Read the forum code of contact
By: - 11th June 2012 at 18:33 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
I think they were all Lancaster III's fitted with Merlin 28's which were modified to become "Type 464 Provisioning" Lancasters (according to John Sweetmans's "The Dambusters Raid").
By: - 12th June 2012 at 18:37 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
I think they were all stock Lancs which were converted.
By: - 13th June 2012 at 00:32 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
I think 'converted on the production line' is the simplest way of putting it. I don't think any of them saw any service (or probably even flew) before they were converted.
By: - 13th June 2012 at 07:01 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
They all went directly from the factory to 617 ( or, in the case of the protoypes, to Boscombe, Manston, etc ). I've never seen it confirmed anywhere as to whether the airframes were 'converted back' or ( more likely, as Eddie suggests ) altered on the production line.
One of the best sources for the airframe details is Ward/Lee/Wachtel's 'Dambuster' history.
By: - 13th June 2012 at 14:32 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Original authorisation was for 30 Lancasters but only 23 were converted, all Lancaster Mk IIIs. Conversion was carried out on the production line under the supervision of Roy Chadwick apart from three prototypes modified by Vickers engineers at the RAE Farnborough. Late modifications were made at RAF Manston (trials station) and RAF Scampton. The mid-upper turret was removed to save weight on Chadwick's recommendation. The first converted Lancasters were towards the end of the production run that included fittings for a ventral gun. At least four of the 464s included these fittings but did not carry a ventral gun on the raid. Following the raid the 464s were initially retained while the possibilities of using the upkeep mine again were considered. Some Lancasters were eventually converted back and some retained, being used for disposal of the Upkeep mines after the war (Operational Grapple).
By: - 13th June 2012 at 15:53 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Was the mid upper not installed in the first place or removed later on? And would the hole left by the mid upper have been patched up or would a smooth skin have covered the entire upper surface of the fuselage?
By: - 13th June 2012 at 22:59 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Upkeep
Some Lancasters were eventually converted back and some retained, being used for disposal of the Upkeep mines after the war (Operational Grapple).
I thought Operation Grapple was Britains A bomb tests?
By: - 14th June 2012 at 00:12 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Op Guzzle was the disposal of the Upkeeps...
Posts: 1,259
By: inkworm - 11th June 2012 at 15:41
And no it is not canine or film related!
Were all the Lancasters converted from stock MkIIIs or were some of them built specifically for the raid? I have some photos of ED817 which is purported to be one of three prototypes and it looks like the mid uppper has been removed and the hole just patched up. Was this the case with all the Lancs or just the first three prototypes?