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Re: Easy Elsie

Posted by Richard Woods on Sat Jul 06, 2002 10:06:30 AM

In reply top Re: Easy Elsie posted by Gareth Sharp on Fri Jul 05, 2002 08:43:28 AM

Gareth,

This would probably be feasible if Elsie was in the condition she came down in, and if the attitude of museums in the UK were different.

When Elsie crash landed, she was set fire to in order to avoid any sensitive information being gleaned from a 617 sqn Lancaster, but only the forward fuselage was destroyed. Some time after the Swedish military removed all the valuable items, such as the engines, undercarraige, and rear turret, and the rest was cut up, with the intention of scrapping it. Unfortunately at the end of the war, with so many surplus aircraft left, the price of aluminium fell dramatically, and so she still lies where she fell.

The other point is as I've explained before, museums won't give indoor space to a wreck like this, and I won't bring her out of an environment where corrosion is negligible and put her straight in the middle of a typical British summertime!

If a rebuild takes place, I don't think too much would be lost, as most of the pieces that remain are in good order. Who knows? I'll just have to wait and see.

Cheers
Richard

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