Just found this whilst browsing through some Dutch aviation sites. It is very interesting, especially for the Canadian Halifax restoration info and pics : - http://www3.sympatico.ca/scott.knox/pages/home.htm Enjoy !
Thanks for finding the site, I have always liked the Halifax and Sterling bombers and feel like they got wrongly overshadowed by the Lancaster. The same with the Spitfire, It is Spitfires and all other British fighters were just second stringers according to most history accounts. I am not saying Spitfires are bad, it is just there were other aircraft besides Spitfires during the war. Martin-Baker put out several good designs that never saw the light of day. Also the Westland Whirlwind could have been great if it had a pair of Merlin engines in them. Oh well
You've got a point, Ta ( and I tread lightly mentioning the Halifax when you're around ! ) But when all the statistics are 'crunched' and everything else has been argued, human emotion comes into the equation. Like with cars, the Spitfire and Lancaster ( and the B17 for that matter, when compared to the B24 ) just look absolutely 'right'. I know I'm fortunate, living where I do, to be able to regularly see many Spitfires plus the BBMF Lancaster and many other warbirds - plus static Halifaxes.The Lancaster and Spitfire can literally bring tears to people's eyes. It's well summed-up in Jennie Grey's excellent little book, 'Fire By Night' : 'The BBMF Lancaster..still flies..You can see it at summer airshows, making its graceful, slow, almost stately progress through a blue sky decked with huge white clouds..Though it seems incredibly slow..it possesses stunning charisma and majesty, both in the air and on the ground'. The Press at the time also played their part. It is not 'politically correct' but to my parents' generation, the Spitfire was a symbol of National defiance, and the Lancaster was a symbol of vengeance ( 'let's see how they like it' ). Illogical and emotional, yes - but human emotions play a strong part in these things.
