Lancaster engine returned

The iconic World War Two Lancaster bomber plane is returning a heavy duty piece of equipment that it had on loan from the British Royal Air Force.

This past summer, one of its engines broke down. So the RAF lent it a Merlin engine from another Lancaster bomber, allowing the Canadian version to continue on its tour.

While the original engine is still being serviced, the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum boxed up the loaner engine and today, it was picked up and returned to the RAF.

Al Mickeloff, Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum: “It’s actually a slightly different engine. We fly U.S.-made Rolls Royce Packard engines, and in England they fly the Rolls Royce Merlin. So there was some adaptation of the parts. But it all works the same.”

The engine needing repairs is still in England under maintenance. The museum says it expects to have it back here in the spring, just in time for the flying season in May.