Hamilton's beloved Lancaster is a hit in the United Kingdom even before it gets there.

The warplane's August to September tour of British air shows — along with the only other airworthy Lanc in the world — is turning into bomber-mania and has had to be extended by three weeks because of the demand for additional appearances.

There's been a blitz of news reports about the impending arrival, there's hoopla over a brewery contest for a free ride, and the British are shelling out the equivalent of $4,000 for a chance to take a picture of the Lancaster from the air.

"After we announced the trip to England, we were overwhelmed by people saying 'You have to do this and you have to do that,'" says Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum spokesperson Al Mickeloff.

"It became very evident that we couldn't go all that way and not do these additional shows that we were being asked to participate in."

The tour is being seen as a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see Hamilton's Lanc and the Royal Air Force's Lancaster flying in formation. And at one event, on Sept. 2, a third Lanc called Just Jane will also be featured, although it doesn't fly. The Hamilton Lanc and the RAF Lanc will fly above an airfield while Just Jane taxis along the ground.

Hamilton's Lanc will take off Aug. 4 for England from John C. Munro Hamilton International airport and arrive three or four days later. It will make stopovers in Newfoundland, Greenland and Iceland before finally landing at RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire.

On board will be a 34-year-old businessman from Henley-on-Thames in England who shelled out a whopping $79,100 on eBay to be part of the Lancaster's crew for the flight.

Matthew Munson bought the ticket in an online bidding war several weeks ago. He'll fly to Ontario from England on a commercial airline, make his way to Hamilton, and then take a short training course at the Canadian Warplane Heritage.

The museum has also been in discussions with one or two others who are interested in paying a substantial price for the opportunity to fly from England back to Hamilton in the Lancaster. Mickeloff has confirmed discussions have taken place, but he won't say whether a deal has been struck.

Mickeloff was part of an advance team that recently spent several days in England working out details of the various appearances in the U.K.

The cost of the trip back and forth to England will cost the museum $650,000, with only a small portion of that covered by appearance fees.

Mickeloff says fundraising efforts — including a sponsorship deal with British brewer Thwaites — have come very close to covering all the costs. He says museum officials believe they'll be in the black with the trip by the time the Lanc arrives in England. The return flight is planned for the week of Sept. 22.