The Lancaster bomber

Deeside.com

Stunning photo taken earlier this morning by the crew of the Hawarden based police helicopter of a Broughton built Lancaster bomber.

The Lancaster is one of only two remaining in airworthy condition.

It will be taking part at Rhyl air show today alongside a Spitfire and Hurricane.

Scheduled for 2pm at Rhyl so up in the skies over Flintshire sometime before that (sorry no exact time)

More about PA474:

Lancaster Bomber – PA474 rolled off the production line at the Vickers Armstrong Broughton factory at Hawarden Airfield on 31 May 1945.

PA474 – was built just after the war in Europe had come to end and was prepared for use against the Japanese as part of the ‘Tiger Force’ – the war in the Far East ended before the plane was deployed.

After coming out of storage PA474 was converted for photo reconnaissance work; modifications for these duties included being stripped back to a bare metal silver finish and all gun turrets were removed, it was then assigned to aerial survey duties with No 82 Squadron in East and South Africa from September 1948 until February 1952.

On return to the United Kingdom, PA474 was going to be used as a pilotless drone by Flight Refuelling Ltd which would likely have led to her loss.

Fortunately, before the conversion started the Air Ministry decided to use a different type of aircraft for the drone programme.

It was then transferred to the Royal College of Aeronautics at Cranfield where she was used as a trial platform for the testing of various experimental aerofoil sections between 1954 and 1964.

In 1964 PA474 was adopted by the Air Historical Branch with a view to putting the aircraft on display as a static exhibit in the proposed RAF Museum at Hendon.

The plane was flown to Wroughton where she was painted in a camouflage paint scheme, though without squadron markings, and it was during this period that the aircraft took part in two films, ‘Operation Crossbow’ and ‘The Guns of Navarone’.

Later in 1964, she was moved to RAF Henlow and grounded in preparation for display at the RAF Museum.

In 1965, Wing Commader D’Arcy, the Commanding Officer of 44 Squadron (then flying Vulcans at RAF Waddington) asked permission for PA474 to be transferred into the care of the Squadron.

A restoration programme began on the Lancaster and by 1966 work was progressing well, permission to fly PA474 regularly was granted in 1967, whilst restoration continued.

It was transferred to the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight in 1973.