Lancaster Fantasy of Flight

[Dave T]

A few screenshots of the FCS LANCASTER Fantasy of flight florida.
Engine start

A quick flight

Fantasy of flight in sight

Approach

Parked next to B25

and this shot of the Skysim Hawk and the Justflight Canberra was to good not to post.

[Flacke]

Hello Dave T,
I have actually been inside that Lancaster KB976
I saw and heard it fly over my head in 1970 when it flew to St. Albert Airstrip from Calgary.
One of my best friends flew it on a VERY shop hop from St. Albert to Edmonton Intl. Airport , his only flight on a Lanc. EVER! He said it flies like a 4-engine Anson.
Dick Richardson came to St. Albert from Scotland to prepare the Lanc. for the flight from Western Canada to Scotland. Dick was Engineer for The StrathAllen Collection, the buyers.
It became available for sale when the owner was killed in a near head-on collision by two Canso/Pby aircraft. There was a crashed airplane on ground and they were asked to look for it since they were up in the Cansos. Both crews were looking down and had a midair. All killed. RI.P.
Dick Richardson invited me into Lancaster cockpit to observe engine start. 3 Merlins started, one didn't. Dick zipped over to local Museum to "borrow" a Magneto from the Mosquito under restoration there. A Lanc. with 3 engines running sounds terrific. You just can't beat the R.R. Merlins. This was about 1975.
A B.O.A.C. crew came to fly the Lanc. to Scotland. I think they were retired. They looked pretty elderly to me!
The airplane flew successfully to Scotland and was subsequently sold to Kermit Weeks after the Strathallen owner Sir Roberts died.
Don't own that Lancaster, all its owners die and then have to sell it!
It was nice to see old KB976 in your photos.

[Dave T]

Thanks Flacke I really like the Fcs Lanc and the Canadian scheme stands out. The Lancs are noisy but the shackletons was apparently louder and thanks for the information, I have some old pictures from when my granddad was in the RAF 1940,s he worked on Wellingtons , Mosquito's and Lancasters I have a picture of him standing next to the tail of Mossie KB342 he was also at Swift Current airbase Canada.

[C]

Hello Dave T,
I have actually been inside that Lancaster KB976
I saw and heard it fly over my head in 1970 when it flew to St. Albert Airstrip from Calgary.
One of my best friends flew it on a VERY shop hop from St. Albert to Edmonton Intl. Airport , his only flight on a Lanc. EVER! He said it flies like a 4-engine Anson.
Dick Richardson came to St. Albert from Scotland to prepare the Lanc. for the flight from Western Canada to Scotland. Dick was Engineer for The StrathAllen Collection, the buyers.
It became available for sale when the owner was killed in a near head-on collision by two Canso/Pby aircraft. There was a crashed airplane on ground and they were asked to look for it since they were up in the Cansos. Both crews were looking down and had a midair. All killed. RI.P.
Dick Richardson invited me into Lancaster cockpit to observe engine start. 3 Merlins started, one didn't. Dick zipped over to local Museum to "borrow" a Magneto from the Mosquito under restoration there. A Lanc. with 3 engines running sounds terrific. You just can't beat the R.R. Merlins. This was about 1975.
A B.O.A.C. crew came to fly the Lanc. to Scotland. I think they were retired. They looked pretty elderly to me!
The airplane flew successfully to Scotland and was subsequently sold to Kermit Weeks after the Strathallen owner Sir Roberts died.
Don't own that Lancaster, all its owners die and then have to sell it!
It was nice to see old KB976 in your photos.

You fail to mention its owners after Sir William Roberts and before Kermit Weeks.

After the dispersal of the Strathallan Collection it was bought by Charles Church. A hangar collapsed on the aircraft during restoration in 1987 and then Charles Church was killed flying his Spitfire in 1989. In 1992 it was bought by Doug Arnold's Warbirds of Great Britain, shortly before he too passed away.

As it happens, Kermit Weeks, should he ever choose to restore a Lancaster, will have a composite of two aircraft.

[Flacke]

C, my reason for writing was to relate my own personal experiences with Lancaster KB976 . I left out a tremendous amount of the airplanes general history. If anyone wishes to they can research all of the many many details that have nothing to do with me. Its all out there for the Lanc. fans.

[Flacke]

Thanks Flacke I really like the Fcs Lanc and the Canadian scheme stands out. The Lancs are noisy but the shackletons was apparently louder and thanks for the information, I have some old pictures from when my granddad was in the RAF 1940,s he worked on Wellingtons , Mosquito's and Lancasters I have a picture of him standing next to the tail of Mossie KB342 he was also at Swift Current airbase Canada.

Hello Dave T, funny you should mention the noise in the Lancaster. They were basically a shell that was designed for a very short service-life. There was no attempt at noise suppression. With the engines running the wind blew in from all of the little cracks and spaces between window frames etc. It was full of noise and vibration. I can't imagine a long mission in all of that horrendous noise. It would be terrible.

Sounds like your GrandDad was one of "The Greatest Generation" and he obviously did his part.

[C]

C, my reason for writing was to relate my own personal experiences with Lancaster KB976 . I left out a tremendous amount of the airplanes general history. If anyone wishes to they can research all of the many many details that have nothing to do with me. Its all out there for the Lanc. fans.

I was merely extending the history to emphasise your point regarding the fate of the owners!