Warbird Information Exchange

Can anyone bring us uptodate on the various Lancaster restorations out there? I seem to remember there are 2 or 3 in Cananda and 1 in the UK?

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Ain't no sunshine when she's gone!

Hi Pat--

Lanc projects currently underway in Canada are the Mk.Xs at Nanton (FM159) and Calgary (FM136), Alberta, and Windsor (FM212) and Toronto (FM104), Ontario. The Nanton one is complete and on show, but always being upgraded, with full ground running status being the intention (I think both inboard engines currently run). The Toronto one is on hold, stored until the former Downsview museum finds a new home. At one point the Lanc at Edmundston, New Brunswick (KB882) was slated to receive substantial refurbishment too with an eye toward maybe making her taxiable (she's displayed at St.Joseph Airport outside the town), but I haven't heard anything on that one for a while.

I'm not aware of any ongoing Lanc restorations in the UK, but there is a potential project stored in Florida with Kermit Weeks (a mix of parts of Mk.Xs KB976 and KB994 and an ex-RAF Lincoln), a former Aeronavale patrol bird in France, and the Australian Lincoln project which incorporates other components from the three Weeks aircraft...

S.

Have no idea how much else of one he has, but P.Allen/FHC has a LANC forward fuselage on display that's fairly complete.

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Don't make me go get my flying monkeys-

Some work has been done recently to KB839 at Greenwood, Nova Scotia.

https://skydrive.live.com/?sc=photos&ci ... &sc=photos

Be sure to check out the other albums.

Lots of interesting pictures of some great projects.

https://skydrive.live.com/?cid=51DCD035 ... &sc=photos

As I recall more than one of them in Canada were coming out of the cold. Is that still the case?

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Ain't no sunshine when she's gone!

Windsor's FM212 and Toronto's FM104 were both brought down from their park plinths for restoration.

I thought there was also some talk of bringing Edmunston's KB882 inside.

Yes, if I remember various FlyPast articles, several are being taken off pylons and restored for future indoor display.
But, I love the idea of a WWII aircraft in a big public park, they are a very large reminder to the general (non aviation) publc about the war and the sacrifices.

I'd like to see fiberglass replicas put in their place. (Perhaps a good use for the rumored Chinese models being built for the long planned Dambusters remake).

Message written at the same time as Mike Berry's reply above.

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Remember the vets, the wonderful planes they flew and their sacrifices for a future many of them did not live to see.

Lancaster FM212`s former home now has these, they look great!

Someone in England is restoring a Lanc forward fuselage, but I can't recall the details. VFM sold them a radio bit from our surplus stocks for their project.

Dang, I hate old age. The memory is the first thing to go. I can't recall the second thing.

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Dean Hemphill, K5DH
Port Charlotte, Florida

Steve -the Australian Lincoln project doesnt use parts from KB994 or KB976. The cockpit remains of KB994 went to Australia along with a section of the rear fuselage of KB976 but they were destined for another project out there.

Just to make a few corrections..
FM159 has had both stbd engines restord to ground run as well as the flaps bombdoors and wheel brakes. They currently have removed both port engines with the port inner already restored and test run awaiting her prop and the port outer making great progress with its rebuild. There were some corrosion issues with the port inner prop which required repairs hence the delay in ground running all three engines. There is a good chance of seeing her next summer with all four running..!

KB882 has had an in depth inspection done recently adn they hope to fundraise for a building for her to go in. This would be the only chance of Canada having another airworthy Lancaster on the east coast..

The cockpit Section mentioned in the UK would most likely be Jeremy halls currently at Brooklands.

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Cheers,
Peter

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Yep, that's the one! Anyone have recent pics of that project?

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Dean Hemphill, K5DH
Port Charlotte, Florida

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Cheers,
Peter

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I find this very interesting! Having been in FM212s cockpit and talked to some of the guys there during an open house for CH2A, I know they had aimed for airworthy restoration, though I know the ownership with the City of Windsor is a big hurdle for them.

An airworthy Lancaster in post war RCAF colours would be awesome! I am presuming KB882 would need a complete restoration to be airworthy?