Introduction
Section 1 Military Service
Section 2 RCAF Mk10 AR Details Section 3 Canadian Civilian Life
Section 4 Preparations for Leaving Canada Section 5
Flights from Canada to Strathallan, Scotland

Section 6
Strathallan Life

Section 7
Leaving Strathallan
Section 8
To British Aerospace, Woodford
Section 9
1988 to present
Section 10
KB976 and KB994 Connection
Section 11
Nose and Fuselage Build
Section 12
Documents List 1
Section 13
Documents List 2
Links 
Credits
Email Me 

Lancaster KB976 Section 1 - Military Service

Various views of Lancasters being built at Victory Aircraft works, Malton, Toronto, Canada.
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The occasion of the 100th Lancaster built at the Victory Aircraft Works, Malton, Ontario, Canada

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Thanks to Flight Engineer Tommy Thomson who shared his log of aircraft checkouts with Dick Richardson, showing the check-out of KB976 as well as many others. In 1975 during KB976's stoppver at Toronto on the way to Scotland, Tommy caught up with the aircraft and met Dick Richardson, passing on the information seen here.
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Lancaster print
KB976 Wartime colour scheme, image supplied by Patrick Garrison
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KB976 in the UK in her wartime camouflage.
Photograph provided by courtesy of Dick Richardson.

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KB976 in the UK in her wartime camouflage, photo signed by the Bill Newsum, squadron CO who flew the aircraft back from the UK from June 17th 1945.
Photograph provided by courtesy of Dick Richardson.
 
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The Royal Canadian Air Force was a big operator post war of the Lancaster. They received 229 of them following the war, of which 100 saw active service from 1945 to 1964, the others being used for spare parts.

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The former Malton Victory Works, by now Avro Canada, converted Lancasters to the various post war configurations.
The above picture was taken during these conversions.
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Article and picture from 1948 "Aircraft and Airport" about the post war Lancaster conversions at Malton works,
featuring and courtesy of Tommy Thomson.

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KB976 was converted to a Mk10 AR "Area Reconnaissance" variant following the war, along with just two others. The conversions also took place at Fairey Aviation, Eastern Passage, Nova Scotia. Her initial colour scheme at this time is also illustrated. The AR conversion included a 40 inch extension to the nose to accommodate extra surveillance equipment and cameras. In this mode the aircraft was used to map the Canadian Arctic as well as monitor Soviet Submarine movements.

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The Mk10 AR Modifications to nose and tail for KB976

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Landing at Hall Beach in the (then) Northwest Territories, circa 1961

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A view of KB976 (front) and sister Lancaster AR KB839

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Photograph courtesy of Eric Dumigan

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The above picture is from a great Lancaster article - Lancasters Hit Civvy Street
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The latter post was RCAF colour scheme for KB976, standard image reworked to show the extended nose the aircraft still had at this stage of its career. Thanks to Chris Clark for this amendment.

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Photograph provided by courtesy of Dick Richardson
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Photograph provided by courtesy of Dick Richardson
Avro-Lancaster--RCAF-post-war--SAM-Photo
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The other two Lancaster AR versions KB839 and KB882
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From http://www.canadianwings.com/Aircraft/Database/database_detail.php?KB976-6107

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The Lancaster retirement ceremony at RCAF Downsville, 9th April 1964. KB976 in foreground. FM104 in background was presented to City of Toronto
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KB976 was involved in the last RCAF Lancaster flights in the official program on 9th April 1964.
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The above 4 images are courtesy of Christine Sopczak, daughter of the late Richard Sopczak.
They show her late father's log book of his time as RCAF Aircrew Radio Officer flying on KB976 from Greenwood Nova Scotia in 1954.
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Another image courtesy of Christine Sopczak.
KB976 and crew circa 1954 including
the late Richard Sopczak (tall man third from left in the back, wearing glasses)
Introduction
Section 1 Military Service
Section 2 RCAF Mk10 AR Details Section 3 Canadian Civilian Life
Section 4 Preparations for Leaving Canada Section 5
Flights from Canada to Strathallan, Scotland

Section 6
Strathallan Life

Section 7
Leaving Strathallan
Section 8
To British Aerospace, Woodford
Section 9
1988 to present
Section 10
KB976 and KB994 Connection
Section 11
Nose and Fuselage Build
Section 12
Documents List 1
Section 13
Documents List 2
Links 
Credits
Email Me