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Re: Lancaster v Halifax or if you prefer, Halifax v Lancaste

Posted by Paul Waites on Fri Apr 11, 2003 05:48:43 AM

In reply top Re: Lancaster v Halifax or if you prefer, Halifax v Lancaster posted by Cees Broere on Thu Apr 10, 2003 11:57:41 AM


:
: Strangely the engine position on the Merlin Halifax was ve
: ry suitable for fitting the Hercules (don't know why) with
: the resulting performance improvement. This could also be
: the reason why the Hercules installation in the Lancster
: was inferior as compared to the Merlin installation.

I was told that the HP design team wanted to install radials from the outset once the vulture engine was dismissed as a powerplant. The company favoured the radials. (Don't know which one). Perhaps that may have bearing on the design.
:
: The Merlin installation in both aircraft have a certain gr
: ace while the Hercules has a raw and purposeful appearance
: . Guess which installation is my favourite?
:
Go for the raw radial power.... I think the late Mk Hali looks the business.
I've always had a few puzzles relating to the radial halis.
1). When they first installed the radial prototype in 42/43 it was clearly superior from the outset. Yet it was a good nine months before they started to get them into production!
Perhaps the lanc would have not had it all its own way as the publicity machines favourite bomber.

2) Why just the hercules? Towards the end of the war there were some seriously powerful radials to choose from...

3) Why was the lanc chosen for the tiger force. The Hali had already proved itself as a a superior plane in tropical situations. In Merlin guise it had proved its worth in Africa and the middle East. I read that lancs had to be parked close to runways in hot climates because of overheating fears. The MkVI Hali had a presurised fuel system especially designed for such conditons.... Oh well we'll never know.

: By the way, FP magazine published a comparision of both ai
: rcraft types which was useless if you ask me because the t
: wo type cannot be compared but complemented each other.


Totally agree it was badly written. I do conceede that the Lanc was a better bomb dropping machine but I don't conceede that it was a better aircraft). I recently talked to a guy who has flown in both types, (Nav, )and he just shrugged and said that it is forgotten that the Halifax was around for a good year before the Lancaster. In war that is a long time. A lot of lessons had been learned...
I also feel for the folk who flew in the other types.. Wellies, Stirlings Whitleys etc.... It all seems to be lancs, lancs, lancs. Folk don't look at the whole picture.

Paul.

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