MHN WAS RUNWAY-SIDE IN HAMILTON, ONTARIO earlier today as the Canadian Avro Lancaster, one of the last two airworthy models of the iconic World War Two bomber, departed for a month-long tour of the United Kingdom.
Hundreds were on hand at the Hamilton International Airport to see the plane off.
The 70-year-old, heavy bomber, which is the property of the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum, was slated to fly out at 10 a.m. yesterday. Museum officials postponed the take-off 24 hours following a mechanical failure in the aircraft’s second engine.
As MHN reported when news of the tour was first announced, the Lancaster will execute the 3,900-mile (6,000-km) journey in series of hops that include one-day stopovers in Newfoundland, Greenland and Iceland.
The final destination is RAF Corningsby, the home field of the only other working Lancaster left in existence. The British bomber is part of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.
Once together, the sister planes will fly in formation at a series of late-summer events throughout Britain.
CWHM officials helped offset the $650,000 cost of the marathon flight and tour by auctioning off a passenger seat on the bomber as it makes its trans Atlantic voyage.
Matthew Munson, a 34-year-old British entrepreneur, bid $79,100 on eBay for the chance to hitch a ride.
“It’s a helluva lot of money,” Munson told the Hamilton Spectator last May after taking the prize. “I will savour every moment.”
The Lancaster is expected to touch down in England on Friday.
(With files from MilitaryHistoryNow.com)
