Bomber County Gateway Trust and Linconshire-based Timmins Engineering celebrate milestone for ‘On Freedom’s Wings’ landmark Lancaster Bomber sculpture
A landmark project to erect full scale replica of a Lancaster Bomber is one step closer to lift off now that the final framework has been completed.
The ‘On Freedom’s Wings’ project, billed as the Midlands’ answer to the Angel of the North, will see the sculpture take pride of place on the border of Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire to mark the historic link that the counties shared with RAF Bomber Command during the Second World War.
Organised by the Bomber County Gateway Trust, and several years in the making, the sculpture internal structure was assembled and unveiled to the public for the first time over the weekend.
The event was a chance for the many volunteers and businesses from across the region, who have thrown their weight and time behind the project, to get together and celebrate together.
There was entertainment, historical groups, talks about the project and thanks to a clear blue sky, the Lancaster from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight even made a special flypast.
Ken Sadler, chairman of The Bomber County Gateway Trust, said: “This is a million pound project made possible almost entirely through good will.
“Everyone around here has a connection to the RAF in some way or another and every little helps.
“Companies have gifted hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of time and labour, and individuals have been doing their part donating to help us pay for the steel.”
He added: “This has been going on for about six years now, we’ve had setbacks, rising cost of steel, and a pandemic, so no progress has been made on site — but hard work has been taking place behind the scenes.
“So, it is fantastic to reach this milestone and see it put together for the first time and all those who contributed and volunteered can now see the results of all their efforts.”
An estimated £50,000 is still needed to buy the remaining steel, which will be used to create the sculpture’s shell and to give the Lancaster its iconic shape.
The majority of the sculpture’s steel work has been fabricated by Lincolnshire-based Timmins Engineering and Construction Ltd for free, contributing over 2,000 volunteer man hours.
Although designed as a tribute to all who served during the war, the sculpture is based on one Lancaster in particular which crashed near RAF Swinderby in the early hours of September 19, 1944.
It is the designation of this aircraft, VN-N, which will adorn the sculpture once it is erected proudly in place on a hilltop overlooking the A46 near Norton Disney.
Organisers hope for a dry winter which will allow the ground on site to be firm enough by the spring to lift the main structure onto the support struts, before the exterior steel shell is is added.
It is hoped that an official unveiling can then take place in late summer 2025.
