Just watched this on another post. Spooked me out. I researched an Uncle who died in 1944 aboard a Halifax lll, (one of about 1,650 Halis that also served in WWIl but is never acknowledged) and this gives me the experience he would have had on a daily basis. But amplify the sound by 20 on the airfield, as there could have been that many taxiing to take off. So glad we still have an airworthy Lanc to remind us of our bomber boys. My Uncle signed up on his 18th birthday in 1942 so was a ' boy'. Completed 2 yrs training at 11 locations, and achieved Wireless Operator/Air Gunner status aged 20. 17 ops in at 102 Squadron (Pocklington) he was shot down returning from Stuttgart. I know he would have been a brill uncle for me, but it was not to be. Thanks again for giving the following generation a glimpse into their world at the time. Remembering Sgt Robert Leyland KIA 25/7/44. X
I'm a grown man but the sound of those Merlin's brings tear to my eyes as it makes me think of those so, so many young men who did that last take off and never returned. RIP to the bravest generation.
IMAGINE HAVING TO GO THROUGH HELL LIKE THAT EVERY NIGHT AND NOT KNOWING IF YOU WILL SEE THE NEXT SUNRISE. THATS WHY THEY ARE THE GREATEST GENERATION AND ALWAYS WILL BE .
What an AWESOME sense of power, hugely impressive- what a machine the Lancaster was! I have a vinyl record called, 'The Sound Of The Aeroplane At War,' it has WW2 recordings of start up, taxing and take off, battle of Britain dogfight recordings- you can hear the .303 Browning MG's and the heavier 'thud' of the 20mm German Me 109 cannon. There is a recording of a heavily laden Lancaster taking off on a bombing raid on a summer evening. Full power is deployed and you can hear the Merlin's straining and the vibration throbbing through the airframe as the aircraft claws itself off the runway. It never ceases to impress- the sheer power of the Merlin engines at full chat!
My father was a bombardier in lancasters during ww2. Thankfully he survived the war but rarely spoke of it. Thank you to you all, especially the ones that never made it back
@@annoyingbstard9407 sorry it upset you so much. My father was a bombaimer, hope I got that one right, with 103 squadron based at Elsham Wolds. It was a genuine slip of the tongue. Didn’t realise I would get pulled up for it. I KNOW what he did and extremely proud of him and all others who served
Ah the sound of those 4 merlins makes the hairs on the back of the neck stand up.. What a sound We owe a hell of a lot to the Lancaster max those brave boys who flew them x
When I was a small boy I flew from Stanstead to Fayid in Egypt, in an Avro York, basically a Lancaster with a freighter fuselage. My abiding memory is how loud it was in the cabin. It is good to see that my memory serves me well! Anyone who served in one of these in wartime was a brave man indeed!
My day flew in an Avro York, back to the UK from Palestine in 1948. It was a night flight and I recall he said it was very loud but he was fascinated looking at the dull glow of the exhaust with its spits of blue flame
My father's cousin Roy Ward was a bombardier. On his very first mission in 1944 the Lancaster was shot down over Germany killing him and the entire crew. He left a widow and two very young children. Hence of those in Bomber Command in 1940 only 10% were still alive when the war in Europe ended.
Fifty years ago I used to fly in the BBMF lancaster in its first season on the flight, (1974), it still stops me dead in my tracks when I hear and see it in the air . Another thing that brought back memories of that first season, cleaning the flies off the perspex, nose and canopy, it took hours .
You can't imagine the mindset of the men who did this for real, heading out on operation. The thoughts going through their heads whilst those merlins roar for takeoff. Not knowing if they'll come back. My admiration is immense.
Yet, when I did a Just Jane taxi ride in the nose, they weren't as loud as that. So much so, that you could hear a lot of what was going on as you're ahead of the noise makers.
