Lancaster Bomber emergency exits - nødudgange                           Updated:  22 OCT 2012

  Næseparti af Lancaster KB976 fra 405 Pathfinder Squadron set på Brooklands Museum.
Luge fra nødudgang over piloten på Lancaster R5702, tilhører Leif Gr. Thomsen.
Bunden af næsepartiet på Brooklands Museum med den officielle nødudgang. Se flere udgange.
Se Lancaster bombefly med nødudgang over piloten. Foto fra Ministry of Defence.
Det var livsfarligt at blive skudt ned, men nogle overlevede. Antal nødudgange var afgørende!
Overlevelsesprocent for de, der blev skudt ned: Lancaster: 18,8 %. Halifax 34,7 %!
Fra B-17 og B-24 sprang ca. 50 % ud. (Kilde: Royal Air Force Magazine 1995)

Nødudgange i toppen af maskinen kunne bruges, hvis flyet landede på vand.
Med faldskærm ville man risikere at hænge fast i halepartiet, som det skete for en flyver i
LAN JA851, se artiklen med beretning fra Pilot, Oberleutnant Hans Meisner:
"Et vidne så en flyver forlade flyet gennem nødlugen i cockpittets tag.
Hans faldskærm udløstes for tidligt, og han blev hængende på flyets haleplan." - Se også Lancaster fotos
og Tab af liv, især de sidste linjer og REAR TURRET - FN-20 Rear Turret - an FN-20 turret in operation on YouTube.

Nose section of Lancaster KB976 from 405 Pathfinder Squadron seen at Brooklands Museum.
Hatch from emergency exit above the pilot of Lancaster R5702, belongs to Leif Gr. Thomsen.
The bottom of the nose section at Brooklands Museum with the official emergency exit and more exits.
See Lancaster Bomber with emergency exit hatch above the pilot. Photo at Ministry of Defence.
It could be fatal to be shot down, but some airmen survived. The number of escape exits was vital!
Survival rate of those who were shot down: Lancaster: 18.8%. Halifax: 34.7%.
About 50% bailed out from B-17s and B-24s. (Source: Royal Air Force Magazine 1995)

Emergency escape exits at the top of the plane were useful if the plane landed on water.
With a parachute you might hit the tail section as it happened to an airmen in LAN JA851, see the article with  account from Pilot, Oberleutnant Hans Meisner:"An eye witness saw an airman leave the Lancaster via the escape hatch above the cockpit. His parachute opened up too early and it got stuck on the tail plane."
Then the crash would kill you. - See also Lancaster photos and Loss of Lives - particularly the last lines.
See also the REAR TURRET - an FN-20 Rear Turret and an FN-20 turret in operation on YouTube.