Sat, Oct 12, 4:38 AM CDT

She Came Home.... (for T.rex)

Photography Aviation posted on Jul 05, 2015
Open full image in new tab Zoom on image
Close

Hover over top left image to zoom.
Click anywhere to exit.


Members remain the original copyright holder in all their materials here at Renderosity. Use of any of their material inconsistent with the terms and conditions set forth is prohibited and is considered an infringement of the copyrights of the respective holders unless specially stated otherwise.

Description


Greetings Folks, There are only two surviving Vickers Wellingtons left in the world.. Now..... N2980 Is the only surviving Brooklands built example.. She was completed as Mk 1A in 1939 and test flown on the 16th November 1939 by famous Vickers test pilot 'Mutt' Summers, no faults were reported.. She was issued to No 139 Squadron at RAF Mildenhall.. Now, this Wellington is the only example with a wartime record.. She took part in the infamous 'Hiligoland Bight' raid on the 18th Dec 1939, 22 Wellington's were sent on a daytime raid (the RAF still undertook them then) and over half were shot down... It was this raid that convinced Bomber Command that daylight raids were not worth such losses.. This bomber got home! She competed 47 raids in all when on a training mission on the 31st Dec 1940 she developed engine trouble, all crew bailed out safely but the tail gunners parachute failed to open.. The bomber crash landed in Loch Ness.. 1976 : She was found again, and amazingly intact.... When the tail-lights were connected to a modern battery they worked!! The paint you see is original.. 45 years plus underwater.. And now she has returned to her home, the place she was built.. Further more, the building that you see is the LAST Vickers Assembly Shed left!! Note the structure shape, looks like a Wellington huh? Also inside here : A Vickers Vimy, and a Russian recovered Hurricane! :-) Zoom is on! Enjoy Rob

Comments (12)


)

Kratoonz

9:17AM | Sun, 05 July 2015

Quite a story. Thanks for sharing.

)

AliceFromLake

10:24AM | Sun, 05 July 2015

Nice story. Very impressive to see the details of this aircraft.

)

Faemike55

11:57AM | Sun, 05 July 2015

This is so cool wonderful photo and cool history

)

radioham

12:18PM | Sun, 05 July 2015

It took her along time but it's good that she is home to rest Nice photo

)

Buffalo1

1:11PM | Sun, 05 July 2015

Really cool pic! The "Wimpy" was one of those WWII mainstays - a start to finish airplane. Are they going to restore her?

)

jayfar

1:17PM | Sun, 05 July 2015

A fantastic story and love the picture Rob, not often do we get to see the skeleton.

)

T.Rex

1:21PM | Sun, 05 July 2015

Amazing. The REAL Loch Ness monster, if I may say so? Very good photo. I see the bent propeller blades from the crash. This also gives a VERY good idea of the triangular (= strong) construction of the plane. Even from this angle one can see the very long bomb bay. I'm glad to see her back home where she was built. Will they put plates over the frames where there are none, or will she be left like this so one can look in through the frames? Any idea how it went for the tail gunner? If the plane was low, he could have splashed down and make it. Thanks for the photo and the dedication. Man, I wish I could visit this museum just for the Wellington's sake! Keep up the good work! :-)

Tamarrion

5:27PM | Sun, 05 July 2015

I'm with T.Rex - would love to see this in person! These were tough planes due to that structure. Barnes Wallis (better known for the Upkeep,Tallboy & Grand Slam bombs) is credited for coming up with the geodetic airframe. Great find & photo!

)

goodoleboy

9:39PM | Sun, 05 July 2015

Stellar photograph! Amazing in its beauty, majesty and history, mate.

)

RodS

10:07PM | Mon, 06 July 2015

Wow - that's incredibly cool, Rob! Great photo and quite the story of survival for this old warbird! What a beauty!

)

neiwil

5:50PM | Tue, 07 July 2015

47 raids by Christmas 1940, shows how busy Bomber Command were even early in the war. Great she was returned to her birth place at Brooklands. How cool would it be to see this one fly again......

)

flavia49

8:28AM | Wed, 08 July 2015

very beautiful


3 110 0

Photograph Details
F Numberf/3.3
MakePanasonic
ModelDMC-TZ40
Shutter Speed5/100
ISO Speed400
Focal Length4

02
Days
:
19
Hrs
:
21
Mins
:
21
Secs
Premier Release Product
SAMANT House with arches
3D Models
Top-Selling Vendor Sale Item
$18.50 USD 50% Off
$9.25 USD

Privacy Notice

This site uses cookies to deliver the best experience. Our own cookies make user accounts and other features possible. Third-party cookies are used to display relevant ads and to analyze how Renderosity is used. By using our site, you acknowledge that you have read and understood our Terms of Service, including our Cookie Policy and our Privacy Policy.