RCAF Approved: MAINTAINING Your Lancaster!

FIXING MY BOMBER


WHENEVER I'M working on my Lancaster, as you can see here I'm working on those mighty Merlins…I can't always go by memory.

Ain't what it used to be.

So I get out my Hayne's Owner's Workshop Manual for my Mighty Lanc before I do ANYTHING!

This is a damn expensive airplane, folks! And I can't take it to Canadian Tire!! Even though it was made here, locally, in Toronto.

So here goes.

Chocks in place.

Righty, tighty…lefty, loosey.

It doesn't get any better than this…working on my Lanc…Supertramp playing in the background, but hey…I almost forgot.

There is ALSO a Hayne's Owner's Workshop Manual for the Supermarine Spitfire and even the British Leyland one! Thanks ...Anna... for the tip.

WHY THERE ISN'T a Hayne's Owner's Guide for the Boeing B-17 or the North American P-51, only Ken knows. There isn't even one for the famous Taylorcraft 75.

There will be one for the Avro Arrow.

I assembled a little graphic here for the viewership, complete with page views from the books.

I. Ain't. Making. This. Stuff. Up.



© Hayne's Owner's Workshop Manuals
© SPIR
© Paul Cardin

NOW! ::: You Know ::..

THE EGG-SHAPED tail of the LANCASTER was designed by the none-other-than, soon to be legendary, Jim Floyd when he was only a designer at A. V. Roe in England.

He worked alongside a Canadian designer…there at A. V. Roe, who kept singing the praises of some far-flung country called Canada.

Jim just couldn't get Canada out of his head.

So it worked.

And finally…Jim had to come over to see this enigma called Canada, for himself.

And there he stayed. He went on to became a Canadian citizen, and oversaw such LEGENDARY PROJECTS as the AVRO C-102 JETLINER and the CF-105 Avro Arrow.

UNBELIEVABLY, the nearsighted Canadian Government eventually scrapped both aircraft.

And the man who fell in love with Canada, was eventually rejected by his newly adopted country!

Ironic.

So back to England he went…where Jim wrapped up his aeronautical career designing the "lowly" BAC-Aerospatiale CONCORDE.

HE DID retire in Canada, and penned a book about his greatest love…the Canadian designed AVRO Jetliner. JIM FLOYD, now in his 90s, was seen recently at the Toronto Aerospace Museum Arrow roll-out this last October.

THANKS JIM for your contribution to Canadian aviation!


(Lancaster photo taken at the CNE during CIAS)

:::LOUD and LOW::::::

…the RCAF during WW II!