Avro Lancaster - Introduction

Photograph of Avro Lancaster "City of Lincoln" in flight

Introduction

Photograph of "City of Lincoln" from her starboard side in flight

Image: "City of Lincoln" from her starboard side in flight

The Lancaster, designed by a team at Messrs Avro & Company Limited led by Roy Chadwick, was a development of the Avro Manchester, an aircraft which contributed some seventy percent of its airframe to the Lancaster. The Manchester was a twin-Rolls Royce Vulture powered machine, whereas the Lancaster, with lengthened wings, was powered by four Rolls Royce Merlin engines. These engines were the same engine that powered the Supermarine Spitfire and Hawker Hurricane.

The first prototype Lancaster, BT308, flew on 9th January 1941 and was instantly recognised as a very capable aircraft. Early prototypes featured a fin at the rear of the fuselage, a feature later dropped from production variants. The first production Lancaster, L7527 flew on 31st October 1941.

Number 44 (Rhodesia) Squadron was the first RAF Squadron to be equipped with Lancasters, from December 1941, and at RAF Conginsby in Lincolnshire in January 1942. By the end of hostilities over fifty squadrons operated Lancasters. Continual improvements were made to the type, evolving through four different Marks.

The most significant and famous operation flown by Lancaster, was operation Chastise. Flown by 617 Squadron, based at RAF Scampton, it was a raid on the Ruhr Dams in Germany. Specially modified aircraft capable of carrying Barnes Wallis' "bouncing bomb" attacked the Möhne, Eder, and Sorpe dams on the night of 16/17th May 1943. Led by Guy P Gibson, the Möhne and Eder dams were breached and the Sorpe superficially damaged; fifty-three members of 617 squadron failed to return. By the end of the war Avro Lancaster aircraft had flown 156,192 sorties; of the 7,377 built 3,431 were lost.

Bomber Command's Sir Arthur Harris believed that the Avro Lancaster "surpassed the other heavy [bomber] types" during the Second World War. Today, there are only two airworthy Avro Lancaster bombers. The first is Lancaster PA474 based at RAF Coningsby, Lincolnshire, United Kingdom. The second is Lancaster Mk X FM 213 of the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum based at Hamilton International John. C. Munro Airport, Mount Hope, Ontario, Canada. She carries the markings of Lancaster Mk X KB 726 VR-A of 419 "Moose" Squadron. Lancaster, NX611 "Just Jane", based at East Kirby Airfield in Lincolnshire, is in taxiable condition.