Sweper Posted April 5, 2016 Report Share Posted April 5, 2016 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 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DD_Arthur Posted April 5, 2016 Report Share Posted April 5, 2016 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2. Administrators Jabo Posted April 5, 2016 2. Administrators Report Share Posted April 5, 2016 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! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DD_Bongodriver Posted April 5, 2016 Report Share Posted April 5, 2016 Good luck finding 4 hercules engines too, sadly we will never see an airworthy Halifax. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2. Administrators Jabo Posted April 6, 2016 2. Administrators Report Share Posted April 6, 2016 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) Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DD_Bongodriver Posted April 6, 2016 Report Share Posted April 6, 2016 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) Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Come to think of it there were Beaufighters with Merlins too, I wonder if that is a consideration for TFC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2. Administrators Jabo Posted April 6, 2016 2. Administrators Report Share Posted April 6, 2016 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) Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DD_Arthur Posted April 6, 2016 Report Share Posted April 6, 2016 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2. Administrators Jabo Posted April 6, 2016 2. Administrators Report Share Posted April 6, 2016 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! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DD_Bongodriver Posted April 6, 2016 Report Share Posted April 6, 2016 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2. Administrators Jabo Posted April 6, 2016 2. Administrators Report Share Posted April 6, 2016 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. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DD_Bongodriver Posted April 6, 2016 Report Share Posted April 6, 2016 No, I'm thinking the piston engine so we can have some Jerry multi engines flying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2. Administrators Jabo Posted April 6, 2016 2. Administrators Report Share Posted April 6, 2016 Ah well, I think you might have rather more problems than just the engines then matey. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DD_Bongodriver Posted April 6, 2016 Report Share Posted April 6, 2016 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2. Administrators Jabo Posted April 6, 2016 2. Administrators Report Share Posted April 6, 2016 That would be something to see! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DD_Arthur Posted April 6, 2016 Report Share Posted April 6, 2016 I thought Kermit's Tempest had an engine? Hasn't he got two anyway? Tempests, that is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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