Interesting bit of film RAF WWII

[Harry Bloomfield]

 

[Odds]

Call me crazy but the narrator sounds a lot like Oliver Postgate...maybe?

It's interesting to note how the aircraft was transformed by the Merlin engine and how many other aircraft owed their efficiency to this fantastic piece of engineering. Without it, the P51-Mustang would not have been able to fly alongside the American bombers operating daylight missions over Germany. If i had to pick one thing that helped the allies win the war, it'd be the Merlin.
rafmuseum.org.uk

 

[fillyboy]

It's interesting to note how the aircraft was transformed by the Merlin engine and how many other aircraft owed their efficiency to this fantastic piece of engineering. Without it, the P51-Mustang would not have been able to fly alongside the American bombers operating daylight missions over Germany. If i had to pick one thing that helped the allies win the war, it'd be the Merlin.

And boats, the MTB had a pair of Merlins.
When I was young, I was tempted when I saw one for sale on the Thames, converted houseboat. It didn't still have the Merlins, and I didn't have 700 quid.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

It's interesting to note how the aircraft was transformed by the Merlin engine and how many other aircraft owed their efficiency to this fantastic piece of engineering. Without it, the P51-Mustang would not have been able to fly alongside the American bombers operating daylight missions over Germany. If i had to pick one thing that helped the allies win the war, it'd be the Merlin.

I was the underpowered, 2 engine Manchester, before it was transformed into the 4 engine Lancaster.

 

[Odds]

I was the underpowered, 2 engine Manchester, before it was transformed into the 4 engine Lancaster.

Yes, similar to the Halifax, i think. Those two-engined bombers just couldn't hack it: less range, less firepower and they couldn't take the pounding from ack-ack over the target.The noise of those engines when they got going was unbelievable. Night fighters took a terrible toll of their crew; almost half of them lost.

 

[securespark]

4101 Lancasters were built at Woodford Aerodrome, just round the corner from us.

It has been built on now, but there is an Avro Heritage Museum which is brilliant.

A retired pilot bought a house on the estate. He used to fly the Vulcan displayed outside the museum, XM603. Later he was a commercial pilot, operating out of MAN.
After the museum was opened, he would take off every morning and climb over Woodford, pointing out the Vulcan he used to pilot to his crew.

 

[Odds]

A retired pilot bought a house on the estate. He used to fly the Vulcan displayed outside the museum, XM603. Later he was a commercial pilot, operating out of MAN.
After the museum was opened, he would take off every morning and climb over Woodford, pointing out the Vulcan he used to pilot to his crew.

The date of that Vulcan's final flight is interesting: 12th March 1982 - only three week before the Falkland's do kicked off...and about a month before those Vulcan's flew all the way to bomb the Argies airfield. It missed out on all the fun.

 

[securespark]

I saw the programme the other day (can't remember what it was called, sorry) about that mission, but it was called Operation Black Buck.

It was thrilling to watch.

XM607 was retired in 1983 to RAF Waddington, but has since moved to a site close to the A15.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Operation Black Buck.

An extremely complicated series of missions, with so many things to possibly go wrong during each, it's a wonder 5 of the 7 were successful.

 

[Doug99]

An extremely complicated series of missions, with so many things to possibly go wrong during each, it's a wonder 5 of the 7 were successful.

It was a Navy and Land battle - The RAF felt excluded as they had previously convinced the government that there was no reason to spend money on navy aircraft carriers, as the RAF would be able to support Navy operations.

Hence the navy went south in 1982 with only through deck cruisers with short range harriers, rather than the longer range more powerful Phantoms/Buccaneers.

In the end the harrier more than matched the Argie air force and our RAF managed to drop just a single bomb on the Falklands runway.

 

[Murdochcat]

Very interesting stuff - the Lancaster footage

A few years back I took my late FIL (for his 80th) and a friend to :

The only place in the UK where you can ride in a Lancaster Bomber - Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre -Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre

Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Museum is based on a 1940's RAF Lancaster Bomber Airfield. The only place in the UK you can enjoy a taxy ride experience in an RAF Avro Lancaster bomber

www.lincsaviation.co.uk

And went on the "just Jane Lancaster VIP Taxi Ride" - just an unbelievable experience .

On our way there we paid a visit to the Pathfinders Museum

Our Partners: Pathfinder Collection, RAF Wyton

Image: the Pathfinder building in 2007. The Pathfinder Collection is housed in a different building. We are partnered with the Pathfinder Collection at RAF Wyton, near Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, w…

rafpathfinders.com

Where we had a special presentation concentrating around a cousin of my mums who had lost his life on his 46th Pathfinders mission over Germany in Feb 45. He had served with 635 Squadron and lost his life aged 21 - and when I hear of the losses of all the brave youngsters is hard to imagine the youth of today doing anything like this - to them it was a great adventure that cost lives


For anyone doing family history this is an interesting site

Aircrew Remembered Video Home Page

aircrewremembered.com

And this is the page that remembers my mums cousin:

14/15.02.1945 635 Squadron Lancaster III PB287 Flt Lt. Cowden DFC. RAF Downham Market, Hptm. Karl-Heinz Weigel, 4./NJG6, Near Gefell, Germany

Personal history of Allied forces aircrew and support services serving 1935 - 1945 including original research.

aircrewremembered.com