56 RAF CENTENARY CELEBRATION BOMBERS
AVRO
LANCASTERLANCASTER
(^19182018) AVRO LANCASTER
1941 TO 1956
T
en Victoria Crosses, 156,000
‘ops’, 608,000 tons of bombs
dropped, the Augsburg
diesel plant strike, the Dams
raids, toppling Tirpitz, 12,000lb
(5,443kg) ‘Tallboys’ and 22,000lb
‘Grand Slams’ – the valour,
the sorties and the stats of the
Lancaster’s contribution to the
heritage of the RAF could fill this
special publication. So, apologies,
these pages can only skim the
surface.
The story of the Lancaster begins
with the Manchester, see page 48.
The troublesome Rolls-Royce
Vultures doomed the twin-engined
Avro bomber to extinction. The
simplest solution to the shortfall this
would create was to switch the Avro
and Metropolitan-Vickers production
lines to build Halifaxes. Thankfully
Avro asserted that a four-engined
Manchester was the best option and
could be integrated into the factories
with speed.
Originally designated Manchester
III, the prototype Lancaster (BT308)
had its maiden flight on January 9,
- Four months later the second
example took to the air and the first
production machine – L7527, see
below – flew five months after that.
This was an incredible achievement,
and 44 Squadron at Waddington
took the initial frontline bombers by
the end of 1941.
Other than the Mk.II versions, the
Lancaster stayed loyal to the Merlin,
either British or US-built, and the
engine’s development followed a
policy of careful refinement. Instantly
recognisable with their 1,650hpRight
Impressive bomb tallies
and a pompous boast
from Herman Goering
‘No enemy plane will
fl y over the Reich
territory’ – on the nose
of Mk.I R5868. KECBelow right
‘Provisioning’ Mk.III
ED932 of 617 Squadron,
was the Lancaster
that Gibson captained
during Operation
‘Chastise’.
PETE WESTType: Seven/eight-crew heavy bomber
First fl ight: January 9, 1941, entered service December 1941
Powerplant: Four 1,640hp (1,223kW) Rolls-Royce Merlin 20 V12s
Dimensions: Span 102ft 0in (31.08m), Length 69ft 6in (21.18m)
Weights: Empty 36,900lb (16,737kg), All-up 68,000lb (30,844kg)
Max speed: 287mph (461km/h) at 11,500ft (3,505m)
Range: 1,660 miles (2,671km)
Armament: Nose, mid-upper and rear turrets with two, two and four machine
guns respectively. Up to 14,000lb (6,350kg) of bombs
Replaced: Handley Pages Hampden from 1941, Avro Manchester, Handley Page
Halifax from 1942, and Vickers Wellington from 1942, Short Stirling
from 1943
Taken on charge: 7,377, including sub-contracts to Armstrong-Whitworth, Austin
Motors, Metropolitan-Vickers, Vickers-Armstrongs and in Canada
Replaced by: Avro Lincoln from 1945AVRO LANCASTER I
(1,230kW) Bristol Hercules VI
radials, Armstrong Whitworth
manufactured 300 Mk.IIs as an
‘insurance’ should supply of Merlins
be interrupted.
The last Lancaster came off the
production line in February 1946
but the type had another three years
of service with Bomber Command
ahead of it. The type was readily
adapted to maritime patrol and it
was in this guise that the exceptional
Lancaster was paid off, by Coastal
Command, in 1956.FIRST WARRIOR
The first production Lancaster,
L7527, was test flown at Woodford
on October 31, 1941. It was initially
used for trials by Avro and at
Boscombe Down.
It was next issued to 1654
Conversion Unit at Wigsley and
used to hone crews for operational