Close call for the Lancaster

Air Classics, Nov 2002

North America's only flying Avro Lancaster recently had a close brush with disaster. Owned and operated by the Canadian Warplane Heritage, Lancaster B. Mk. X FM213/CGVRA was the subject of an intense multi-year restoration before returning to the air on 11 August 1988 and since then the four-engine bomber has been the flagship of the CWH fleet.

During early August, the Lancaster taxied into a static DC-3 and literally chewed up the left wing of the DC-3 while not doing the Lanc's nacelles on the right wing any favors. At first it appeared that the damage might be serious to the Lancaster's propellers and nacelles. The engines were inspected, the props sent out for a thorough check, and the sheet metal damage was repaired by CWH volunteers. Fortunately, the damage was not as bad as initially feared and the Lancaster is now back up and flying. AC