AVRO Lancaster

Information about the AVRO Lancaster

On this page some information about the different Lancaster planes.
The ED821 was the AVRO Lancaster Mk III.

The AVRO Lancaster is probably the most successful heavy bomber of all used by Bomber Command of the RAF. The approximately 7,300 units built flew at least 59 squadrons and dropped more than 608,000 tons of bombs in the more than 156,000 flights performed.

Development

Specification P.13 / 36 issued by the Aviation Ministry was the reason for AVRO to enter into battle with type 679. The specification was prepared for the Rolls Royce Vulture X engines. Due to the slow development and the major problems with these engines, the development of the device took a very long time. The prototype made its first flight on July 25, 1939. The device powered by two Vulture X (capacity of 1845 hp each) had meanwhile been given the name Manchester. However, the engines continued to cause problems and the device was virtually unusable. Operational deployment in February 1941 resulted in a debacle. After 202 built aircraft, a design was created for the Manchester Mk. II, with two Bristol Centaurus engines and the Manchester Mk. III, with four Rolls Royce Merlin X engines. The latter design looked so promising that a Manchester Mk. I was converted as a prototype. The model was given a new type number, type 683, and a new name, the AVRO Lancaster. The first flight took place in January 1941 and the aircraft was excellent. After the span of the tailpiece was slightly increased in the second prototype in May 1941, the final Lancaster was Mk. I emerged.

Lancaster Mk I

The first Lancaster Mk I flew in October 1941 and on Christmas Eve of that year, Squadron 44 received the first three aircraft. The first operational flights followed in March 1942. The Mk. I was clearly derived from the Manchester and was almost the same as the second prototype.
The gun turret in the belly taken over from Manchester turned out to be used so little that it was often removed in practice.
The aircraft turned out to be a great success for the night bombing by Bomber Command and during the production process it was adapted several times to requirements from practice. The bomb hold, for example, was enlarged, allowing a 3629 kg bomb to be transported. The aircraft with an increased bomb load were generally called Lancaster B. Mk.I. This was repeated later and after removal of the bomb hatches, even the 9979 kg Grand Slam bomb could be taken along.
The engines were also gradually adjusted. Initially the Rolls Royce Merlin XX standard, later it became the Merlin 22 and again later the Merlin 24, which of course increased performance, such as speed, range and carrying bomb load.
The final aircraft capable of transporting the Grand Slam bomb was referred to as Lancaster B. Mk. I (Special). It was equipped with improved H2S navigation radar and Merlin 24 engines. A total of 33 copies of this type were built after August 1943, which were only used in Europe.
In the fall of 1944, the idea of ​​using the Lancaster for the Far East came to mind. The device was adapted for this purpose by removing the back dome and installing additional fuel tanks, among other things. From 1945 onwards the Lancaster B. Mk I (FE) was created.

Technical specification Mk I

Model: AVRO Lancaster MKI
Task: Heavy long-range bomber
Engine: Four Rolls-Royce Merlin XX, Merlin 22 or Merlin 24 with a capacity of 1460 hp
Crew: 7
Dimensions: Span: 31.09 m
Wing area: 120.77 m2
Length: 20.98 m
Height: 6.19 m
Weight:
Empty weight: 16705 kg
Max Weight: 32680 kg (Merlin 24)
Performance:
Max. speed: 434 km / h (Merlin 22)
Cruising speed: 338 km / h
Ceiling: 7467 m
Range: 1641 km
Armament: two 7.7 mm Browning machine guns in the nose dome, four 7.7 mm machine guns in the tail dome, two 7.7 mm machine guns in the back dome and two 7.7 mm machine guns in the abdominal dome.
Furthermore: 3656 kg bombs could be carried as standard.
Production: 3425 pieces

Lancaster Mk II / Mk III

******Lancaster Mk II
At the end of 1941, due to the frequent deployment, there was a shortage of Rolls Royce Merlin engines and the Bristol Hercules VI was chosen, with a capacity of 1650 hp. Of the two planned prototypes, only one was built, which made its first flight in November 1941. The performance was comparable to that of the Mk.I. Only 300 of this type were built by the Armstrong Whitworth factory. Here too, improvements were made gradually, creating the Lancaster B. Mk II with Bristol Hercules XVI engines.
Partly due to the use of licensed Merlin engines in the United States, the supply remained at the same level.

Lancaster Mk III
Almost the same as the Mk I, but with the Packard engines built in America, the Mk was created. III. The first prototype was a converted Mk. I and flew in August 1942. The first production aircraft followed in the same year. Versions of the bomb hold have also developed versions of this type, referred to as Lancaster B. Mk III. Here too the belly dome was omitted later. Furthermore, in later specimens, the four 7.7 machine guns in the tail were replaced by two 12.7 mm Browning machine guns.
In 1943 it was 33 aircraft of this type that were selected to be converted into “Dam Busters”. Equipped with a catapult system, which lowered a cylindrical, rotating bomb, the aircraft were used by 617th Squadron to bomb the dams in the Eder, Schwelme, Möhne and Sorpe rivers. This attempted to paralyze the electricity supply to the industrial heart of Germany. A setup that was certainly successful for a short time.
Van de B. Mk. II a Far East version was also built, which, like the Mk I version, could not be deployed on time.

Technical specification Mk II / Mk III

Model: AVRO Lancaster Mk. III
Task: Heavy long-range bomber
Engine: Four Rolls-Royce Merlin 28 or 38 engines built in the USA with a capacity of 1460 hp
Crew: 7
Dimensions: Span: 31.09 m
Wing area: 120.77 m2
Length: 20.98 m
Height: 6.19 m
Weight: Empty weight: 15870 kg
Max Weight: 28570 kg
Performance:
Max. speed: 452 km / h
Cruising speed: 365 km / h
Ceiling: 6450 m
Range: 1673 km with bomb load and 3570 km without
Armament: Maximum 6350 kg of bombs, two 7.7 mm machine guns in the nose and in the back dome and four 7.7 mm machine guns in the tail dome
Production: 3039 pieces

Lancaster Mk VI / Mk VII / Mk X

Lancaster Mk VI
The planned Lancasters Mk IV and V were only produced after the war. These versions deviated so much from the original model that they were produced under a different name, the Lincoln.
The next Lancaster version was the Mk VI. Four Rolls Royce Merlin 85 engines were used for this version with a capacity of 1635 hp. It was a conversion from the MK. II, released from spring 1944. Only nine study devices were rebuilt, four of which were operationally tested at the No 7 and 635 squadron. The aircraft were equipped with interference equipment to disturb enemy radar and were withdrawn as early as November 1944.

Lancaster Mk VII
This version was executed immediately as Lancaster B. Mk. VII and was intended for the Far East. The 180 built copies, however, only arrived there after the war. The only difference with the Mk III was the back dome, which was equipped with two 12.7 mm machine guns and mounted further forward.

Lancaster Mk X
This was the designation for the Lancaster B. Mk I and III aircraft built in Canada. In total, the Victory Aircraft Co. 430 Lancaster B. Mk Xen, all of whom were unarmed to England to be supplied with weapons.
After the Second World War, the Lancaster continued to serve. They were then used for photo exploration, as a tank plane and for transport purposes. The last RAF Lancaster was only taken out of service in 1956. Canada, France, Egypt and Argentina still used the device after the war.