The Bomber County Gateway Trust praise companies like Timmins Engineering for work on landmark Lancaster Bomber sculpture to be built on Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire border
Companies from across the region have been praised for the ‘immense work’ put in to getting a landmark Lancaster Bomber sculpture project off the ground.
The ‘On Freedom’s Wings’ project — billed as the Midlands’ answer to the Angel of the North — will see a full scale replica of a Lancaster Bomber erected 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.
Dozens of engineering companies from across the region have thrown their weight and time behind the project, contributing around half a million pounds worth of work almost entirely free of charge.
Ken Sadler, chairman of The Bomber County Gateway Trust, said: “I don’t think you could do a project like this anywhere else in the country, because everyone that lives here has some emotion and connection to the RAF and wants to help.
“We’ve had companies offer steel work, concrete, labour, transport — that all adds up.
“It’s an immense amount of work, they’ve made an enormous contribution and we are eternally grateful for what they’ve done.
“This is a £1 million project, but we’ve had half a million pounds worth of good will.”
The majority of the sculpture’s steel work has been fabricated by Lincolnshire-based Timmins Engineering and Construction Ltd.
Company director, David Starling, said: “I first heard about the project on social media when Ken was just floating the idea and trying to build momentum, so I reached out because I thought this is something we should be involved with.
“Both of my grandparents were in the RAF during the war and I saw this as an opportunity to honour them and give something back.
“My grandma in still with us, she’s 99 now and I’d love for her to be able to see it finished.”
The sculpture is made up of two parts — the internal structure providing strength, and the exterior shell which will give the Lancaster its iconic shape.
The steel beam skeleton is being built in several parts which can then be welded together when the time comes to lift it in onto the support beams on site.
This has the added benefit of making it easier to transport the monument, which will be 31 metres wide and weigh around 80 tons when finished.
Once the main body is on the supports, the wing sections will be attached and the process of cladding the sculpture and adding the final details can take place — with hopes of a grand unveiling next summer.
It has been a monumental effort by the Timmins team, which has committed time outside of regular work hours as the company fit the work around their regular paying jobs.
“We put hundreds of hours into the project even before any of the steel arrived,” said David.
“The whole team have committed a lot of time and it’s hard work, but this is a once in a lifetime opportunity.
“This is going to put the area on the map.”
The next steps involve welding the steel wings, with the aim that all the sections will be ready for a trial assembly in May.
After that, steel ribs will need to be made which will transform the box section into a rounded body ready for panels to be fitted.
Meanwhile, Hutchinsons Engineering of Sutton on Trent has been hard at work cutting out details for the sculpture including the Lancaster’s “VNN” serial number and RAF roundel.
Although companies such as Game Engineering have gifted a large amount of steel, the remaining material won’t come cheap as costs continue to rise, with an estimated £70,000 to £80,000 still needed to complete the project, which is where the work of dedicated fundraisers comes in.
Further on site landscaping works, including the installation of footpaths and a car park are planned to take place in May — laying the groundwork for a monument that visitors will be able to get up close to.
In September it is hoped that the the ground on site will be dry enough to deliver the heavy steel structure to the site and lift it in place.
By this time next year Ken expects all of the outer paneling to have been complete and ready to be attached.
Countless other companies and businesses from across Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire have donated their time, expertise and resources, from architectural designs and the laying of foundations, to transportation and the fabrication of steel components.
It has been a huge team effort and one that The Bomber Gateway Trust say will help get the project over the line before a planned unveiling in summer 2025.