Simviation Forums

Rescuing A Rare WW 11 Halifax Bomber

Halifax LW 170

web site www.57rescuecanada.com

There is a Halifax Bomber being completely restored by the Royal Canadian Air Force Memorial Museum here at Canadian Forces Base Trenton.

The aeroplane once finished could actually probably fly however being the only one in the world that we know about insurance prohibits that.

Cheers...Happy Landings...Doug

OH MY GOD WORLD WAR ELEVEN!  AHHHH!  HOW LONG WAS I ASLEEP THIS AFTERNOON?

j/k, its cool man!

Very interesting. A rare bird indeed. I wish them luck but somehow doubt she will ever fly again.

Hi Doug

Thanks for the replies folks

Well I do believe we have several Lancasters flying in this country now with several more being looked at as possibles.

The Halifax here at the Royal Canadian Air Force Memorial Museum at Canadian Forces Base Trenton(that is what the government calls it...I still call it Royal Canadian Air Force Station Trenton) could be made to fly quite easily, however as far as we know it will be the only Halifax restored to-date.

Hi Doug

Thanks for the replies folks

Well I do believe we have several Lancasters flying in this country now with several more being looked at as possibles.

Hi Doug

To the best of my knowledge there are only 2 airworthy Lancasters in the word. That's the BBMF example & the one in Canada. There are other static examples on display in various museums. I saw one at Duxford yesterday. Two brothers in Lincolnshire have recreated a WWII bomber airfield complete with Lancaster 'Just Jane' as an amazing memorial to their brother who was killed in action during WWII. http://www.lincsaviation.co.uk/
They regularly run the engines & taxi it down the runway on open days. I heard that it's possible she could fly again given sufficient funds. However, this is unllikely if the new EU insurance law that grounded B-17 Sally B this weekend is not resolved.

Is there a Halifax in any Museum in the United Kingdom?

I think the most complete Halifax in the UK is the one on static display at the Yorkshire Air Museum, Elvington. http://www.yorkshireairmuseum.co.uk/collections/aircraft/wwII_%20aircraft_info.asp?id=11 It's incomplete & they used the wings from a Hastings to reconstruct it. There's another example at the RAF Museum, Hendon but I believe this was salvaged from a lake somewhere & has been left in its original condition. I've never seen a Stirling & don't think there's an example left anywhere in the world. The same goes for the Hampden.

That is a shame...no static example of a Hampden or a Stirling....anywhere?

I just find that so hard to believe with all the museums in Europe.

I can remember when I left the military and started commercial flying this company I worked for (25Years) had two Ansons.  Well after several years we started using other aircraft and we thought it would be a great idea to donate these aircraft to a museum.
Do you know there were no takers....no one wanted them....there were all kinds flying like the Harvard and Daks.  We ended up burning them as they literally took up room on the apron.
There is no example of an Anson or Harvard to-day at the RCAF Memorial Museum...Sad isn't it.
I remember seeing all kinds of aircraft stacked on top of each other in the 50's...I guess to many were tired of the war and didn't want to be reminded about it.  I know war material can bring back some sad memories sometimes.
It is to bad someone did not have the foresight to think about museums right after the war and I mean both world wars.

Thanks for the post Doug

Cheers...Happy Landings...Doug

Doug (Hagar) is correct, there are only the two airworthy Lancs, one with the BBMF and the other at CWH. The Panton brothers one is complete, and a large lottery win , a change of European legislation, and probably a large boot the the derriere of Mr BAE SYSTEMS would have it flying again.

The Trenton Halifax has come a long way in the last ten years or so, as it bore a remarkable resemblance to the Hendon one when it was raised from the lake, and well done to them too.

The Elvington one is interesting. The only bit of Halifax they had to start the restoration was the mid-rear fuselage. The wings (as Doug said) are (modified) from a Hastings, and most of the rest is newly constructed, with some original parts...

There is a Stirling project, which last time I heard was based at my old haunt, RAF Wyton. Just a very large collection of bits...

As for the Hampden - Langley, BC...

CMOF

There is a Hampden in Canada. When I started my (doomed) Hampden project I emailed them and the kindly took no end of photographs of it inside and out for me. Sadly though they went with my HD.

And if I remember my Flypast correctly there is a project to rebuild a Stirling, though whether just a section or complete I cannot remember.