25 Avro Lancaster Facts | Classic Warbirds

Entering service in December 1941, the Lancaster served with the Royal Air Force for fifteen years, becoming one of Bomber Command's most important aircraft. It is, perhaps, best known for its role in the Dambusters Raid in May 1943. Read 25 Avro Lancaster facts, covering its design, entry into service and operations it undertook during its fifteen years with the RAF.

Designed by Roy Chadwick
Roy Chadwick was born on the 30th April 1893 in Farnworth, Lancashire and joined Avro in September 1911 as a draughtsman at the age of 18. He would become the company's chief designer seven years later in 1918. A number of aircraft designed by Roy Chadwick would be used during the Second World War, such as the Avro Anson, but it is the Avro Lancaster which is perhaps the most well known. At the age of 54, Roy Chadwick died when the Avro Tudor prototype he was on crashed on take-off on the 23rd August 1947.

Derived from the Avro Manchester
The twin-engined Avro Manchester was powered by 1,760-hp Rolls-Royce Vulture I engines, however, these proved unreliable and unable to reach their optimal performance. On the 20th February 1940, a four-engined version was discussed by Avro and the Ari Ministry, before the Manchester had entered Royal Air Force service, which it did on the 8th November 1940. Eleven days later, the 19th November 1940, saw Avro given the green light to work on, what was known as, the Manchester Mk III by the Air Ministry. This would have a wingspan 10 ft 2 in longer and was powered by four Rolls-Royce Merlins. It was this aircraft that would be developed into the Lancaster. The Manchester performed its last operational sortie with Bomber Command on the 25th June 1942. In total, 202 aircraft were built.

Building a Lancaster
During the production of the Lancaster, around 10,500 individual drawings were needed, and each aircraft required approximately ten tonnes of light aluminium alloy. On average, each Lancaster, minus its armament, bomb sight, radio and radar equipment, cost, at the time, £59,000, which included its four engines. At the height of production, each week, twenty seven Lancasters were built.

Lancaster Crew
The Lancaster typically had a crew of seven, made up of pilot, flight engineer, navigator, wireless operator, bomb-aimer/front gunner, mid gunner and rear gunner. However, if the Lancaster was operating as a pathfinder, an eighth crew member, radar operator, was onboard.

First Flight
The first Lancaster prototype (BT308) flew on the 9th January 1941 from Ringway Airport. Captain Harry Brown and Sydney Thorn were at the controls. This featured an increased wingspan over the Manchester and a central fin on the tail, which was removed on the second prototype.

Lancaster fuselage assembly at Castle Bromwich | Photo by Birmingham Museums Trust, licensed under CC0

Entered Service
It would be with No. 44 Squadron, based at RAF Waddington, that the Lancaster would first enter Royal Air Force service, when they took delivery of their first three aircraft on the 24th December 1941. These would replace their twin-engined Handley Page Hampdens.

First Operational Sortie
No. 44 Squadron would perform the Lancaster's first operational sortie, which took place on the 3rd March 1942. This saw four aircraft lay mines in the Heligoland Bight.

Bristol Hercules Powered Lancaster B.II
Of the Lancaster variants produced, all would be powered by either Rolls-Royce or Packard Merlin engines, the exception was the Lancaster B.II, which was powered by the 1,735-hp Bristol Hercules XVI engine. The aircraft's performance was not as good, its top speed of 265 mph, was 10 mph slower, its range of 2,370 miles was 160 miles less and its service ceiling of 18,500 ft was 6,000 ft lower than the Merlin powered variants. Only 301 Lancaster B.IIs were built, performing its first operational sortie on the 11th January 1943, and its last on the 23rd September 1944. After this, they would be used mainly for testing, with 1950 seeing the last example scrapped.

The Dambusters
Nicknamed the Dambusters Raid, but officially known as Operation Chastise, the 16th May 1943 saw nineteen Lancasters, of No. 617 Squadron, flying from RAF Scampton, attack the Mohne, Eder, Sorpe and Ennepe Dams in the Ruhr Valley, Germany, breaching the Mohne and Eder Dams. Led by Wing Commander Guy Gibson, eight aircraft were lost, fifty three aircrew died and three ended up as prisoners of war.

Flew Under Sydney Harbour Bridge
During 1943, Lancaster B.III (ED930) Q for Queenie embarked on a promotional tour of Australia to sell war savings bonds. With Flight Lieutenant Peter Isaacson at the controls, the 22nd October 1943 saw him fly the aircraft under Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Lancaster B.I (HK535) | Photo by Birmingham Museums Trust, licensed under CC0

'Clapper Kites'
Some Lancaster B.Is would have their front and mid-upper turrets and some interior items removed. Powered by Rolls-Royce Merlin 24 engines, they were renamed to Lancaster B.I (Special). Due to their high speed without a bomb load, they were nicknamed 'Clapper Kites'.

Very Long Range Lancaster
To increase the range of the aircraft, for potential operations in the Pacific, a pair of Lancaster B.Is (HK541) and (SW244) would have a 'saddle tank' installed. This was fitted behind the cockpit and extended down past the wings, increasing fuel capacity by 50%.

