The BBMF Lancaster ‘Major’ is now at the halfway point of the 18-month schedule. Further progress is being made and some elements of the rebuild have begun.
The most obvious development is that the Lancaster’s rear fuselage has been rejoined after being separated to permit the replacement of the control rods and their associated bearings for the elevators and rudders. The tail planes have now also been fitted. With the undercarriage also refitted after ‘bay maintenance’ (at this stage with old legacy wheels temporarily fitted), the aircraft was briefly moved outside the ARCo hangar at Duxford on 28th July, so that it could be repositioned the other way round in the hangar, ready for the required wing spar boom and shackle plate examinations.
In addition, in preparation for the non-destructive testing of the wing shackle plates, all six of the previously fitted and ‘bay maintained’ fuel tanks have been temporarily refitted, now without their external coverings. To compensate for the slightly reduced dimensions of the tanks without their coverings, the fuel tank straps have been built up with rubberised cork. With the fuel tanks in place, the tank stress panels have been refitted to the wings to provide additional strength during the invasive inspections.
Meanwhile, a large number of components are still away with sub-contractors undergoing ‘bay maintenance’. Some 40 percent of the F707MS work cards which make up the Major have been completed and all 82 Structurally Significant Item (SSI) inspections have been carried out with the results of some requiring further investigation.
The experienced surface finish sub-contractor, who was previously responsible for applying the new colour schemes to the Lancaster in 2016/17 and the Dakota in 2024, has begun rubbing down the previous markings on the Lancaster in preparation for repainting with its new ‘identity’ as ‘WS-Y’, “Getting Younger Every Day”. The previous nose art has gone, and the old code letters are also being rubbed down.
A repair scheme has been received from BAES to repair damage to the Lancaster’s starboard trailing edge wing ribs and the repair is now underway. A new ball joint for the flap actuator – the seizure of which caused the damage – is being manufactured by Kennet Aviation at Old Warden.
The completion date for the Major mainteance programme on Lancaster PA474 remains on track for the aircraft to be available for the 2027 display season.
