic's of the crew and spoted your posting so I
took 2 more with them looking into the camera and closer up.
Unfortunately the Tank is still in my spare room up on the table.
I sent the 9 to your other email that you sent your Tiger and
Stuart pic's on.
Cheers
Phil
PS
Those BAE Hawkes of the Red Arrows must have been a treat to
see from your location.

Steven Ford · Post by **Steven Ford** » Sat Jul 23, 2011 4:59 pm

Just before the first Gulf War my wife and I were driving near Spadeadam, a bombing range. We stopped the car for a look at the view from a hilltop and became aware of a growing thunderous roar but we were completely unable to see any obvious source.

After a few minutes, when the scenery had actually started to shake with the noise, a column of eight B52s, nose to tail, emerged through a nearby field gate - or so it seemed - and climbed ponderously away to the south. Real hedge hopping stuff.

Locally we get advanced warning of hostilities because the planes actually follow the terrain closely rather than going from hilltop to hilltop.

Still rather have a Lancaster in the hanger though.

Lancaster bomber

Lancaster bomber

Lancaster

Cool Tanks

Crew Pic's