Rescue Of Canadian Halifax

[Sweper]

It is now clear that the Halifax HR871 from Royal Canadian Air Force that went down at the Swedish south coast, hit by lightning in 1943, will be rescued and recovered. Airworthy again?

 

"The seven crew members, four Canadians and three Britons, on board Halifax HR871 in August 1943 survived, parachuting out of the airplane — was hit by lightning during a storm — before the plane crashed into the Baltic Sea, near Falsterbo, a town in southwestern Sweden."

 

Links:

 

http://www.nantonnews.com/2016/03/25/halifax-bomber-recovery-going-ahead-in-sweden-this-summer

 

http://www.rcaf-arc.forces.gc.ca/en/article-template-standard.page?doc=plane-wreckage-tells-a-tale-of-halifax-bomber-history/ii1b4v7k

 

http://www.calgarysun.com/2015/06/02/nantons-bomber-command-museum-has-salvage-plan-for-rcaf-halifax-bomber-in-waters-off-coast-of-sweden

[DD_Arthur]

Airworthy again?

 

 

 

 

Hmmm....its in several pieces and has been under water for over seventy years and the Swedes want to keep the engines.  Airworthy again? Sounds like a long shot to me.

[Jabo]

If it is restored to airworthy status, there'll be precious little of the original left. I'm with Arthur here - the only two substantially complete airframes known to exist are at the RAF Museum Hendon and that one is essentially displayed 'as found' (i.e. a wreck albeit a near complete one) since the airframe was considered far too fragile for a fully weight bearing restoration and the other is a part composite-part replica example at Elvedon in Yorkshire. Neither of those will ever fly so after being broken in three and soaked in seawater for over seventy years I think an airworthy restoration is highly unlikely to say the least in this case. That said, another example is very welcome! Good luck to 'em I say!

[DD_Bongodriver]

Good luck finding 4 hercules engines too, sadly we will never see an airworthy Halifax.

[Jabo]

Early versions had Merlins so that shouldn't be too much trouble (in comparison to sourcing 4 Hercules engines - TFCs beaufighter is a case in point)

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[DD_Bongodriver]

Early versions had Merlins so that shouldn't be too much trouble (in comparison to sourcing 4 Hercules engines - TFCs beaufighter is a case in point)

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Come to think of it there were Beaufighters with Merlins too, I wonder if that is a consideration for TFC.

[Jabo]

Yeah the mk2 beau had merlins and I asked about that possibility during my hangar tour last year. TFC's view is that their example is not a mark2 so it needs round engines. We also talked about the possibility of modifying the engine plumbing to allow them to use late model herc engines of which there are lots still about but that was rejected too as being not in keeping with the original design. The long and the short of it is that they are prepared to wait to see if a pair (three actually) of engines can be found and if they exhaust all possibilities then they'd rather have new engines built from scratch using the original plans (which do exist and which they have - I've seen them)

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[DD_Arthur]

The long and the short of it is that they are prepared to wait to see if a pair (three actually) of engines can be found and if they exhaust all possibilities then they'd rather have new engines built from scratch using the original plans (which do exist and which they have - I've seen them)

 

Wow!  Built from scratch.  That would be eye-wateringly expensive.

[Jabo]

Yep, it would, but the herc is a simpler (it's relative!) engine than,say, a Napier Sabre and Kermit's having one of those made so it's a matter of finding the right company prepared to do it at the right price!

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[DD_Bongodriver]

I had no idea there was anyone with plans to build engines from scratch, I wonder if there is enough info on a Jumo to do the same.

[Jabo]

Which Jumo? A 262 engine (if that's what you're thinking) has already been built using modern techniques and materials and is undergoing tests in the US. Early indications are positive. Getting it certified is another matter entirely.

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[DD_Bongodriver]

No, I'm thinking the piston engine so we can have some Jerry multi engines flying.

[Jabo]

Ah well, I think you might have rather more problems than just the engines then matey.

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[DD_Bongodriver]

One can dream they re-engine one of the Spanish 111's, I'm sure some of the airframes could still fly with enough money thrown at them.

[Jabo]

That would be something to see!

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[DD_Arthur]

I thought Kermit's Tempest had an engine?  Hasn't he got two anyway?  Tempests, that is.