How Low Can They Go?

[Hawkeye07]

I just found this picture in another site called "War History Online" Interesting site to be sure but this photo really got my attention...YIKES!!!!

Lancaster low pass, with 3 engines feathered. Scary.[Via]

[Jean Loup]

I just found this picture in another site called "War History Online" Interesting site to be sure but this photo really got my attention...YIKES!!!!
Lancaster low pass, with 3 engines feathered. Scary.[Via]
https://www.simviation.com/phpupload/upl ... 986321.jpg

Must be landing on grass after being battle damaged

[Shadowcaster]

I'm pretty sure that it's an Avro Lincoln the perspex on the nose is not right for a Lancaster cracking picture though

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avro_Lincoln

Cheers
Rich

[Hagar]

I'm pretty sure that it's an Avro Lincoln the perspex on the nose is not right for a Lancaster cracking picture though

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avro_Lincoln

Cheers
Rich

Definitely a Lincoln. Note the 4-bladed props. I found this original caption from the book "Lincoln at War";
"It needs nerve to take a picture like this! With three props feathered and barely eight feet off the deck - less under the HsS radome -the near -30 ton RF 346 is an awesome sight as she bears down on the cameraman at TFU Defford, September 1949, flown by New Zealander Flt Lt Alan Gibson DFM. Very low flying (usually on four engines) was part of experiments involving proximity fuse testing."

Now, THIS is a Lanc!

[Hawkeye07]

You guys must be right, it must be a Lincoln. I was so amazed by the feathered props I didn't really look any farther. It doesn't help that I just had cataract surgery a couple of days ago and my eyeglasses script is way out of line. Thanks for catching the error!

"Must be landing on grass after being battle damaged" Jean, I don't think the photographer would be that close (or at that angle) if the aircraft was battle damaged, but you never know.

[Flacke]

Photos like that are sometimes taken to show the Press how well the airplane handles with 2 engines out on the same side. In this case another engine feathered on the other side as well.
The Pilots procedure is quite simple. On a Lincoln with very little fuel, no crew except for the Flight Engineer and Pilot aboard , they come in very fast for the photo run and then the FE starts one of the engines quickly on the "dead" side. They can begin the gentle pullup while the FE starts another engine etc.
Its similar to the famous DeHavilland picture of Geoffrey DeHavilland rolling the D.H. Mosquito into the feathered engine side at just about ground altitude. Its done with high speed to maintain control.
Bob Hoover used similar techniques with his amazing airshows in the Rockwell "Shrike". I stood directly underneath him one time when he did his famous low pass with BOTH engines feathered. He was really blazingly fast as he went over me. He used that energy to pull up and then approach and land with both engines out.

[Hawkeye07]

Yeah, anything is possible with enough airspeed. The question is "Why stick your neck out unless there's a good reason?" The time tested "Old pilots and bold pilots" maxim comes to mind here.

[Anthindelahunt]

Forerunner of the Blue Angels!!

Good way for a Jarhead to get a haircut.Just stand beneath
that guy.

Anthin.

[Hagar]

It was a common air show "party trick" with 4-engined types in the old days.

Flying that low wouldn't be allowed now, even on 4 engines. Air display regulations are even stricter in the UK since the tragic Hunter crash at Shoreham last year. We will soon need binoculars to see the aircraft.