How I chose a user name and the fate of a Wellington

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9 years 4 months

Posts: 165

This was the first piece of aircraft in my collection , given to me by one of my dad's best mate's who is sadly no longer with us
Can anyone tell me more about this aircraft which came down in Horringer nr Bury st Edmunds Suffolk . Kev

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17 years 6 months

Posts: 9,739

That spark-plug is very long and looks right for a Bristol Hercules engine; cooling fins on the plug as they are buried deep in the cylinder-head ('junkhead'). Thread looks right size too. Could be right for a Bristol Pegasus engine too but maybe not right for a Rolls-Royce Merlin?

It may help to confirm the engine type; I wonder what engines Wellington W5436 had?

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9 years 4 months

Posts: 165

plug marked (LODGE LB2 made in england) also a broad arrow stamped on it

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17 years 6 months

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Wellington W5436 is listed as a Mark II (Rolls-Royce Merlin engines) but I've also found reference to it being a Mark IC (Bristol Pegasus engines)...

...I'd say that was a spark-plug from a Bristol radial rather than a Merlin.

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17 years 6 months

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Feel free to email the guy who is looking for info I just tried and failed...

He is probably sick of getting 'spam' after posting his full e-mail address on the interweb!

Member for

9 years 4 months

Posts: 165

I have found a reference on another forum discussing possible errors in Choreley's losses book
it reads that W5426 (Not 36) crashed at Hapleys (mis spelling of Hopley's) Horringer
Author thinks codes may be wrong and that LNX Should be LNY
can anyone clear up the details of the story as it seems that this is the aircraft Kev

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9 years 4 months

Posts: 165

Just found a 99 Squadron record on the web which list's the types flown as 1 1A and 1C no mention of the Merlin version?, Kev

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9 years 4 months

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Seems that they did have a few Merlin powered Wellington's. So there may have been an error in the losses log as to aircraft type, Kev

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18 years 2 months

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Lodge LB2 is listed as fitting all Bristol sleeve valve engines, except some later marks, but not the Pegasus, so I would suggest Hercules if it is definitely from a Wellington.

Pete

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9 years 4 months

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Cheers Pete plug definatly from Hopleys farm Wellington crash so probably an error when the loss was written up, Kev

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17 years 6 months

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The 'Hopleys / Horringer' crash was in September 1941. I do not know when the first Bristol Hercules powered Wellington flew but I doubt that they were on operational squadrons by September 1941; that rules-out a clerical error as an LB2 spark-plug couldn't come from an aircraft type that wasn't flying yet!

However I could be wrong about the introduction date of the Hercules powered Wellington!

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17 years 6 months

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Hercules-powered Wellington III apparently started operations in June 1941.

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9 years 4 months

Posts: 165

Cheers Creaking door , much appreciated, Kev