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Lancaster!

calypsos said:
No Stirlings exist.
Click to expand...

Hi Trev,

There are pretty strong rumours that if not a complete airframe, parts of one exist in Russia, the remains of one that was delivered to the soviets towards the end of the war. Due to the current political spat between London and Moscow, no British officials have been able to visit the airfield where it supposedly resides to confirm the rumours.

The story is feasible and I'm keeping an open mind on the subject - who would have thought a couple of decades ago that a Hampden would return from Russia?

There is also one in a lake in Germany. Officials have vetoed all attempts to recover it.

Best wishes
Steve P
 
Maybe we should invade to recover it :icon_lol:

Having see nthe lanc and Halifax, to see a Stirling way up on that long undercarriage would be an incredible sight.
 
Henry said:
Now theres a coincidence i was probably playing there also
and we are about the same age!
H
Click to expand...

Really Henry ? You played in those Lincolns too ? I seem to remember one was fairly complete, while the other was little more than the fuselage.

I was there from mid 1963 until September 1965, when my dad was attached to the RAAF and we decamped to Singapore and Australia for two and a half years. We came back to Watton in March 1968. The Lincolns had gone, but there was an H.P. Hastings and the cockpit section of a Canberra in the same location. I'm 52 by the way.

:guinness:
 
Paul K said:
Really Henry ? You played in those Lincolns too ? I seem to remember one was fairly complete, while the other was little more than the fuselage.

I was there from mid 1963 until September 1965, when my dad was attached to the RAAF and we decamped to Singapore and Australia for two and a half years. We came back to Watton in March 1968. The Lincolns had gone, but there was an H.P. Hastings and the cockpit section of a Canberra in the same location. I'm 52 by the way.

:guinness:
Click to expand...
my Dad was a lorry driver and when watton finaly closed
he took out lots of stuff i believe we still have a nissen hut
somewhere, it was probably in the mid sixtys when i first went there
im 57 so whats 5 years :icon_lol:
the next base to get torn down was scullthorpe
H
 
Interesting stuff, Henry. Most of it is still there, though the officer's mess, the 1960's control tower and the Eastern Radar building have all been demolished. The four big hangars still stand however, as do most of the barrack blocks and admin buildings. All the married quarters have been sold to private buyers.

The airfield is still used occasionally by the Army helicopters from nearby Stamford Battle Area, and the runway has been resurfaced, though not to aircraft operations standard...its more like standard tarmac you would see in a car park. Trees are encroaching too, so its gradually returning to nature.

I have some photos somewhere in the loft, I'll dig them out and post them sometime.

:ernae:
 
Henry said:
my Dad was a lorry driver and when watton finaly closed
he took out lots of stuff i believe we still have a nissen hut
somewhere, it was probably in the mid sixtys when i first went there
im 57 so whats 5 years :icon_lol:
the next base to get torn down was scullthorpe
H
Click to expand...

Thats a great story guys from all over the world who have a connection through flight, and the RAF or any other service, I like stories like that lol!
 
Downham Market was certainly a Sterling base - 214Sq from 10/12/43 to 16/01/44, 218Sq from 07/07/42 to 07/03/44 and 623Sq from 10/08/43 to 06/12/43... Dates in UK, not US format there - unless America manages to squeeze 16 months in. :engel016:

Whereabouts was Waterbeach? I've never heard of that one. 1665 HCU flew Sterlings from 23/01/44 to 26/03/45 as Horsa tugs from my old circuit haunt of Sleap, though.
 
Waterbeach= Windfold, adjacent to the A10 trunk road five miles outside Cambridge. was a Wellie and Stirling base:ernae:
 
IanP said:
Dates in UK, not US format there - unless America manages to squeeze 16 months in. :engel016:

Whereabouts was Waterbeach? I've never heard of that one. 1665 HCU flew Sterlings from 23/01/44 to 26/03/45 as Horsa tugs from my old circuit haunt of Sleap, though.
Click to expand...
i get confused a lot on that one:isadizzy:
and Waterbeach is on the A10 between Cambridge and Ely
i believe it is still operational or it was in the late 70's
H
 
Gottit... It's East Midlands apparently, not East Anglia or Northern Home Counties. The books all get a bit crossed over in that area. ;)

Many, many, Sterlings lived there... Along with Wellingtons, Lancasters (on topic alert! on topic alert!), Hunters, Dakotas, Lancastrians, Yorks, Meteors, Javelins, Swifts, Liberators, Venoms, Oxfords and Vampires.

