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Quick Technical-type Lanc question


Scott Hemsley

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This is a question that applies to Lancaster's of all eras, but one of a technical/structural nature, so I hope that there will be some who've either worked on a restoration or have access to the maintenance manual.

 

On the leading edges of both wings, between the inboard engine and the fuselage, there's a small square intake.  In short, can anyone tell me it's purpose?  The reason I ask is for not only myself , but for a friend … both working on our own post-war RCAF Lancaster 10.  We noticed from photos, depending on the variant of the Lancaster 10, the intake in question either appeared on both sides, or only on the starboard side and we're trying to figure out both it's purpose and why some Lancaster's would only have one.

 

For example, the standard Lancaster 10 and the 10AR had both intakes, yet the Lancaster 10MR and 10DC only had the one.

 

Scott

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9 hours ago, Scott Hemsley said:

This is a question that applies to Lancaster's of all eras, but one of a technical/structural nature, so I hope that there will be some who've either worked on a restoration or have access to the maintenance manual.

 

On the leading edges of both wings, between the inboard engine and the fuselage, there's a small square intake.  In short, can anyone tell me it's purpose?  The reason I ask is for not only myself , but for a friend … both working on our own post-war RCAF Lancaster 10.  We noticed from photos, depending on the variant of the Lancaster 10, the intake in question either appeared on both sides, or only on the starboard side and we're trying to figure out both it's purpose and why some Lancaster's would only have one.

 

For example, the standard Lancaster 10 and the 10AR had both intakes, yet the Lancaster 10MR and 10DC only had the one.

 

Scott

Statements above are correct.  Both were cabin heating ducts.  For a technical description I have attached scans of the relevant page from The Lancaster Instructional Handbook as issued to Flight Engineers at 1654 Conversion Unit, RAF Wigsley. This issue is No. 6498 and was issued to a Sgt Mercer W.H. on the 7th May 1945.

 

Cover :- 

spacer.png

 

Para 102 :- 

spacer.png

 

HTH

 

Dennis

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Thank you, gentlemen!!  Quick and to the point … I like that.  I especially want to give Dennis a tip of the ol' hat for that scan from the Instructional Course Handbook.   Also, thanks Carl, for bringing that WIP to my attention.  I've bookmarked it for closer examination.

 

Still wonder about the logic though, behind the sealing off of the port (left) heating duct in the wing LE on the Lancaster 10MR (Maritime Recon) and 10DC (Drone Controller) variants. It's simple enough to model - just follow photographs, but it'd be interesting to learn why it was done to those specific variants, in the first place..

 

Scott

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I can tell you the mod was made to the 10P as well.  FM212, now under rebuild by CH2A, had only one intake in service.

 

I will have a trawl through my downloaded pictures over the weekend to see what else.

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RJP … from someone who is interested in the RCAF, whatever you find will be interesting.  My Dad was Chief Technical Officer at RCAF Stn. Rockcliffe from '59 to '62, when 408 Sqn. was flying their Lancs out of there.  I may have been a little kid at the time, but how I wished for a camera!   :)

 

Scott

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On 03/03/2020 at 20:46, Scott Hemsley said:

Still wonder about the logic though, behind the sealing off of the port (left) heating duct in the wing LE on the Lancaster 10MR (Maritime Recon) and 10DC (Drone Controller) variants. It's simple enough to model - just follow photographs, but it'd be interesting to learn why it was done to those specific variants, in the first place..

 

Scott

So am I Scott, The attached may - just may answer part of your question but opens up others 

 

http://jproc.ca/rrp/rrp3/lanc_other.html

 

One other thing - have you all noticed that the radio operators window, situated just above the port mainplane root leading edge, is missing from most modified RCAF Lancasters

 

Still digging

 

HTH

 

Dennis

 

PS - Look up Janitrol heaters

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Thanks for that post, Dennis … but I should make a correction with the text to one of the photos. 

 

The colour photo of the 10MP (call letters on the wing are "AF-A") has been mis-identified and probably painted as a 10MP - as usual with too many 'museums'.  In reality it's a Lancaster 10AR and that 'blister' highlighted in the photo is a standard fit to the 10AR's.  It's a heater specifically designed for the 10AR's long patrols in the Artic and there's one fitted to both sides of the fuselage.  The single heater mentioned in the article as seen on some Lancaster's , was a standard fit on the Lancaster Mk.X's (war-time and post-war) and appeared on the starboard side of the fuselage around the area of the trailing edge of the wing.  It was much smaller in size and shape than the heater identified in the photo.

 

As for the radio operator's window on the port side, it's more than likely due to a post-war upgrade to the equipment that necessitated the removal of that window,  Pre-'59, the port window still existed, but in my photos of Lancaster's with the ATC scheme (Air Transport Command) that first appeared '59-'60, even that window has been done away with - depending on the date of the photo, telling me that these airframes (particularly the 10MR's) underwent constant upgrades as their SAR mission dictated.

 

Scott

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