Lancaster - A Bombing Legend (Osprey classic aircraft)

130 Pages·1998·10.46 MB·English

by  Nick Radell

a bombing
legend
NICK RADElL & MIKE VINES
CHANCELLOR
~ PRESS ioo'
Acknowledgements
Mike Vi",,, wish,,, to thonk the following indh'id'h11, f~r EYery "Hurt h", be..,n made t() li,t th",,, ;ndi"idu.,i> or
tl",ir help during th,. ronlpilati()n uf tlti' volume; &In LJr organi,"t;"n, Ih.,l Wl'"",;o kind jn assisting Rick Rnd,'11
}\ndy Tom,1Iin, CO 01 the llIlMF, for pulling up wilh him with hi., r"",.1ITh on th" Myn.,.,ki Mommi.,1 L"''''"t~'­
on his many yi,it' t() C()nil1g,by. .1 nd 1m his 1)'1tic"cl' in Thanks tu the Can.dian \"';,rplane I I~ritage I. ...l u>eum; th"
.,n"w,ing ,,"cry 'lm'Stion th .. t the authm threw "t him; t() IA,nc."I", S,'PI>OTt Club; r\o 419 'M(l(lI;<" Sql\; G""l"!ie and
hi, entire t",m of ,'nlhu,i"lk ond h,1Td working I",,,,, Sobering; the Ass()ci,tion 01 Living Hi;lory, D,'ylon,
grou "der"", fur k""ping th,,,,, mognifkent air,r.1 ft ~ying Ohio; Joll1t ",,.j Dopltne tlooif()ur; John Cummins; !lob
",1<1
1m u, .111 lo "",'; ond to Michael Hill his te;,m ;,t Strike Fr.",c'; 1.""f)' .\klfing; Horry HlIffm,,,,; Norm,m 'Kit'
Comm."d PR. who fi><,d the ai ... t""oir SOft""', "'p'-,-~"Ily C,,,on; Gil l'lunt; Doug Brown; Steve M.lr1in; Ron Wylie;
Ihe Ch"""d bland, ;h,~,t, which wa, cl"."ro within two M"'~"'"et Mathe"';; M.'garet Suther1,md. Cor' ll"ycuek;
day' "I ,,,king fOf the f.,C;lity, Grateful thank.. al,o 10 Cn'g Hann,,; Don 5chofi~ld; S.,lly .\iaMrich; Ron Kaye;
Simon Morris of Dunn', Phologrophic L,boraturit'S for Gord HiH; K~d C(~Mn; Doug Brnlley; Wilf Riddl~;
.hi; f,,,t ;md ,"rL.i>-lent ""yice; to Ted Fmnkbnd of r\urm,n Shrive; Stew Brickenden; Bill MdJride; ]-fnw.ud
Fuji Photo Film (UK) Ltd, l'ruf,,,siunal f'hot<>gr;'phic I'.mlue; Kermit W""ks; and Fred I'a"",o<o, Sp"'ial
Division. for his .1dvke and hdp; alld to Paul Th()ma; Ih.1nk, to Dc'nois Br"dl~y; J,lCX h,m,; Richilrd rallmo"";
of K~ith I"hn"m .1nd l'elling Ltd foe the 100"' of tn., Al Tnph.,m; D.lrl""" )..kKinnon; Al Michlolf; Cy Dun"'u;
>I"-,,,ioli<t len"'". Rick Fra"k" Bill Randall; tlob I lill; the 'Ik'<-och IJ()y'; 1';,ul
Cronkwcighl;!lob ),1cKj""o,,; Rob 5chwey~r; and last, but
All phot()gr.'ph, in the RflMF ch.'pt~rs we", shot (m Fuii by no me,n, 10.1>-1. my wile M,uth.1 lor her sUPl>ori ond
lOOD or Fuii V~h'i;1 film lo"ded in I'"nt." ~ x 7 .,nd 1\'iko" p<ltieJlce,
8.",d F4 C.lIn,,".",
About the authors
Rirk R~ddl i. ~ prt>ft"jon~J photogr.pher w;lh ~ deg''''' In phol"suphi~
I«h"ology from lIy.",on P. . lyk><hni<~J InOli!utt, To",nto. C.n.d. .. Ifi,
involvtmtnlln Ih~ r..ld of , .. Ioti"n .... pr;v.lt pil. . ~ coupled with hi.
p• •, io .. f.". vint"S" .oi « •• ft brought .boutlh. morn.g. of two 1"'.1,,<l1y
f".
