Simon Posted November 28, 2016 Share Posted November 28, 2016 (edited) Hello everyone I have a quick question about the carb intakes on Lancasters. Were they all the same size across the four engines? I've seen photos of the BBMF Lancaster PA474, which seems to have longer ones on the outboard engines than on the inner. Link here to a photo which shows them. NX611 Just Jane seems to have the same different sized ones too - photos here and here. Does it depend on the version? Thanks Simon EDIT - on Merlin engined versions, not the Mk.II. Edited November 28, 2016 by Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jure Miljevic Posted November 28, 2016 Share Posted November 28, 2016 Hello, Simon I made a cursory search through the The Lancaster story book by Peter Jacobs and the first photo with a somewhat large intake on outer engines depicted Aeronavale Lancaster, so possibly this was a post-war modification. Will make a more thorough search later, but probably someone with better knowledge will provide an answer by then. Cheers Jure Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Potato Pete Posted November 28, 2016 Share Posted November 28, 2016 These look the same size http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205218662 http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205218650 As Jure suggests, maybe a post war mod? Pete 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingerbob Posted November 28, 2016 Share Posted November 28, 2016 On Pete's photos, the inboard one seems more curvy than the outboard one, but that may be some trick of the light or angle or how much coffee I've had... Seems to me that the Belcher bits replacement nacelles (1/48) instructions mentioned something about a difference between the two positions, but I'll have to look. bob 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jure Miljevic Posted November 29, 2016 Share Posted November 29, 2016 Hi I searched for the explanation about the size of intakes but, unfortunately, no joy. On the top of that, on the photos of museum Lancaster Mk.X KB944 the intake on no 2 engine is evidently smaller than the one on no 1 engine. http://flickrhivemind.net/Tags/kb944/Recent The same is suggested by Belcher Bits photos of replacement nacelles and instructions for that set. http://www.belcherbits.com/lines/148conv/bb15.htm http://www.belcherbits.com/images/148conv/bb15inst.pdf On WWII photos there seems to be no difference in size, though. If I would have to speculate (and in an absence of satisfactory explanation I have to) I would repeat my assumption about post-war modification. Also, judging by the photos, there is no firm rule about what size of carburetor intake goes where. Not much, but I hope it helps. Cheers Jure Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Posted November 29, 2016 Author Share Posted November 29, 2016 Many thanks indeed for all the replies. I did come across these photos of post-war SW377 of 203 Sqn and a wartime photo of R5868 'S for Sugar'. SW377 seems to have identical size and shape, whereas wartime R5868 has same size but looks like differently shaped ones. As Jure says, seems there's no firm rule about shape/size! I guess wartime wear and tear meant some were repaired on site as an when necessary, which may explain the shape differences? I noted that Freightdog does enlarged intakes for Lancasters with Merlin 24 engines. Could a Lancaster have a mix of earlier Merlins and Merlin 24 engines? Regards Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jure Miljevic Posted November 29, 2016 Share Posted November 29, 2016 Hello Some Halifaxes II and V had both Merlin XX and Merlin 22 engines installed in pairs. These planes had both three and four bladed propellers, quite a sight. I have never seen anything like this on Lancasters, but two pairs of Merlins of different versions sounds plausible, provided both marks came from UK. Cheers Jure Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
72modeler Posted November 29, 2016 Share Posted November 29, 2016 Not sure if this is definitive or not, but I went to the IWM photo archives and looked at all of the Lanc photos that showed both the inner and outer engine nacelles; they all showed carburettor intakes that appeared to be the same size and shape- all of the photos were of wartime, not postwar aircraft, and none were French Lancs, which do appear in some photos to have longer intakes on the outer engines. I have no idea why this might be- maybe the proximity to the undercart in the inner nacelles or some structure or equipment peculiar to the inner nacelle might have some bearing; but if so, why not on the wartime Lancs? Those frivolous Frogs and their airplanes! That's as far as my thinking takes me, guys! Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJP Posted November 29, 2016 Share Posted November 29, 2016 Since this seems to be a postwar question, could it be that the increased size of the intake was intended to accommodate a tropical dust filter? Not to subvert the topic too much but there have been references to enlarged rads on postwar machines as well. Same reason, tropical use? I have looked but never been able to nail it down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Boak Posted November 29, 2016 Share Posted November 29, 2016 Re Halifaxes: I have not seen nor heard of any examples with mixed Merlin XX and 22. Before Merrick's latest book I'd have thought any such would be obvious, because of the difference in the radiators, but apparently some Merlin 22s ended up in airframes with the Gallay radiators. It surprises me, but that's what the man wrote. So theoretically it could be possible to mix Merlin variants without any external indication. However, this has nothing to do with the 4-blade props, which were installed to reduce vibration and give slightly more thrust. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jure Miljevic Posted November 29, 2016 Share Posted November 29, 2016 There goes my theory. K. A. Merrick wrote several books on Halifax, which one did you mean, Graham, perhaps Handley-Page Halifax: from hell to victory and beyond? This one seems to be the latest. Cheers Jure Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Boak Posted November 29, 2016 Share Posted November 29, 2016 Yes, his latest (at last) one. Lots of good stuff in it. Back to Lancasters: there is a fairly recent book on postwar Lancasters. That should be a good source for photos of other possible examples with larger intakes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jure Miljevic Posted November 29, 2016 Share Posted November 29, 2016 (edited) Thank you, Graham. About post-war Lancaster book; if you mean Avro Lancaster in military service 1945-65, published by Flightcraft, it contains photos of Lancasters with carburetor intakes of all sizes in all possible combinations. One observation about the photos which may or may not be significant: RAF and RCAF planes tend to have bigger intakes installed on inboard engines. Conversely, Aeronavale aircraft usually have them other way around. Whether this had been due to specific French demand or Lancaster modifications varied with time I have no idea. Cheers Jure Edited November 29, 2016 by Jure Miljevic Edited for spelling Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Posted December 1, 2016 Author Share Posted December 1, 2016 (edited) Thank you for all the additional replies everyone. Seems to be two sizes of intakes, some with larger ones inboard and some outboard, but it seems to be a postwar modification. As a supplementary question, this Lancaster: has a small perspex fairing under the nose, below the bomb aimer's bubble, partly hidden by the pitot tube. I'm sure I've seen this mentioned before, but can't remember where. What is it for? Regards Simon Edited December 1, 2016 by Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elger Posted December 1, 2016 Share Posted December 1, 2016 (edited) it's an observation blister of sorts. Quote Of note in the photos of the aircraft are features such the large, later style, bomb-aimer's 'bubble' with IFF Z' equipment and a Perspex downward visibility blister under the nose in place of the bombaimer's window was also fitted. These were open at the rear and actually were not draughty, as warm air was pulled down from the cabin. However, some bomb-aimers reported suffering airsickness from lying with their head in the blister looking down and to the rear to guard against attack. A cockpit blister was fitted on the starboard side only and a 'Window' chaff chute on the starboard side of nose Discussion here: https://ww2aircraft.net/forum/threads/lancaster-squadron-leaders-marking-question.11475/ Edited December 1, 2016 by elger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Posted December 1, 2016 Author Share Posted December 1, 2016 Thanks Elger, much appreciated. Regards Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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