That was fabulous.... someone up front has possibly the finest job in the BBMF!!!!,What I wouldn't give to be in the nose of such a iconic aircraft,but let's not forget in the darkness of the night over enemy territory and the sight and sound of anti aircraft gun fire and flying in close proximity to their colleagues these brave ladies ( can't possibly forget them thanks ladies) and men knowing full well that their lives could be cut unbelievably short both day and night!!!!!,we truly do owe so much to everyone in both WW1 AND WW2,and recent campaigns to keep me ,you ,our families and friends as safe as possible even if they sacrificed their own lives and remember a lot of these heroes were an average age of approximately 20 something!!!!!,it really makes you stop and think,we can never ever repay them as much as they deserved,God bless and Rip to those who gave their lives to protect ours ( yes it was worth mentioning twice)..........."AMEN"
Just hearing those Merlin enginges come up to full power, you can hear the pilot saying (in your head) brakes off and off she goes! Wonderful and such a memorial to all those who flew those missions, those who prepared and repaired these aircraft and those that supported aĺl of them on the ground doing that.Thankyou to the men and Women who keep this dearly loved aircraft aifworthy. Lest we forget. Thankyou.
What an incredible aeroplane and to have flown these during our darkest hour must have been an experience very few will feel..May god bless all the RAF personnel who flew these.I will always have the utmost respect for the generation which gave us salvation in those dark times...Thank you very much indeed for the video.
My Great Uncle was a tail gunner in the RCAF who made it back but never spoke of the war. His Brother was a Flight Navigator in the RCAF and also an instructor and he did not return because his Wellington crashed into the English Channel. My Wife's Grand Father ran the sheet metal assembly line in Hamilton Ontario Canada mostly supervising women who worked in teams holding body panels and riveting tools. My family feels a strong connection to this Plane. I'm lucky enough to hear these 4 Merlins often but always imagine what 4000 would sound like cutting through the moonlit French skies on their way to deliver hell and fury. British/Canadian Lanc with the American P-51Mustang, 2 things Hitler never counted on. The other remaining operational Lanc is next to my city in Hamilton Ont and it flies regularly from the Hamilton Airport which is next door to its home, The Canadian Heritage Warplane Museum. If you can ever make it to Hamilton and you have the extra cash in your pocket you can still experience this flight.
Nothing shabby about both the runway distance used and the climb rate.......hats off to the engineers of the era.But of course ultimately to the bravery of young people that flew these wonderful machines. Jay 44 Ireland
Consider many of the men who sat in this same position never made it home, we will always be grateful to them. I used to live close to RAF Coningsby and had the honour of being given a tour of this Lancaster by a WW2 veteran. One of the most humbling experiences I've ever had.
I grew up near the Woodford factory to the sound of Vulcan engine testing and the sight of them flying around. Kind of took it for granted almost. Notwithstanding that both that and the Lancaster were military aircraft designed for a single unpleasant purpose, I would love to have seen the number of Lancs that must have been in those same skies back in the day. Still eminently watchable when they come over on airshows etc.
That gave me goosebumps. Given the losses that Bomber Command suffered 'Brave' is an understatement but the sound of those Merlin engines is just something else.
that would have been the view of my uncle sgt D H Strong whose plane went down in the Walchansee, sadly I never met him but was contacted by a german diving crew who found the wreckage which gave my mum some peace at last.
Everyone comments about the Merlins during the takeoff roll, but at rotation when the sound calms down I think says it all. A calming departure across the English plains until met with the sounds of war over the channel. I have a feeling that once the plane took off, the crew would relax and be prepared to face their duties. From WW1/2 testimonies, soldiers said they their goal was to fulfil their duty, so their jobs. It’s a time in everyone’s life that we need to fulfil our duty, and we may have fear for it, but once facing it, that fear can be gone. A beautiful part of history that sums up our existence.
It's really incredible how far aviation advanced in just 40 years (Wright's first flight in 1903 to this aircraft ca. 1943) and even more amazing that just ~25 years after this humans walked on the moon.
Might have been a good idea to point out the bomb aimers position from the outside before the take off for those unfamiliar with a Lancaster crew positions? I thought the same as a few other commenters, The number of young lads, for that's what they were mostly, for whom this was their last view of home and for which they may have given their lives shortly afterwards! Very thought provoking.
That was a great video. thank you Immediately I thought of the air crews who had to fly these monsters into combat and at night ! Courage and skill which is beyond my comprehension if I really am honest about it.
My dad flew Halifax bombers - pretty similar flight envelopes to the Lanc. He told me of returning from mission after mission and there being another seven empty beds in their Quonset huts. Said it was like Russian roulette, when was it going to be their turn? What it must have taken to climb back into their craft knowing the odds of living through their whole tour.
