East Midlands based Civil and structural engineering specialists, BSP Consulting, is celebrating award success after the statue it designed commemorating the Lancaster Bomber won the Tourism & Leisure Project of The Year category at the Greater Lincolnshire Construction and Property Awards 2026.
The life-size statue of a Lancaster Bomber, called On Freedom’s Wings, located at Norton Disney, close to the A46, has been created to honour the Royal Air Force crews of World War Two and Lincolnshire’s and Nottinghamshire’s aviation heritage.
Standing at 29 metres high, the art installation near the county border gives the impression that the Lancaster Bomber is in flight and heading home to RAF Swinderby, a former RAF station. Dubbed the ‘East Midlands’ Angel of the North’ it has already attracted global interest, since it was unveiled in September 2025.
Announcing the winners of the Tourism and Leisure Project category, Lincolnshire Chamber of Commerce described it as a “breathtaking win for BSP Consulting with the Freedom’s Wings, Lancaster Bomber project! Honouring heritage and inspiring visitors — a truly spectacular achievement.”
BSP Consulting structural engineers undertook the design work on the impressive monument, on behalf of the Bomber County Gateway Trust. BSP Managing Director, Carl Hilton said: “We’re absolutely thrilled that On Freedom’s Wings was announced as a winner at the Greater Lincolnshire Construction and Property Awards 2026.
“We’ve been involved from the start and are incredibly proud to see it develop. I think it started as an idea in a pub, like all the best ones do, and has since gathered such momentum from the work put in by the Bomber County Gateway Trust team to become truly special sculpture that can be appreciated by many generations to come, significantly boosting visitors to the area.”
After more than eight years of planning, design and fundraising, it has touched hearts around the world and has been continually praised for its construction quality, design integration, continuous innovation, sustainability and functionality.
To develop the design, BSP engineers digitally scanned one of only three working Lancasters worldwide, Just Jane, to create a detailed 3D model. The resulting model allowed the company to integrate a structural steel framework and apply the necessary loadings, primarily the self-weight of the frame and the wind forces acting on the structure.
By simulating stresses and deflections, they tested different configurations to refine both to achieve the most striking aircraft position – ensuring the Lancaster can be clearly seen by the thousands of motorists who drive by on the A46 every day.
Members of the wider team included Timmins Engineering and Construction, who manufactured the main frame of the plane installation, Hutchinson Engineering Services, who were responsible for lifting the statue into position on site, William Hare Ltd, who manufactured the podium supports that the plane sits on, and Jessops Construction, who ran and organised the site during construction work.
Carl added: “It’s been an amazing scheme to work on, and we are pleased to now be providing transport planning and consultancy on the next phase, which includes creating the infrastructure for a dedicated car park and visitor centre to bring the experience to more people, with the potential to draw visitors from around the world.”
Organised by Lincolnshire Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Lincolnshire Construction and Property Awards 2026 celebrate the very best in construction and property across Greater Lincolnshire. The winners of the 2026 awards were announced on 19th February at a ceremony at Lincolnshire Showground.
