Westcott

[REF]

Recent aerial view by DJA

[Jim Hope]

I worked at Westcott from 1978 to 1993. All of the airfield site was still there, but the runways were in poor condition. Off to the right of the photo there were still one or two of the original buildings still standing. One of them had been re-furbished and was the Sports and Social club. The parachute drying shed was only knocked down in the earky 90's, and SHQ and Ops Room in the late 70's early 80's. The Bomb Dump is in the bottom left corner of the photo and was used for long time open air trials. Hope this is of some interest.

[greenlanekit]

Hay Gents, my Uncle was a Lanc Pilopt with 195 Sqnd, he flew ex-POW's back to Westcot, I have some photos of this, but not his crew. The runway shot you can just see the tower off to the left, very well preserved as its clad. Extremley restorable. The green building is the original building where the ex-POW's first went to.

Westcot also happens to be just down the road from where we live...

[thatcher1]

Hi folks, had a wander around the wescott airfield site, plenty of old buildings and found these air raid shelters about a mile south west from the main site in a farmers field.



have more pics which Richard will up load for me. starting to get the old airfield bug again so more pics will be on the way, good luck, Perry

[REF]

Hi Perry

I have put the photos in you post above! The second one isn't an air raid shelter though, it looks more like the remains of an Abloutions or Showers Block.

[TommyUSA]

My gawd, those Lancasters are huge monsters! How did they start the engines?

What I mean is the start-up procedure for the B-17 begins with the propellers being turned by hand at least two full revolutions so that the pistons force out any oil that gravity has caused to pool in the lower cylinders. The propellers on the Lancasters look too far off the ground to turn by hand...

TommyU

[P Bellamy]

My gawd, those Lancasters are huge monsters! How did they start the engines?

What I mean is the start-up procedure for the B-17 begins with the propellers being turned by hand at least two full revolutions so that the pistons force out any oil that gravity has caused to pool in the lower cylinders. The propellers on the Lancasters look too far off the ground to turn by hand...

TommyU

B-17 engines need "pulling through" because they are radial engines, hence oil draining into the lower cylinders.
(Most) Lancs had RR Merlins which, being in-line engines, don't suffer that problem.
Electric starter motors on Lancs too.....

From the Lancaster Pilot's Manual:

Starting the engines and warming up.
(i) Test the fuel booster pumps by ammeter.
On Lancaster III and X aircraft the fuel booster pumps must never be switched on with the engine master cock open and the engine stationary, unless the slow-running cut-out switch (on pushbutton, if Mod. 1753 is fitted) is in the IDLE-CUT-OFF position, and the air supply pressure not less than 130 lb./sq.in. (160 lb./sq.in. if Mod. 1195 is fitted).
(ii) Ground/flight switch turned to GROUND, ground starter battery plugged in.
(iii) Set the engine controls as follows :
Master engine cocks .. OFF
Slow-running cut-out controls .. ENGINE RUN
Throttles ........ ½ inch open.
Propeller controls ...... Speed control levers fully up.
Super charger control ... Low gear (warning light not showing).
Air intake heat control ... COLD
Radiator shutters .... ... Over-ride switches at AUTOMATIC.
(iv) Have a fire extinguisher ready in case of emergency.
(v) Turn tank selector cock to No. 2 tank (see para. 27 (ii)) and turn ON only the master engine cock of the engine to be started.
(vi) Prime the carburettor of the engine to be started by putting the slow runnirg cut-out switch to IDLE-CUT-OFF, or by holding the pushbutton in, if Mod. 1753 is fitted (Lancaster III and X) and switching the booster pump in the No. 2 tank on for a period of 10 seconds. Switch off the booster pump and then return the slow-running cutout to the ENGINE RUN position.
(vii) High volatility fuel (stores ref. 34a/III) should be used if outside priming connection is fitted, for priming at air temperatures below freezing. The ground crew will work the priming pump until the fuel reaches the priming nozzles; this may be judged by an increase in resistance.
(viii) Switch on the ignition and booster coil, and press the starter button.
Turning periods must not exceed 20 seconds with a 30 second wait between each. The ground crew will work the priming pump as firmly as possible while the engine is being turned.
(ix) It will probably be necessary to continue priming after the engine has fired, and until it picks up on the carburettor. When the engine is running smoothly proceed to prime the carburettors and start the other engines in turn.
(x) When all the engines are running satisfactorily, switch off the booster-coil switch.
The ground crew will screw down the priming pumps and turn off the priming cocks (if fitted).
(xi) Have the ground/flight switch turned to FLIGHT and the ground battery removed.
(xii) Open each engine up slowly to 1,200 r.p.m, and warm up at this speed.
(xiii) Switch DR compass ON and SETTING.


All the best,
PB

[P Bellamy]

I'm suprised no-one pulled me up for describing the RR/Packard Merlin as an in-line engine when it is of course a 27-litre 60° V12, albeit with two in-line banks of six cylinders.

There's a really nice set of audio files available on the Mossie website of a pair of them starting up, warming up, take-off and flying by.
I've got them saved for future use at Twinwood, when we work out how to play the fly-by sequentially through the site PA speakers.

All the best,
PB

[canberra]

Mark 2 Lancasters had Bristol Pegasus engines.

[canberra]

Or were they Hercules?? Anyway they were radials.