NX611 is based down at East Kirby Lincolnshire and was originally built in April 1945, destined for the War in the Far East ,but never used as Japan surrendered.
She then went into storage until 1952 down at Llanlow when she was bought by the French Navy to be used for maritime patrols. Then onto New Caledonia where it was used for Air Sea rescue before being presented to the Historical Aircraft Preservation Society.
It was send to Australia for restoration before being flown over to Biggin Hill, a journey of 12,000 miles which took 9 days landing on the 13 May 1965. It didn't fly again until 1968 when it appeared at a few air-shows but was grounded again due to high running costs.
It was then auctioned off in Blackpool in 1972.
Fred and Harold Penton had decided sometime before that they would like a fitting memorial to their brother who had been killed in the Nuremberg bombings. They went to Blackpool but the plane never reached the minimum bid so it was withdrawn.
It was later sold and used outside RAF Scampton as a Gate guardian but after a lot of negotiations the brothers purchased the Lancaster 4 years later and after an agreed 10 years at Scampton the RAF eventually brought the plane to East Kirby.
In 1993 work started to restore the four Rolls Royce Merlin Engines to working condition and it took many hundreds of hours and a cost of £7000 to bring these back to taxiing condition.
Now for £250 you can ride in the Lancaster for fast taxi runs.
On our visit it did two runs, 11am then 13.30pm and gave its engines a good run out.
Work continues to get Just Jane into flying condition and they hope that this will happen next year.
Fundraising has been the biggest problem but through the taxi runs, admission and various events even appearing in Dr Who, they hope to raise enough to see this great plane back in the skies again after more than 50 years grounded.
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