My Mother's Brother Joseph John Hanzook was a navigator on a B24 Liberator and they got hit...he went down and survived.....his story is in a page of the book "Not Home for CHRISTmas"... .My Dad hit the beach at Normandy and strung cable across the Rhine while the German pilots dove trying to cut the cables.....The Greatest Generation!
I did this flight on the Canadian VR-A that flies out of Hamilton Ontario…they wouldn’t let anyone in the bomb aimers seat, but it was most exhilarating experience…loud, loud and loud…can’t imagine what those crew went through…
Wow! I reckon I could learn to handle this degree of exposure on take off. Doubt you'd catch me in that location for a landing though, even with empty tanks, bombs gone and no fresh combat damage... Thanks for this thought provoking footage!
Wow what a great video & a great sound from those 4 Rolls-Royce Merlin engines! Makes one proud to be British! Imagine going back to WW2 & experiencing all of that for real with a full bomb load & trying to dodge anti-aircraft flak & guns over Nazi Germany!
Just consider the absurdly heavy loads the Lancs sometimes had to haul. I guess that's the reason why in public perception the Lanc overshadows the Halifax so much. Yet, the Halifax heavies were a perfect supplement in the sense that the later 1943 Mk.III used the powerful Bristol Hercules engines so they didn't interfere with Merlin availability. especially important because the Lancaster BII variant with Bristol Hercules engines was not considered a success, only 300 of these being built.
@@stevetheduck1425 Lancasters with Hercules engines were only produced in negligible numbers and were not deemed successful: Bristol Hercules (Hercules VI or XVI engines) powered variant, of which 300 were produced by Armstrong Whitworth.
The Lancaster was considered a much superior aircraft, probably due to its handling capabilities and greater service ceiling, although it was a death trap if hit, burning furiously. If you look at wartime bomber records, Halifax crew members were far more likely to survive being shot down than Lanc crew members, although you were more likely to be shot down in a Halifax.
Great footage! Do you ever allow bits of your film to be used by others? I'm trying to put together a few clips of Lancasters along with photos of my Grandad who was shot down near Munich in 1943. It will be a music video for a song about his sacrifice and that of so many. Hope you can help, no worries if not. Steve Dalton
@@DADnLAD.Racing oh brilliant, thank you so much! I'm hoping to get the video completed by August 3rd, the date his plane went down. I'll definitely let you know when I get it on RU-vid. Thanks again!🙂 Steve
@@DADnLAD.Racing Hi Chris. It seems I can't download from YT unless I pay the 12 quid per month subscription which is a bit of a stretch for me at the minute. Thanks anyway. Steve
That’s the sound of freedom right there,, brave air crews up against the odds and winning,,, up most respect for past and present pilots that have to go to war
soaringtractor but his basic point is quite true. Regardless of average loads, the ‘standard’ Lanc if there ever was such a thing as it was endlessly modified and adapted to suite the occasion was 14,000lbs. That is a fact. The load was adapted to the requirement of the mission. Yes the variants that carried the huge loads were heavily modified. None of this or what the OP stated is bullshit as you like to infer. This plane was, due to its superior design, endlessly adaptable and used in dozens of variations and configurations. A trait of a first class weapon of the time. All real facts of history
@@1932christian Just consider the absurdly heavy loads the Lancs sometimes had to haul. I guess that's the reason why in public perception the Lanc overshadows the Halifax so much. Yet, the Halifax heavies were a perfect supplement in the sense that the later 1943 Mk.III used the powerful Bristol Hercules engines so they didn't interfere with Merlin availability. especially important because the Lancaster BII variant with Bristol Hercules engines was not considered a success, only 300 of these being built.
Cannot imagine being a young twenty year old and piloting/ taking off with a full bomb load into a dusk evening.....jesus they were brave...mighty hearts all of them.
Read a book Lancaster and the losses where tremendous 1 in 3 survived their tour of missions. The UK could mass produce Planes and train crews faster than they where shot down. Over 58,500 Aircrew lost.
From my time on the flight it is cleaned as part of the before and after flight checks. During a day with multiple flights it is harder to get the clean done when yku may not have enough time. At those time the pilots windows are the ones normally done