".Iu• • l ,.I.nts. Kick', oul,tanding Im.s. .. have ~.n th~ nudtu. tho
m",,' Sonsht .of to, ... i.lion <.Iend,. in C,,"odo, C''''".Um! Vln'ogp A in:raf'.
H. I. 015(> .. <"nlributlng wriler and photn_cd; lor for the C.n,dl.n
Worpl.". Htr;t.g~ Mu •• um', ~liglrll;''''. m.g.z;n •.
Mik" Vi" ....( orIN pholog"phi"g .cmpl." •• with hi! 'bux brnwni.' r",m
w,,'"
.obout th, og. 01 U. After hi, first few pi<turK published in .vi.Uon
m.g..~incs h. wO$ totally h""led. A Ue. leov;ng """<><II he wQrI<ed for a
ye~r in ~ P~o& •• phic &Iudio, btofa.., ioining Ih. "I ini,lry or o...fen<e as a
pholog.aphed.i, o~r. All .... ,Wven yea. . "'lIh the Mol), he ran a I' ,&e
mulli·n.lion.! phOIOS •• phk .. ni~ workinga. ~ 1=lan«, .vlalion
'§harpshooter' I. . hi, .pore lime. In 1990 Mike took Ih~ plunge .nd..,1 up
hi. own <om""ny, Ph",o Un/<, which 'pHi.li..,. In .vi.tiun im.gn. He i.
an "lfid.1 phDlog" ph., lOT the Shullirworih COIlHt!~n, and 0 memb. . 01
Ih. Srilioh In,litul" of Prof. ...; on.1 Phnl<>g,.ph ..~ . I Ii, wc.k ' pp'"''
rellul.,ly In I'OM .nd "'~"'I'!.'" Mon/I,ly, .. woll ... In period, •• I. In
Europe .nd the USA. L,,,,<,,./<r - A Ro"'I';".~ ug~,,,II. 1\11 k.·, fourth book
fnr Dlp,.y.
Right VR·A .howttoflits rn_h·~
wingsp.>n IU the b"rn"'" I""", "". ..
lalu- Erie ju~1 min .. t.", f",m itl home
ha .....' 1 Mount Hope. With a wins
'r,m
of 102 11,~!>d .In cnrom",. ..; ,,);
wins ."e,l of 1297 !ill fl. tho Llne."tc'
had t),., c.'p.billty 01 c~"y,,,S the
W",pt," .•
g,,,at<'St I".d of ""y "IIi,,",
bomoc.. durin~ WuriJ Wolf 2
Contents
Prc-season 8 FM213 66 Veterans 114
Airshow routine 38 On tour 84 Technical
Specification 126
Bomber stream 54 In detail 98
Pre-season
y"" .. ' .... 1 h.v~ feU th_ at,nosph ....! A 5harp.~yo:<l young>'e' in the crowd
.pot.. th~ du.;• •i lh9u<:4l. a. it n.bit~ 'o(f.. .. taS.' wallins for il5 eu<O. The
initial babble of .~<ittment it "'plaad by an 111"00 relig;"'" h .. s" at the
"w"
arrinl of the only airwonhy Lan<ast~r On thi5 ,ide of the AU."tk.
The pro..d wet.r. ... watching from lit. 5",. ...6 ••o m. nl whom williuv.
now .. half way around th., world for Ihis mo ..... n~ wait for the
unmio.lahbl., throb of fo ... MNlins. &1Iroundc",w memben. doubU..,..
f'"
.-e-living the hourS they woilN "'htir' bombers to ,d um .fte •• mi. .i on,
go miSly .ylHl as tit. memuri.s flood back.
Forth. 'youngslc,,-thtlerm bomber mtans loMas., •• and thy would
"8''''
.11 that thi. wa, .imply lit., s,ut. .! oomt..-. n'C' builL And who
could argu. with thtm; Iht ...... ""',., had lht moo, ,,,,,,bl• •_
introduction int. . ..,no;" of prob.bly ony Iy~ of .i",r.h during Wo.!d
W• • 1. hen il5 d •• lsn. ., A V ROC", Roy o..dwi(k, w.~ .,leu"ded.1 th~
",oy it m<l ~v~ry t.~.1 il w •••d .
