Two Lancaster bombers!

S

scooder

Well-known member
Sort of Ford related, Ford factories built Rolls Royce Merlin engines during the Second World War.
For the first time in 50 years two Lancasters in the air flying next two each other. One lives andflies in the UK, the other flew over from Canada. There doing air shows together this summer. Then the Canadian one is going home.
Look out for film of theses two together. Turn the sound right up! The sound is unbelievable! Carefull though, it may make a grown man cry. This one did.
Possibly not fully on topic, but if the sound of flatheads makes you happy, the sound of eight merlins is incredible.
Martin.
 
A freind of mine flew in one in England 2 years ago and said the most amazing experience of his automotive life the roar of
4 Merlins.
 
Yep that it would, just have to add the resonance that you get from four engines same speed same load same throttle, X2.
Gonna go see them soon, prolly more than one air show. There flying 60 shows. So may go to a few.
Martin.
 
Merlins were the engines. DD


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scooder said:
Sort of Ford related, Ford factories built Rolls Royce Merlin engines during the Second World War.
For the first time in 50 years two Lancasters in the air flying next two each other. One lives andflies in the UK, the other flew over from Canada. There doing air shows together this summer. Then the Canadian one is going home.
Look out for film of theses two together. Turn the sound right up! The sound is unbelievable! Carefull though, it may make a grown man cry. This one did.
Possibly not fully on topic, but if the sound of flatheads makes you happy, the sound of eight merlins is incredible.
Martin.
Click to expand...


Ford (US) built many items for the war, but Packard got the contract to build RR Merlins, as they had much experience and expertise building their own water-cooled car V12 engines as well as the V12s for PT boats.
 
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Last year was the anniversary of the Dam Busters bouncing bomb raid ,a Lancaster flew VERY low over my house in Kent (I believe it flew from Biggin Hill airport (a world war 2 spitfire/Hurricane base ) a few miles away ,the noise was unbelievable but by the time I crawled out from under the truck and ran out I saw the tail end of it ,a lump in my throat that's for sure and also earlier this summer a fly past and aerobics from a spitfire and hurricane over our village fete (they are privately owned and can be paid to appear for events and celebrations ,it really doesn't get a much better sight and sound than that ,(merlins again) thanks Jim.
 
We flew in a B17 the other year at Willowrun airfield, it was fantastic,
a WW2 veteran also flew on the same flight, he was a B17 pilot in the war, (his grand kids bought him the flight as a 90th b/day present) he sat behind the pilots all the way, the pilots flying the B17 that day asked him how they went ,he said Ok but they pumped the brakes a lot and that made the brake pressure a bit low but other was OK.
I talked with the veteran for a while after and at 90 he was as sharp as a tack.
Thank You

Lawrie
 

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Packard took the HP from 1000 to 15oo HP I believe ,The fine tolerances RR required was not suitable for mass production it wasn't that the USA was not capable it just wasn't necessary for war time use .
 
That engine made a so-so P-51 with it's original Allison into a world class fighter was the switch-over to the Merlin engine.
 
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FlatheadTed said:
Packard took the HP from 1000 to 15oo HP I believe ,The fine tolerances RR required was not suitable for mass production it wasn't that the USA was not capable it just wasn't necessary for war time use .
Click to expand...

I've heard that RAF crews preferred the Packard built engines when they could get them because of perceived better quality due to newer tooling. Much of the British equipment was pretty "clapped out" by mid-war.
 
Ronnie said:
Allisons could also be converted up to run in either direction.

R
Click to expand...

I should have been more clear...on a P-38, the two engines turn in opposite directions from each other on the same airframe. #1 engine turns CCW (as viewed from the cockpit) and #2 turns CW from the cockpit. DD
 
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