2 January 2013
Avro Lancaster NX611 Just Jane has taken another step towards flying again, thanks to the delivery of a fourth Merlin engine to the restoration team at the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre (LAHC).
Owners Harold and Fred Panton from the LAHC aim to get the aircraft flying once more, after purchasing the aircraft in 1983.
The fourth Merlin engine arrived on 12 December 2013 and work is now underway, with Fred Panton saying that now the whole restoration will take only months, rather than years as originally expected.
The Panton brothers are restoring the aircraft in a tribute to their elder brother, Flight Engineer Christopher Panton who was shot down during WWII.
The aircraft is cleared to taxi and thousands of pounds have already been raised for the restoration through offering taxi rides to paying customers. The Lancaster has also been featured in Dr Who and raised money from other TV work.
NX611 last flew in 1971. Currently, there are just two other airworthy Lancasters: PA474 of the Battle of Britain Flight at nearby RAF Coningsby and the other in Canada at the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum, Ontario.
Follow news from the restoration of Just Jane here.
Photo: Paul Morton
4 comments
Don’t do a Blenheim for gods sake don’t break it when it’s completed, another example of exellent British aviation engineering, well done whoever you are gentlemen .! Frank Eaton, Copenhagen.
This is fantastic news. After all these years of hard work. Well done all.
Just saw the very special film, Lancaster Skies, and it reminded me how much we owe to these planes and the men and women who kept them flying. Knights of the Air
Good luck with her and God Bless and keep all safe on her flight