Rare Halifax item on display

[no4mkit]

While visiting family in Canada a few weeks ago I made my usual pilgrimage over to the RCAF Museum (now the National Air Force Museum of Canada) at CFB Trenton to see what's new in the past two years. As I'm always drawn straight to the Halifax on arrival I immediately noticed a large pinkish rectangular object had taken up residence beneath the Hally's wings. Being virtually alone in the place there was no one around to answer the obvious question but my guess was I was looking at a bomb bay fuel tank. I snapped a few pics before moving on to other things and completely forgot to enquire in the museum shop about the item before leaving.

After arriving home a quick web search got me my answer. It indeed is a long range fuel tank for a Halifax and was only discovered a year ago in a town not far from the museum. It was almost disposed of as junk had someone not become curious about the markings and serial number on the tank. Thankfully they did as this is quite possibly the only one of it's type in existence.

Story HERE (http://www.brantfordexpositor.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2480900&archive=true)

It's too bad we hadn't known of this in time for the Corgi Coastal Command Halifax as it is well established that HR686 flew with such a tank on her last trip. Not sure if it's my mind playing tricks but I seem to recall seeing a schematic of such a tank somewhere, but never any photos. Maybe with these Corgi could have been convinced to model it - maybe not. Still, it's amazing how such artifacts continue to be discovered. :cool


http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y295/no4mkit/Halifax%20NA337/IMG_6649r-sm.jpg

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y295/no4mkit/Halifax%20NA337/IMG_6577r-sm.jpg

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y295/no4mkit/Halifax%20NA337/IMG_6581r-sm.jpg

[DCRanger]

That is an interesting find and I bet a few more have been thrown away without any one realising what they were. A big well done to to Mr Worron and Mr Worron snr.

[Wolster]

Interesting story, had to laugh at this:

"The Halifax was the most frequently flown aircraft in the Canadian Air Force in World War II," explains Bill Tytula, who is ex-air force himself.

"We flew 28,000 of 36,000 trips in that aircraft and the Brits didn't save one!"

Which, of course, explains why you find one on every street corner in Canada!

[no4mkit]

That article also states the only fully restored Halifax in the world is in the UK. Think they got their notes crossed up on that!

[Wolster]

That article also states the only fully restored Halifax in the world is in the UK. Think they got their notes crossed up on that!

It thought it said that as well, but it actually says 'the only Halifax bomber being in the UK, the one in Canada being a cargo plane'. How true that is, I have no idea.

[no4mkit]

Good point Wolster. I'm going to get a little tedious here, but looking at that a little closer they've actually made technical errors on both counts.

"As it turns out, there is just one Halifax bomber that has ever been fully restored - in the entire world.
That aircraft resides in Britain. There's another that was lifted from the bottom of a lake in 1995 and it was restored as a transport Halifax. It lives in Trenton, Ont., where Canada's largest air force base is located."

The UK based one is obviously Elvington's 'Friday The Thirteenth', which although a beautiful piece of work is technically not a 'fully restored' Halifax as the wings are from a HP Hastings, among other more minor details. The Halifax at Trenton is actually the more complete of the two from a technical perspective, though it too has some reproduction parts - main gear and props for example. But the article again got it technically wrong on Trenton's Hally. It is an 'A MkVII' Special Duties Halifax equipped for glider towing, agent insertion and resupply of the resistance. The transport version of the Halifax was the C MkVIII/Halton.

And please don't anyone take offense at these comments comparing Halifaxes as I have the highest regard for both projects! They're only meant to point out the inaccuracies in the news article. :)

[DCRanger]

And please don't anyone take offense at these comments comparing Halifaxes as I have the highest regard for both projects!

No need to apologise.:)


The UK based one is obviously Elvington's 'Friday The Thirteenth', which although a beautiful piece of work is technically not a 'fully restored' Halifax as the wings are from a HP Hastings, among other more minor details.


Actually Elvington's Halifax is a good bit less original that you suggest. As you say, part of the wings are from a Hastings but the engines are from a a French aircraft (Nord Atlas IIRC), the nose section was new build by YAM volunteers working from HP plans, the tail fins were built by BAe, the undercarriage legs built by the late John Wilkinson of Pudsey and sundry items from various crash sites. There are a lot of small original items donated by veterans such as the set of maps in the navigators compartment.

It is more re-manufactured than original but still very impressive. If you are interested in Elvington and the rebuild then have a look out for Home is The Halifax by Ian Robinson who played a big part in creating the museum. During the war he was a flight engineer employed by Handley Page and flew in many of the repaired Halifax's from the York Aircraft Repair Depot at nearby Clifton Moor.

[lightning01]

What an amazing find well done for not scrapping this!

[Agent X20]

And please don't anyone take offense at these comments :)

I do..!!!

agent insertion

... ouch...:eek:

Neat find..:)