Operation Manna
Beginning on the 29th April 1945, Operation Manna, involved Lancasters from No. 1 and No. 5 Group, Bomber Command, dropping food, including meat, dried milk and chocolate, over the Netherlands. Flying at around 500 ft, they dropped the food at one of six zones. When the operation ended on the 8th May 1945, the Lancaster had flown 3,156 sorties, supplying around 7,000 tons of food.

Operation Exodus
Starting on the 3rd April 1945 and continuing to the 31st May 1945, Operation Exodus saw prisoners of war flown home by a number of aircraft, including the Lancaster. Modifications were carried out to the Lancaster, enabling it to carry upto twenty four people. They would fly to airfields in Europe, bringing home the POWs to airfields in the UK, including RAF Dunsfold. Lancasters flew around 3,500 sorties during the operation, playing a vital role in transporting many of the over 130,000 POWs flown back to the UK.

'Tiger Force'
After the war in Europe ended on the 8th May 1945, it was intended to send a number of Lancaster squadrons to the Pacific. This would be known as the 'Tiger Force' and was to attack targets in Japan in the lead up to invasion, known as Operation Downfall. However, Japan surrendered before the force could be fully established.

Avro Lancaster in white and black camouflage

Avro Lancaster in white and black camouflage

Avro Lancaster in the white and black camouflage scheme of the 'Tiger Force' © Wingleader Archive

Second World War Service
During its service in the Second World War, the Lancaster would equip at least 59 frontline Bomber Command squadrons, flying 156,000 sorties, with the loss of 3,249 aircraft. It would take part in a number of operations, including the targeting of the V-1 and V-2 programs, Operation Crossbow (17th August 1943 - 2nd May 1945). Lancasters from No. 9 and No. 617 Squadron would attack and sink the German battleship Tirpitz on the 12th November 1944. As the war in Europe came to an end, the 29th April 1945 saw 359 Lancasters take part in a raid on the Berchtesgaden, where Adolf Hitler's Eagles Nest was located.

Ton Up Lancs
On average, the number of operational sorties flown by a Lancaster was twenty one. However, thirty five aircraft would take part in 100 sorties or more during the Second World War. One of these was Lancaster B.I (R5868) S for Sugar, which completed 137 sorties while with No. 83 Squadron and No. 467 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force. May 1944 saw it reach the 100 sortie milestone, with a raid on Flensburg Harbour, Germany on the 23rd April 1945 seeing the aircraft performing its last operational sortie. This aircraft is on display at the Royal Air Force Museum, London.

Ten Victoria Cross Winners
Ten Lancaster aircrew would be awarded the Victoria Cross during the Second World War. The first was awarded to Squadron Leader John Nettleton as a result of his actions with No. 44 Squadron flying Lancaster B.I (R5508) during a daylight attack on Augsburg, Germany on the 17th April 1942 (read the citation). With Captain Edwin Swales DFC of No. 582 Squadron the last, after being posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions flying Lancaster B.III (PB538) when acting as a Master Bomber when Pforzheim, Germany was raided on the 23rd February 1945 (read the citation).

Lancaster Users
As well as the Royal Air Force, a number of other countries used the Lancaster, including the Royal Australian Air Force, Royal Canadian Air Force and Royal New Zealand Air Force.

Total Built
In total, 7,377 Lancasters were built during its production run between 1941 and 1946. The last example, a Lancaster B.I, was built on the 2nd February 1946. A number of companies apart from Avro were also involved in the production of the aircraft, including Austin Motors Limited and Victory Aircraft Limited based in Canada.

Lancaster B.I (R5868) S for Sugar at the Royal Air Force Museum, London

Goodwill Tour
No. 35 Squadron were chosen to undertake a five week goodwill tour of the United States during July and August 1946. They would visit a number of airfields in the country.

Lancaster Test Beds
A number of Lancasters would be used as test beds or for research, this included Lancaster B.II (LL735) which was used to test the Metropolitan-Vickers F2 turbojet. Fitted towards the rear of the fuselage, with the exhaust where the rear turret would've been.

Basis for the Avro York
Another Roy Chadwick design, the Avro York was a transport aircraft that featured the wings, tail and landing gear of the Lancaster, fitted to a new fuselage. The York entered Royal Air Force service with No. 24 Squadron, based at RAF Hendon, in May 1943 and went on to equip ten squadrons. During the Second World War, the third prototype aircraft (LV633) was called Ascalon, and became a transport aircraft used by Prime Minister Winston Churchill. A total of 257 Yorks were built.

Developed into the Avro Lincoln
As development of the Lancaster continued, a high altitude version featuring an increased wingspan and fuselage was produced, known as the Lancaster B.IV. However, with so many changes, it was renamed the Avro Lincoln I, with the Lancaster B.V known as the Lincoln II. These began to enter service in August 1945 and 624 were built, remaining in service with the Royal Air Force until the 12th March 1963.

Fifteen Years Service with the Royal Air Force
The Lancaster's time with the Royal Air Force came to an end on the 15th October 1956, when the School of Maritime Reconnaissance, Coastal, Command, based at RAF St Mawgan retired Lancaster ASW.3 (RF325). This brought the aircraft's RAF service to an end after fifteen years.

Lancaster B.I of the RAF BBMF