Lancaster B.1 (F.E.) Rear Turret Observations and Questions

[danielwood5]

Hi all, 

 

I've been working on the Airfix 1/72 Lancaster and have decided to do it in the 35 Sqn Tiger Force colour scheme and have discovered some discrepancies that have really confused me, which isn't difficult to be fair!
I know that there are issues around this kit being listed as a Mk.1 (F.E) due to the missing cabin heater, larger radiators etc but that doesn't really bother me too much, I tend to just make the kits as supplied and don't bother too much about historical accuracy. Having said that though, I have discovered that the rear turret of this kit is giving me some real headaches and my head is now swimming after reading up too much on FN82s, Rose Turrets, etc without finding any answers to my problem.

 

To start with I bought the Eduard masking set for the kit and when I put the masks on the rear turret it looked a bit 'odd'. There didn't seem to be enough framework and too much glazing if that makes sense. I searched the web for images of the rear turret for these 35 Sqn F.E.s and found a really informative website with lots of information about 35 Sqns FEs and their goodwill tour to the US in 1946, there are plenty of great shots of the various aircraft and period newspaper articles about the tour. The website is here;

 

https://masterbombercraig.wordpress.com/post-war-raf-career/operation-lancaster-46/

 

There is an article from a newspaper on there stating that the Lancaster's all have the Fraser-Nash FN82 turret fitted as well as showing which aircraft have bulged bomb bay doors fitted which is interesting.

 

 

The only thing is, looking at the photos none of the Lancaster's appear to have the same FN82 turret as supplied in the kit or as is fitted to the Lancaster 'Just Jane' as shown here;

 

 

 

The 35 Sqn Lanc's have this turret;

 

 

After looking at the instructions for the Tamiya 1/48 Lancaster on Scalemates that kit seems to come with the correct rear turret, it's the same kind that is fitted to the Lancaster NX622 based in Australia.

 

After reading a bit on this forum;

https://www.key.aero/forum/historic-aviation/77922-boulton-paul-type-d-gun-turrets

there appears to be some discussion about what turret this is exactly but as far as I can see there is no answer to the question so I thought I'd ask here.

 

Does anyone know type of turret this is and is there any easily and cheaply available kit I could get hold of to pinch one out of for this build?

 

Thanks for reading and hopefully this info may be of interest to some of you.

[Graham Boak]

I think that these are just variations of the FN82 with slightly different glazing and armour fir - no idea about the kit, but suggest that the different cowlings are at least as significant if not more so.  I think that there was an FN82A variant, but suggest you contact the Elvington Museum as they have an excellent collection of wartime turrets so should be able to help.  Assuming you are not shortly inundated with responses from Lancaster enthusiasts.

[europapete]

I second that, talk to Elvington.  The full name is The Yorkshire Air Museum. If you are in England, they are just a few miles outside of York in Elvington village, on the old bomber airfield. Well worth a visit when everything opens up again. The staff there are a very helpful and friendly bunch, and they have an excellent library, plus a hall dedicated to turrets and a/c armament. Regards, Pete in RI

[bentwaters81tfw]

What is more, they have just swapped Just Jane's rear turret so they can overhaul it. They will have all the info you need.

[Mr T]

The other thing about Just Jane's turret is that if it the one that came with the airframe, there is a good chance it was modified. NX611 was sold to France in the very early 1950's and then operated as a maritime reconnaissance aircraft until 1963-4, latterly in the Pacific. Most photos show the aircraft without guns in the turrets and who knows what else was done to them. 

[brewerjerry]

Hi

    slightly o/t but one of the lancs had an accident at Gander canada

 

 

  http://www.ganderairporthistoricalsociety.org/_html_4658/lancaster_tragedy.htm

 

 

 

   jerry 

Edited June 20, 2020 by brewerjerry

[danielwood5]

Just wanted to say thanks for these replies. I decided to try and make an approximation of this turret by 'frankensteining' together the two different sets of glazing that come with the kit, after I pretty much destroyed the backup turret trying to remove parts of the glazing I gave up on that idea and just used the turret that the kit recommends. I haven't found any photos of the turret used on the particular aircraft modelled so who's to say it didn't have the standard fit? After all, the Lancaster's in the squadron had different bomb bay doors fitted to various aircraft so we know they weren't all the exact same spec. That's my reasoning anyway!

[Dan_RAFBC]

Might be wrong but I think just Jane has an FN82

 

Dan

 

 

[Graham Boak]

The two were equivalent and looked very similar but one was electrically powered and the other hydraulic, so were not "drop in" alternatives.

[Dan_RAFBC]

Appears to me that the FN82 upper corners were flat and the Type D was curved forward.