This is page two of KB882's 1945-1964 history. Click here for page 1.
Air Romps were normal flights over the Arctic to assert Canadian sovereignty and to conduct inspections of Canadian territory. Usually there were 15 of these a year. The Apex Rockets were flights to inspect and photograph Soviet vessels and other items of interest in areas in and adjacent to Canadian territory. Soviet trawlers sporting masses of antenna but not catching fish were common on the east coast, watching the movements of NATO warships, monitoring the radar system, listening to communications and attempting to track submarines. The ECM and electronic sensing equipment on the Arctic Reconnaissance Lancaster’s was very useful in monitoring the activities of these vessels and other Soviet activities in the Arctic, including stations on ice islands.
Before KB882 could become operational, she was flown to Fairey Aviation, Dartmouth, NS for modifications to Arctic Reconnaissance (AR) configuration. Modification to Mk. 10P (AR) Lancs (KB839, KB882 and KB976) included fairings for the forward looking camera on the port side of the nose, 40-inch extension to the nose section to accommodate the AN/APS-42 navigation/weather radar, a can containing the UPD-501 passive intercept radar in the rear fuselage, an extensive array of antennas for radio. The bomb bay was fitted with two long-range fuel tanks and a pannier for baggage and spares. KB882 was finally operational after 12 years of storage, modifications and testing. With work completed it was flown back to RCAF Station Rockcliffe, Ontario on January 31, 1957.
KB882’s operations did not get off to a great start. On 1 November 1957, she was grounded in Resolute Bay due to serious vibrations while airborne. The next year did not start very well either. On 1 January 1958, the aircraft suffered a constant speed unit (CSU) failure while in flight, on 4 April a supercharger failure while in the air near Frobisher Bay, on 2 June she experienced a major oil leak returning from Resolute Bay and on 1 November an overspeed of No. 2 propeller. Thereafter, KB882 settled down and provided reliable service with only four incidents over then next five years. One reason was the regular maintenance performed on all the Lancaster’s. From November 1957 to October 1958, KB882 was in the hangar for 51 days undergoing the 100, 200, 400 and 800-hour periodic maintenance inspections.
The years 1957 and 1958 were mainly operational missions for KB882. These included Air Romps and Apex Rockets, sometimes with interesting missions such as photographing a Soviet ice island in the high Arctic with a Badger aircraft on the ice. For 1959, KB882 was mainly used for training and local photographic operations, with fellow Arctic Reconnaissance Lancasters KB839 and KB976 receiving the lion’s share of Arctic flights. KB882 conducted five Arctic flights and one special mission off Newfoundland, ranging as far as Northern Alaska for one Apex Rocket in June. While the pilots on these flights were mainly RCAF, Capt E.J. Nash, an exchange officer from the United States Air Force (USAF) flew at least eight missions and Flight Lieutenant Dinnes of the Royal Air Force one mission.
