What is this on the right side of the Lancaster nose?

[Mark Harmsworth]

I'm building the Hasegawa 1:72 Lanc (very slowly) and am looking at part G18 which is a small angular lump to be attached to the lower right side of the nose just forward of the bomb bay.

 

It shows clearly in this image from World War Photos which is captioned 'Crew posing with Lancaster of 97 Squadron RAF at Coningsby' :

 

From my (brief) search through images it seems that many did not have it but I have drawn a blank in trying to find what it is. I am building a specific plane (ND467 OL-B) which was a Mk III of 83 sqn - also from Coningsby. My single photo of it is showing the left side (as many images are) so doesn't help. 

 

Any ideas as to what this angular lump is and whether ND467 is likely to have had it?

many thanks

Mark

[RJP]

The thing that looks like a big cheese grater?  It's a chaff dispenser.  Stuff Window in it and it spreads out in the slipstream.  Not all electronic warfare has to be hi tech.

[Mark Harmsworth]

Thanks. That helps. Any idea if they were phased out at some point or which planes would not have had them?

[Vulcanicity]

Beaten to it! I think they only appear on some relatively late Lancasters as per the aircraft in the photo (see also: paddle-bladed props, bulged window under the bomb aimer's blister , the blister being the larger later type and has the two small circular aerials in the nose of it, I have forgotten what these are for but they are a late feature as well)

 

EDIT: Have just found a photo of a Window chute on a much earlier aircraft, maybe they were retrofitted?

 

[Dave Swindell]

1 hour ago, Vulcanicity said:

two small circular aerials in the nose of it, I have forgotten what these are for but they are a late feature as well)

Type Z infra red transmitters, prevented the "village inn" gun laying radar in the tail turret of the lanc in front locking on to you

[Scott Hemsley]

To add to Vulcanicity's EDIT, I'm currently (but slowly) doing an Airfix Lancaster B.II from either 408 or more likely 426 Squadron.  From the photos I've come across,, the 'window' dispensers were fitted to a fair number of their aircraft - including the two I'm interested in doing.  However it doesn't seem to be a standard fit throughout either squadron.

 

Unfortunately, in the case of the Airfix kit ... I'm going to have to raid one of my extra 80's tooling's of the Lancaster (bought one more than I planned) for not only the chaff dispenser, but the faired antenna that's just above the port side bomb door, almost directly under the leading edge of the wing.  I think while I'm at it, I'll plan on replacing the tailwheel.  IMO, the old tool Airfix Lancaster made a better job of it.  Fortunately, the older Lanc will also yield the bomb load.

 

Scott

Edited December 11, 2021 by Scott Hemsley

[dogsbody]

Here's a photo of Zombie, courtesy of @Carl V ( Carl Vincent ) showing that box on the nose of a B.II.

 

 

 

 

 

Chris

[galgos]

Yep, a “window” or “chaff” dispenser. First used in July 43 causing immense confusion to the Luftwaffe’s radar and night fighter control system, then used in various guises throughout the remainder of the war. I would have thought the dispenser was a standard factory fit but have no evidence to support that, merely logic.