Th~ 1• •1 .irwortlly L,on(.Slt. in the UK, rA~N is opor.tod by the Battle
01 Brit.in Momori.1 ~'lISht (IIHMI1, who Jh. ..~ IlAF Conins,by, in
Lincoln.hi",. .... ith .. ver.1 Torn.dn F.J "quadran •. The 88MF .100 opeul• •
fi,·o Spitfi"" a"d. Ilurn •• " •• and the oighl ul til ... d •••! . fisht" ..
'!Kerting the lanc• •t o. I. 8" ... "tood In lu." tho ho.d nl even the mo.t
....s on.d .irShuw gue •.
A. CO of Ih. I'lisht. Sqn Ld. Andy Tom.lin, IIAI', I. the only h,ll-time
pilot with tho "nil. Th •• Ir.row unM. hi. 'omm."d.,... .1t1. "~".,r ving nffkc. .
al Coning,by. in.truC'\ing nn Ih. Turnodo 1',3. Th" Lane .. .iT .ngln. ...
ar. drawn from. pool of III,.... olfieo .. f1'(l11l "._ rby RA f Finninglcy.
Eighl ••" fuU_tim. RAF ground,,,,w m.ke up the ro.1 of the le.m. undeT
the w.t.hful eye of Ih. engineering uflk• •. W. .r onl Offi'e' B.rry Sur. .
PA414 w •• built byVI.ke .. Armllron8t ot a.esterin 1~45 10 8 Mk 1 (FE)
I~· .. E~.U .~cili<ation •• nd w .. Inlended for u" with TI!I~r F"",", the
joint Anlll<>lUS "p"'. .t ;"n 'll.in~l lht J.p.n6t following Iht enution of
ho.liliH~ in Eumpe.
Righi n,., I~'nc"stcr'~ I.,i •. TlIO! d3.k 5h~iX' of I. ...• bom~r ... ~I'~,'r.;
""I<-.,.
im~k". but up d,,..., it "'. . be .......· n Ih.'1 l'A414 i. min"" it>' port
1>rop<'11o><, whidl is A"'~y bt-ing worh'd "n, Dunng ground It'S'" It... ddy
before the prop would not rome OUI 0( 'frolher', • problem which !>.,d not
prt''';,,,,.
ocrurral in lhe "i=311'. nighl. nw, f.,ult ..' "-~ """'" ~ fl'W ,.lop ).,1<-.,.
lhoush by swit~hing ports In..., tho. 1lU.\.1I'~ ",,,rw '''dul,'
•

Abon co ,,( tho! 88MI' ~nd pilot of the un....,;t."., Sqn l.dr Andy TOtrulin
(at tllto ....... he..d projector) b~ lho! Spitfire ~nd I-Iumo",-plk>I~, as .....1 1 as
t ...• g",,,nd=w member>, f. ... ~ night to Royal Naval Air Station y,'(>Vilk>n,
with a di.p"'y At KAF Upper Herford, Chford.hi",. ~n "",t<!, n... safe
"""r.,lio" of H.e l~i~hI diet.l.,. thai tho! sortie a n only t"k~ pl",~ In VFR
(Vis~"1 Plight K"k,.) ",mJitio" •• wilh a m.,imum wind spe<-d ,,125 xl<; .nd a
m,,,;mum 15 kl cfOs .... wind for 1.,kMlffs _,nci l.nding<. Tl1c .... "C'lISICr ",,,.liy
cruiS<.'i al .,m"'.! 150/170 kl,. burning .mlUnd 200 g.llons 01 fuel "'" hour,
The minimum display ho!i~l1t i. 100 fl, and no man"""vrt.. . in c~<",;s ,,( +1.8 G
'n! "".mitt.,.!
w"'-
Right The OiShi "'OSi....,.., for thi' trip is FIll.! Mike Vic ........ m.in
"". .... ~ on the ".rW.>rd ";de ol tho! n..." cuekpil. 11,' is re!lponsible lor lhe
1"",1 mon.>gc""'"t 01 the ~iTCTaft. and hi' tim<' is s~nt monit",;ns fuel
cont<'JIiS, ""gin~ Di) and cooling 1e-mp<'T_,tU",", .nd brca""" "f Ihe cI<>s<'
proximily of lhe n.lV's table (kilt he i. " ...... lIy to "" ""'" crollchlng or
.wnding by the bonk of dials ",hilst I"" bomb.-r is ~Irbornc. WMtimc Alghl
engi"'-"'''' w<..., I,.in<'d by thcir pilots 10 be ,'blc 10 Ay lhe .;",,.,fl straishl and
I","", in c • .., of ~n emergency
..