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Flight Simulator For The Avro Lancaster Bomber On Your Personal Desk
The moment I write this I am 64 years old and so is the peace that followed World War Two. This means that I'm from "after the war", and that's the way I want to keep it! It also means that I only saw Roy Chadwick's Avro Lancaster bomber 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 mere mortals can come to flying a "true" Lancaster, is via 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 instrument panel on just about everything including the kitchen sink. Out of dozens of available panels that I collected all over the place, I made a strictly individual panel version.
Panel redrawing required!
I've got two reasons to design my own simulator panels. Firstly, of course, because there's no ready made Lancaster bomber panel available that looks to my liking. Secondly because all available panels put the simulated pilots position somewhere in the lateral center of the cockpit, like straight behind the throttle and prop controls. 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 instruments. Simulation, including flight simulation, is illusion - and I don't give a fig 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 create 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 such hardware add-ons are available in a wide price range, from remarkably 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 it's not necessary yet.
A red and sweaty face!
You'll never hear me say that a relatively simple computer simulation like MS Flight Sim 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 famous Dam Busters raid. Those fighter jocks and "Anything, Anywhere, Anytime" types left the simulator after their final 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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