Simflying The Avro Lancaster Four Engined Bomber Behind Your Own Computer Desk
The moment I write this I am 64 years old and so is the peace that followed the Second World War. This means that I'm from "after the war", which is the way I want to keep it! It also means that I only saw Roy Chadwick's Avro Lancaster WW-2bomber in peaceful fly-by's which is a scarce enough happening, considering that there are only two (!) airworthy Lancasters left in the whole wide world. There's very little airtime to be shared among the enthusiastic candidates, so there are probably less than a dozen people who get to fly a real Lancaster from the left seat every once in a while.
The closest us sorry ground hogs can come to flying a "true" Lancaster, is via flight simulation. I am dedicated to Microsofts Flight Simulator X, in which I fly "my own" version of the B1 Lancaster, a hybrid based on the "Wings of Power" version for exterior and flight model, and for the panel on just about everything including the kitchen sink. Out of dozens of available panels that I collected during the years, I made a completely individual panel.
Panel redrawing required!
I've got two reasons to design my own panels. Firstly, of course, because there's no ready made Lancaster bomber panel available that's even remotely to my liking "looks-wise". Secondly because available panels put the simulated pilots position somewhere in the middle of the cockpit, like straight behind the throttle and propeller levers. That's no good: it takes away much of the illusion or immersion. Although my real world flying experiences are sadly confined to single engined pipsqueeks like Cessna 172 and Piper Cherokee, I know that Lancaster pilots did not sit with their family jewels shoved painfully into the throttle/propeller quadrants of their Avro Lancaster bomber!
My own panels show a more natural pilots position, and considerably enlarged gauges. Simulation, including flight simulation, is illusion - and I don't really care about the panel lay-out being realistic: I want it to look and feel realistic within the confines of a computer screen!!
The controls and such
In order to produce a decent level of realism, flying your simulated bomber with the keyboard or mouse won't do. If you can even remotely afford it, a steering yoke is an absolute must, with a set of pedals right on its heels. Fortunately these things are available in a wide price range, from very sturdy but equally expensive, to somewhat wobbly but easily in the affordability sector of most of us.
Now, bashfully I have a confession to make. Some six years ago I got the cheapest yoke and pedals available, and I'm still using them without a problem and to my complete satisfaction! In those years I must have bought for more than a couple of thousand dollars worth of other flight simulator hardware and software, but I never saw any reason for discarding my old and faithful pedals/yoke set! Sure, eventually I'll replace them, even if it is only on account of normal wear and tear from almost daily use, but I'm not holding my breath in either hope or despair.
A very flustered face!
You'll never hear me say that a relatively simple computer simulation like MS Flight Simulator X can ever give you the joy of flying the real thing, but sometimes it comes pretty darn close. I've made many a simulated landing under conditions that turned my face sweaty with concentration, and sweaty with almost physical fear! Nor am I the only one with such experiences. I think it was around 2004 that an RAF flight crew flew an MS-simulated Raid of the Dam Busters. Those jet pilots and "Anything, Anywhere, Anytime" types left the simulator after their hours long flight with a healthy respect for flight simulation, and for the good old Avro Lancaster. You won't see them looking down on "that game" or "that old bomber" anymore!
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