It's still in use, apparently, as home to 39 Engineer Regiment - whose job is to build and maintain airfields. How worryingly logical for the MoD!:isadizzy:
 
How 'bout some more Lancaster screenies, I can't wait till this one comes out. That photo of the Lincoln was super:applause:
 
Keeps being pushed back...now the 25th of September, BUT just look at all the versions that will be included.
Varitable Smorgassbord :applause:

From First Class Simualtions Website:

Lancaster add-on for Microsoft FS 2004/FSX


<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=main>"I believe the Lancaster was the greatest single factor in winning the war" – except from a letter from Sir Arthur Harris, Wartime commander of RAF Bomber Command to Sir Roy Dobson of Avro, the designers and manufacturers of the Lancaster bomber.

The Avro Lancaster, a four-engine heavy bomber, (affectionately known as Lanc or Lankie) first entered service in 1942 and by the end of the Second World War had been involved in over 150,000 sorties. Although most famous for its daylight precision bombing "Dam Buster" raids, codenamed Operation Chastise, on the dams of the Ruhr Valley, the Lancaster excelled at night bombing.

During its operational life the Lancaster was constantly being improved or adapted for new weapons or equipment. Here are the variants and liveries that we have recreated for you…
  • Lancaster B. I
    R5556/KM-C, No.44 (Rhodesia) Sqn RAF, RAF Coningsby, c.1942.
  • Lancaster B. I (H2S)
    ME499/AS-D, No.166 Sqn RAF, RAF Kirmington, c.1945.
  • Lancaster B I (H2S)
    1803, Royal Egyptian Air Force, c.1952.
  • Lancaster B I (Special)
    PD121/YZ-Z, No.617 Sqn RAF, RAF Woodhall Spa, c.1945.
  • Lancaster B III
    EE139/HW-R, No.100 Sqn RAF, RAF Grimsby, c.1943.
  • Lancaster B III (H2S)
    JA845/F-CXT, Empire Central Flying School, RAF, c.1945.
  • Lancaster B III (Special)
    ED921/G/AJ-W, No.617 Sqn RAF, RAF Coningsby, c.1943.
  • Lancaster B X
    KB772/VR-R, No.419 (Moose) Sqn RCAF, RAF Middleton St. George, c.1944.
  • Lancaster 10 MR
    FM104/CX-104, No.107 Rescue Unit, RCAF, Torbay.
  • Lancaster MR 3
RF325/H-D, School of Maritime Reconnaissance, RAF St. Maqgan, c.1956.

This title contains Lancaster versions for both Microsoft Flight Simulator X and Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004 plus for those flying in FSX, two missions are also included that will help you learn to fly this legendary World War II aircraft.



</TD></TR><TR><TD>
pixel_trans.gif
</TD></TR><TR><TD><TABLE width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=main width="27%">Minimum System Requirements:</TD><TD width="72%"></TD></TR><TR><TD width="27%"></TD><TD width="72%"></TD></TR><TR><TD class=main width="27%">Supports</TD><TD class=main width="72%">MS 2004 or FSX/ XP or Vista</TD></TR><TR><TD class=main width="27%">Hard Drive Space</TD><TD class=main width="72%">1 GB</TD></TR><TR><TD class=main width="27%">CD/DVD Drive</TD><TD class=main width="72%">CD ROM </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
 
Henry said:
i get confused a lot on that one:isadizzy:
and Waterbeach is on the A10 between Cambridge and Ely
i believe it is still operational or it was in the late 70's
H
Click to expand...

Missed this part of the thread earlier. I went to Waterbeach in 1961 as an air cadet. It housed 1 and 54 Sqdns with Hunters (FGA.9's I think) and 64 Sqdn with Javelins. One of these blew a starter down the engine on start-up (not uncommon apparently) and bent the main spar (w/o to the fire dump). I watched the crew exit very shaken!!

DaveQ
 
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