Post War Lancaster with rockets ?

[rossm]

Apologies if this has been asked before but it's a new one on me - does this Lancaster http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/203-Sqn-Avro-Lancaster-GR-3-RE206-B-B-at-RAF-St-Eval-original-photo-/231644542473?hash=item35ef173609 have rocket rails under the wingtip?

Ross

[Alex Gordon]

It looks like it has.A useful weapon for a maritime patrol aircraft.

[spaddad]

very interesting, hope somebody knows enough to be able to model it.

Edited August 10, 2015 by spaddad

[Alex Gordon]

This might be of use,shamelessly half inched from Wikipedia,link here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avro_Lancaster

ASR.III/ASR.3 B III modified for air-sea rescue, with three dipole ventral antennas fitted aft of the radome and carrying an airborne lifeboat in an adapted bomb bay. The armament was often removed and the mid-upper turret faired-over, especially in postwar use. Observation windows were added to both sides of the rear fuselage, a port window just forward of the tailplane and a starboard window into the rear access door. A number of ASR 3 conversions were fitted with Lincoln-style rudders.

[old thumper]

I think the rails were probably used for carrying Glow Worm rocket flares as an experiment.

[depressed lemur]

A quick google search brings this rather interesting pic of what is purported to be the same Lanc at Ringway in somewhat iffy condition

http://www.abpic.co.uk/popup.php?q=1484028

[canberra kid]

Ross not the best photo taken in 1951, but you can just make out the RP Mk.VIII's on the wing tip of GR.3 RE208. The rockets were fitted with flare heads.

John

[old thumper]

Really nice picture, so much so in fact that I feel like making a model of it now.

I think the same rocket flares or target illuminators (glow worms) were used right up from World War Two until the 1960's.

[Aeronut]

<Thread hijack>

I used to work with an ex RAF pilot (now sadly long gone) who immediately post WW2 was stationed at the school of Land Air Warfare at Old Sarum. He used to tell me stories of what he got up to and one of those stories fits in here.

The nature of the work was to try new ideas or tactics. Someone had the idea of using rockets mounted on the Lancaster's mid upper turret,these were fitted and trials contemplated. It was decided that the worst position to launch the rockets was 90 degrees to the line of flight and so they set off to test it. On firing, the rockets were affected by the airflow and did an immediate 90 degree turn aft and disappeared rearwards taking the fin and rudder with them! That was an idea that went no further, as did the idea of fusing a 4000lb cookie to airburst over the Ashley Walk range in the New Forest - that test broke a large number of windows in Southampton.

[Seahawk]

<Thread hijack>

I used to work with an ex RAF pilot (now sadly long gone) who immediately post WW2 was stationed at the school of Land Air Warfare at Old Sarum. He used to tell me stories of what he got up to and one of those stories fits in here.

The nature of the work was to try new ideas or tactics. Someone had the idea of using rockets mounted on the Lancaster's mid upper turret,these were fitted and trials contemplated. It was decided that the worst position to launch the rockets was 90 degrees to the line of flight and so they set off to test it. On firing, the rockets were affected by the airflow and did an immediate 90 degree turn aft and disappeared rearwards taking the fin and rudder with them! That was an idea that went no further, as did the idea of fusing a 4000lb cookie to airburst over the Ashley Walk range in the New Forest - that test broke a large number of windows in Southampton.

Sounds like an early. aeronautical version of Top Gear: go around doing daft things at taxpayers' expense.