Lancaster - view from Bomb Aimer’s position

[Ray Proudfoot 8,947]

This is the view from the only flying Lancaster in Britain. It’s shot from the bomb aimer’s position right at the front of the aircraft below the cockpit.

Now instead of a lovely view of rural England imagine how it must have felt during the famous Dambuster’s raid in 1943 when it had to fly at night at just 60 feet above the dam’s reservoir and being shot at. Most of the crew were under 30.

[Mace 1,909]

Thanks for posting.   I've been in a B-25 and that's about it.

What was that big bomb the UK had?  Tallboy was the name?  or Blockbuster?

[Ray Proudfoot 8,947]

Rhett, here’s a section from Wikipedia… “some Lancasters were adapted to carry the 12,000 lb (5,400 kg) Tallboy and then the 22,000 lb (10,000 kg) Grand Slam earthquake bombs (also designed by Wallis).[5] This was the largest payload of any bomber in the war.”. I think the Grand Slam was dropped on the Tirpitz in a Norwegian fjord.

They were built at Chadderton, north Manchester and also at Woodford near me. Sadly that site is no more and is a housing estate these days although there is a museum and a static Vulcan on display.

The bombs used on the Dambuster’s raid weighed 9,000lbs and a few were sufficient to breach the Möhne dam.

[Matthew Kane 1,343]

My Maiden Grandfather was Navigator on those in the RAF. They were crammed in there for hours on end not an easy job

[stans 702]

Great video!

Bug splats!  One of the things I noticed on my rides in a B-17G (Nine-O-Nine) and B-25J (Panchito) is all the bug splats that quickly accumulate on the nose plexiglass.

[Ray Proudfoot 8,947]

1 minute ago, stans said:

Great video!

Bug splats!  One of the things I noticed on my rides in a B-17G (Nine-O-Nine) and B-25J (Panchito) is all the bug splats that quickly accumulate on the nose plexiglass.

The reduced number of splats on car windscreens in the UK has noticeable in recent years. All down to fewer fields and more concrete sadly.

[Wildblue 245]

Wow!!

There are days i don't have such a beautiful view from an airplane.😀

[Ray Proudfoot 8,947]

16 minutes ago, Wildblue said:

Wow!!

There are days i don't have such a beautiful view from an airplane.😀

England is still a green and pleasant land. 😁 The Lancaster took off from an airfield in Lincolnshire and headed south to Oxford before heading back to base.

[ailchim 206]

19 hours ago, Mace said:

Thanks for posting.   I've been in a B-25 and that's about it.

What was that big bomb the UK had?  Tallboy was the name?  or Blockbuster?

A while back, I watched a documentary about the German V weapon programme. After the original site at Peenemunde was heavily bombed by the RAF in 1943, much of the work building the weapons was moved into various protected sites.   One of these was a huge concrete dome in the Pas De Calais (La Coupole) which protected underground tunnels used to store and launch V2 rockets.   This was attacked in June 1944 by Lancasters, which were the only aircraft able to carry Tallboy bombs.  Although the bomb could penetrate 16ft of concrete,  this huge dome dome wasn't penetrated but near misses hitting the ground at 750mph penetrated under the foundations and tilted the whole dome at a dangerous angle. The site had to be abandoned.

 

[The Flight Level 2,113]

Great stuff Ray. As you may know, the other flying Lanc is about a 20 minute drive from my house to the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum in Hamilton, Ontario. I think it is currently undergoing an engine replacement/maintenance at this time. See it flying often in the summer, almost over the house! When flying, it does sightseeing trips over Niagara Falls or along the Lake Ontario shoreline over Toronto. Impressive sound! Very expensive!

[Ray Proudfoot 8,947]

Lawrence, yes, I am aware Canada has the only other flying Lancaster. I believe the only surviving member of the Dambuster’s is living over there.

The money spent on keeping her airborne is well worth it. Nothing sounds like those wonderful Merlin engines.

Congratulations to all those who keep her flying. 👏

[The Flight Level 2,113]

Yes Ray, the Lanc here was part of the Dambuster’s raid! 👍

[n4gix 4,947]

Which came first, the private airstrip or the power lines? If the latter, I should think the power lines could have been moved further from the end of the runway. At the very least they should have been required to install the balls on the top tension line!

[DD_Arthur 1,048]

8 minutes ago, n4gix said:

Which came first, the private airstrip or the power lines? If the latter, I should think the power lines could have been moved further from the end of the runway. At the very least they should have been required to install the balls on the top tension line!

The ‘private airstrip’ is Santa Pod, a major European drag racing venue.

It did start out as an airfield in 1941. Not sure when the last plane took off from there, probably the late summer of 1945 when the Eighth Airforce left.