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The Avro Lancaster has a wing span of 102ft, measures 69ft 4in in length and stands 19ft 7in high. The Lancaster Mk I and Mk III were powered by four Rolls Royce Merlin engines. The MkII was powered by four Bristol Hercules radial engines while the Mk X - built in Ontario, Canada - were fitted with Packard Merlin engines built under licence from Rolls-Royce in America.
The construction of the aircraft in the United Kingdom was spread to different companies for volume production and in case a particular factory was destroyed by bombing. The Lancaster was built by Avro and a number of other companies including Vickers and Armstrong-Whitworth.
The cruising speed of the Lancaster is 210mph but has a maximum speed of 287mph and can reach a ceiling height of 24,500ft. The Lancaster is able to carry bomb loads of 14,000 lbs, but with modification could carry a bomb load of 22,000 lbs. Her weight when empty is 36,900 lbs.
PA474 was built to Far East specification, albeit too late to serve in the Second World War so was used for photographic reconnaissance duties in Africa. Returning to Britain, PA474 was used at the Royal College of Aeronautics where sections of aircraft were incongruously bolted to the fuselage for in-flight testing.
Rescued by the Air Historical Branch, she gained a camouflage paint scheme prior to an intended move to the RAF Museum at Hendon. Instead, in 1965 she moved to RAF Waddington, home of the first Lancaster Squadron. Restored to flying condition by 1967 with front and rear turrets in place, PA474 became part of the BBMF in 1973. Two years later a Frazer-Nash dorsal turret, astrodome, and bomb-bay doors were discovered in Argentina, returned to Britain aboard the Royal Navy destroyer HMS Hampshire and fitted to PA474.
Since then annual maintenance has ensured she remains airworthy, while in the winter of 1995 and spring of 1996 the main spar (essentially the spine of the aircraft) was replaced, an ambitious project which extended greatly the airframe life of PA474. In recent years PA474 has flown in the colours carried by Wing Commander Guy Gibson's aircraft on the Dambusters Raid, aircraft ED932, identification letters AJ-G. Since 2001 PA474 has borne the livery of Lancaster EE176 (MkIII) QR-M.
The work of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight is supported by the Lincolnshire's Lancaster Association. Heritage is all about identity, it is indicative of past generations, of ways of life and work. Preservation of heritage comes from a desire to protect and ensure no loss, damage or neglect occurs. Thanks to the work of the BBMF and LLA comes our ability to experience Avro Lancaster "City of Lincoln" first-hand. Together they ensure that PA474 - a wonderful aircraft and an important piece of aviation heritage - is preserved.
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