Photo query, Avro Lancastrians (BOAC) / Bedford Tankers

[antarmike]

 

This photo shows Civilian (BOAC) Avro Lancastrians being serviced by a mix of civilian and Military tankers. Any ideas what is pulling the Civvy tanker, between the Bedfords.

 

Why are both Military and Civilian tankers working on the same aircraft? Why are military personnel clmbering over a BOAC Lancastrian?

 

The Lancastrian was initially a convertion to the Lancaster, for VIP and Mail transport by Civian Airlines, Later they were all new build. The RAF ran a few themselves as 9-13 seat passenger aircraft.

 

Civvy operators included

Argentina, Flota Aerea Mercante

Australia, Qantas

Canada, Trans Canada Airlines

Italy , Alitalia

United Kingdom British European Airways

British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) (the first Airline to start using the type in 1945)

British South American Airways

Flight Refuelling Limited

Silver City

Skyways Limited

 

 

Whilst the Argentian Airforce also flew them

 

In RAF service they were with 24, 231 and 232 Squadrons.

 

In all 91 were converted from Lancasters, or later built from scratch as Lancastrians. They were all retired by the late 60's

 

From 1948 15 BOAC Lancastrians flew in the Berlin Airlift, could that be what we see here?

Edited January 3, 2009 by antarmike

[antarmike]

Could a mod sort out my bad keyboard finger trouble in the thread title please????

Edited January 3, 2009 by Marmite!!
Title edit

[N.O.S.]

That is a WW2 US refueling trailer and the tractor looks very much like an Autocar with home made hard cab.

Edited January 3, 2009 by Marmite!!
Title edit

[Marmite!!]

Could a mod sort out my bad keyboard finger trouble in the thread title please????

 

Done :-D

[antarmike]

I wasn't really thinking US, I suppose I should have been. Everything else is very British.

[Davie]

I think they used a mix of civilian and military aircraft and operators, pilots etc during the berlin airlift.

[Davie]

Just found the same photo in black and white with more of the civvy tanker in view.

 

 

http://www.historyofaircargo.com/i-Working-during-the-Berlin-Airlift---Avro.html

[Richard Farrant]

According to the title to that photo, that Davie has found on the web, the aircraft nearest, and possibly the others, was operated by Flight Refuelling Ltd. They were tanker versions, and the word "Tank..." can be seen under their logo on the fuselage side. Most probaly taking part in the Berlin Airlift.

Edited January 3, 2009 by Richard Farrant
more info

[Degsy]

According to the title to that photo, that Davie has found on the web, the aircraft nearest, and possibly the others, was operated by Flight Refuelling Ltd. They were tanker versions, and the word "Tank..." can be seen under their logo on the fuselage side. Most probaly taking part in the Berlin Airlift.

 

 

The heading to the photo confirms it is Berlin airlift.

[antarmike]

What is the tie in with Boac, surely that is their speedbird logo on the Lancastrian?

Edited January 3, 2009 by antarmike

[Degsy]

BOAC were the first company to operate the Lancastrian in 1945.

[antarmike]

oops my mistake... It is actually Flight refuelling's Logo, ( I guess cos I knew BOAC operated the type I thought it was a version of their "Speedbird" logo)

It's just you can't see the transfer pipe between the birds in the Lancastrian shot!

Edited January 3, 2009 by antarmike

[N.O.S.]

Just found the same photo in black and white with more of the civvy tanker in view.

Well done, more of an Autocar with civvie hard top....

[Degsy]

Flight Refuelling was formed in the mid 30's by Sir Alan Cobham and still operate although not refuelling, now involved in missiles etc.

[antarmike]

for those who can't be bothered to follow the link here is the rest of the truck.

Edited January 4, 2009 by antarmike

[antarmike]

Flight Refuelling was formed in the mid 30's by Sir Alan Cobham and still operate although not refuelling, now involved in missiles etc.

Whilst not flying refuelling Aircraft or providing this service, they still manufacture in Flight refuelling equipment.

 

Flight Refuelling Limited and sister company Sargent Fletcher Inc, form Cobham Air Refuelling & Auxiliary Mission Equipment Division. The division has over 50 years experience as a specialist providers of systems and services to World aerospace and defence markets.

