Scott Hemsley Posted March 3, 2020 Share Posted March 3, 2020 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hwallen1410 Posted March 3, 2020 Share Posted March 3, 2020 Hi Scott, Picture here (https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/A2-WW2-RAF-LANCASTER-POSTER-PRINT-/264282968732) describes it as a Cabin heating air inlet Hope that helps H Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FG2Si Posted March 3, 2020 Share Posted March 3, 2020 There was a great build of the HK Lancaster as a postwar RCAF bird on LSM. There's lots of pics and info that may help out on your build. https://forum.largescalemodeller.com/topic/6274-rcaf-lanc-10mp-this-really-is-a-group-effort/?tab=comments#comment-85278 Carl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sloegin57 Posted March 3, 2020 Share Posted March 3, 2020 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 :- Para 102 :- HTH Dennis 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Hemsley Posted March 3, 2020 Author Share Posted March 3, 2020 (edited) 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 Edited March 3, 2020 by Scott Hemsley 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woody37 Posted March 5, 2020 Share Posted March 5, 2020 Could it be that maritime aircraft generally flew low hence not as much need for internal heating capacity? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Hemsley Posted March 5, 2020 Author Share Posted March 5, 2020 Hmmmm … that sounds very plausible. The 10DC would usually have short missions as well. Scott Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJP Posted March 5, 2020 Share Posted March 5, 2020 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Hemsley Posted March 5, 2020 Author Share Posted March 5, 2020 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 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wm Blecky Posted March 5, 2020 Share Posted March 5, 2020 Great catch on that detail Scott. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sloegin57 Posted March 7, 2020 Share Posted March 7, 2020 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 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Hemsley Posted March 7, 2020 Author Share Posted March 7, 2020 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 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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