Avro Lancaster NX611 Winter 2016/17- HUGE NEWS

Avro Lancaster NX611 'Just Jane' restoration

The winter of 2016/17 will see some major works carried out on Avro Lancaster NX611 'Just Jane' to make huge steps forwards in the project to restore her to airworthy condition.

"This is the biggest news for NX611's restoration in the last 20 years"- Andrew Panton

Following the application for our A8-23 approval with the CAA we are now able to attend to some of NX611's future needs and address the long list of work we need to do to make her airworthy once more.

"The goal of "Just Jane" becoming only the third airworthy Lancaster in the world feels closer than ever before" - Andrew Panton

This winter will see a complete strip and re-paint of the aircraft which will facilitate an assessment of the aircraft's aluminium skin and permit any problems encountered to be resolved.

To facilitate this work, NX611 will appear at the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre as she never has done before as she will be rigged in a flying attitude on trestles and jacks with the following removed-

Bomb doors

Ailerons

Elevators

Rudders

All turrets

Propellers

Cowlings

Wing tips

Undercarriage doors

H2S blister

Engine nacelles

Fillet panels

Once the components and the paint are removed we will be assessing the condition of the airframe and rectifying any problems discovered along the way. This will provide an excellent base point to determine the extent of work required to be done over the winter overhaul periods. If all goes to plan, our target is to have all of the external airframe work completed.

The work to be performed during the winter maintenance season amounts to an investment in the region of £250,000. Not only does this work represent a significant step forward in the programme to return NX611 to airworthy but it also creates a unique opportunity for the general public to come and visit us to see NX611 in a stripped down condition- something that has never been on offer before- certainly not up close as will be on offer at the Centre. Because of this opportunity we will be offering tours of the overhaul area to enable you to get a close look at the work being done and gain an understanding of the restoration effort. Further information on these tours will be released in due course and will be available on our website (www.lincsaviation.co.uk).

"Visitors to the museum will see a Lancaster like it has never been seen before, we're so excited to be able to offer this unique opportunity to the public" - Andrew Panton.

With such a significant investment to be made this winter we are also launching a new club called 'The Rivet Club'. Although the Club requires a monthly donation it is solely centred around the restoration of NX611 and will give you special access to news updates and the weekly overhaul reports not available to non-members. Members of the Just Jane Supporters Association you will be included in the update emails. More info about this can be found HERE.

Any donations towards the restoration project are gratefully received and of course the more funds we have available to us the more work we can complete and the sooner NX611 will return to flight condition.

If you want to make a 'one off' donation it can be done HERE

If you want to set up a monthly donation and subscription to the Rivet Club it can be done HERE

"We really hope the public will support our work this winter and really get on board with the aim of restoring 'Just Jane' to her rightful airworthy condition"- Andrew Panton

The stripping and re-painting of NX611 is a considerable undertaking and we are very fortunate to be supported this winter by MAAS Aviation (www.maasaviation.com) who is performing this task on a pro-bono basis. MAAS Aviation is an Irish/Dutch headquartered company which has been painting aircraft for 34 years. The company is one of the leading specialist aircraft painting companies in the world and operates aircraft paint shops in the Netherlands, Germany and in Alabama, USA. MAAS is an Airbus qualified company and operates paint shops in Germany an in Alabama for Airbus. This project has particular resonance for one of the directors of MAAS whose father was a Lancaster pilot in 514 squadron based in Waterbeach, Cambs. In addition to the support from MAAS, the repainting project is also being generously supported by Akzo Nobel Aerospace Coatings which has agreed to provide the paint material; Larchfield Graphics Ltd which is supplying consumable materials; Sea to Sky which is supplying the coating removal material and other sponsors will join the project in due course. If as a company you are interested in becoming a sponsor of the work this winter please contact us HERE

"Having the support of an international company such as MAAS Aviation who are experts in their field really gives the project a level of credibility we've been hoping for"- Andrew Panton.

The winter of 2016 marks exciting times for Avro Lancaster NX611 and the World's warbird community. Will you join us in the next step in the history of 'Just Jane'?

For further information contact:

Andrew Panton

Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Museum

E: andrew@lincsaviation.co.uk

Tim Macdougald

MAAS Aviation

E: timmacd@maasaviation.com

*Photographs used above are of Avro Lancaster PA474 during major maintenance at Coventry. They are used purely as an example of the strip down state for NX611 in the winter of 2016/2017 « Back to Lancaster NX611 Return to flight?