 

 

Cobham drogues and probes (donor and reciever equipment for in flight refuelling) and other associated equipment are used world wide and they claim to have a 99% share of the market.

 

They also work in the area of UAV's unmanned Aerial Vehicles (spy drones to you and me)

Edited January 4, 2009 by antarmike

[Richard Farrant]

Whilst not flying refuelling Aircraft or providing this service, they still manufacture in Flight refuelling equipment.

 

 

 

 

I used to rebuild Flight Refuelling equipment for the army, they were portable pumps and filter/ separators for bulk fuel transfer.

 

Sir Alan Cobham was famous for his Flying Circus in the inter-war period, my mother remembers seeing them near Worcester.

[antarmike]

I wonder if these planes are bringing Fuel into Berlin, in which case, one tanker maybe refueling the Lancastrian, whilst the others are drawing off fuel from the Bulk Transfer tanks in the Planes. Might explain the mix of Civvy and Military, or may just be "all hands to the pump" no pun internded.

[Richard Farrant]

I wonder if these planes are bringing Fuel into Berlin, in which case, one tanker maybe refueling the Lancastrian, whilst the others are drawing off fuel from the Bulk Transfer tanks in the Planes. Might explain the mix of Civvy and Military, or may just be "all hands to the pump" no pun internded.

 

Might be the other way around, I am wondering if Shell would have been operating in Berlin at that time, would think it more likely that it is in England and they are loading the plane.

[antarmike]

I was goimg to offer that suggestion, but I have just woken up, and haven't got the light on yet, and I am struggling to see the keyboard so I kept things brief!. Reckon your right.

[Tony B]

Must have been a hell of a job flying a tanker full of fuel through the corridors. Coal was flown which caused a nightmare when dust got into the control lines etc. Salt was flown in the belly of Sunderlands to the lakes of Berlin, apparently because the hull could resisit salt unlike normal land aircraft.

[antarmike]

Not directly related to the photo, but if you have an interest in what happened tthe Lancastrians, this details ones fate...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/618297.stm

http://fleetofworlds.wordpress.com/2008/04/02/

Edited January 4, 2009 by antarmike

[antarmike]

I have also been looking up flight refuelling and found this.

The Americans were, meanwhile, gearing up in early 1942 for retaliatory raids on Tokyo after the attack on Pearl Harbour. When that objective was achieved by Lt.-Col. Doolittle using other methods, development still continued. A set of British Flight Refuelling Ltd. equipment was fitted to a B-17E tanker (41-2539) and B-24D receiver (40-2353) by Pennsylvania Central Airlines, with Flight Refuelling Ltd. assistance. Tests conducted in April 1943 were successful, and tentative plans contrived for a raid to depart the Aleutians for Tokyo, its B-17s being refuelled by B-24 tankers. The bombers would carry on to land in China. The time to train crews and the advent of the B-29 ended the scheme.

[antarmike]

A "Flight Refuelling" Lancastrian seen 1950 at Tarrnt Rushton. It appears to be canabalised since both fins are emoved.

Edited January 4, 2009 by antarmike

[Kuno]

Another airodrome where military & civillian aircraft landed was in Libya: Tobruk / el-Adem. I know that it is not the place shown in the first picture but I could easily imagine that at such places, the tankers were civillian & military.

[AlienFTM]

Quote from "A Tracked Armoured Car"

 

After Jim (my father) had served his probation (with Frontino gold Mines Linited), Lily (my mother) and Ian (my eldest brother) followed early in 1947, by British South American Airways Lancastrian (an RAF Lancaster with a dozen seats and a chemical toilet behind a curtain) to join Jim in La Salada (Segovia, Colombia). Heathrow was miles from anywhere in those days (apart from the village of Heath Row, which became the site of the control tower) Lily described the departure lounge as a tent, and you had to walk on duck boards to stay out of the mud.

Civil Aviation was still quite primitive and BSAA had lost two aircraft recently, the new-fangled Tudor. It bore a family resemblance to the Lancaster but was somewhat better-developed for civilian use. Ironically the Lancasters kept flying, while the Tudors ran into trouble. There was one flight per week to Colombia and the aircraft had gone down a fortnight apart. That is to say the first plane disappeared, the second arrived safely and the third disappeared. The fourth arrived safely. Lily and Ian flew in the fifth flight and fortunately broke the jinx or this tale would have been over long before it had started.