RAF Spitfire crash.

[Alibaba99]

There are plenty of 60 year old B52 airframes that have been flown by 3 generations of the same family and those are in active service. Not just for shows and they fly at much higher altitudes. They will be close to 80 when they are retired.

I wonder if this plane will be rebuilt or is that it? One of the great things living close to Coningsby is seeing these beasts in the sky on a regular basis.

The F130 is expected to be able to extend the life of the B52 by another 30 years, and remain on wing whilst doing so.

 

[NickK]

There are 2 airworthy Lancasters, BBMF own 1 and the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum own another. Not been more or less than those 2 for many years. We may have another one at some point with Just Jane being slowly restored to flight, although she can taxi already. BBMF one has been airworthy since 1967 and the CWHM one since 1988. No crashes.

If you mean the B17 crash in Texas, that was a mid air collision where a P63 collided with it. They apparently weren't told to keep to an certain altitude to keep separation.



Once a part cannot be repaired or replaced as new, and has no equivalent available. It's not airworthy. It's very simple.

It's genuinely surprising how little is original on a lot of of these restored warbirds. In some cases, it's just the data plate and the rest of the wreck is just kept 'somewhere'. Although I visited one restorer who worked meticulously to use as much original as possible. His FW190 was over 95% original metal, even the bulb in the gunsight was the original one.

All metals fatigue so pure original is not often possible.

 

[Deleted member 266365]

Huh it was a Hurricane not a lancaster. Anyway wind your neck in the spitfire crashed at low altitude shortly after takeoff leaving little room for anything but a forced landing if it was a modern aircraft the pilot would eject and that would be that these flights are inherently more risky.

Where did I claim it was a Lancaster? I responded to YOUR post where YOU claimed that a Lancaster had crashed.

And don't go around telling people to wind their necks in!

 

[Armageus]

A sad loss

Living in Lincolnshire regularly hear the distinctive noise of Merlin engines from both Spitfires and the Lancaster, and always fun outside or at least rush to the window to catch a glimpse of these fantastic aircraft

 

[Deleted member 266365]

Where did I claim it was a Lancaster? I responded to YOUR post where YOU claimed that a Lancaster had crashed.

And don't go around telling people to wind their necks in!

Looks like "neckwinder" isn't going to respond! How sad!