Avro Lancaster

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avro_Lancaster

The Avro Lancaster is a British four-engined Second World War heavy bomber
designed and built by Avro for the Royal Air Force (RAF). It first saw active
service with RAF Bomber Command in 1942 and, as the strategic bombing offensive
over Europe gathered momentum, it was the central implement for the night-time
bombing campaigns that followed. It became the main heavy bomber used by the
RAF, the RCAF, and squadrons from other Commonwealth and European countries
serving within the RAF, overshadowing its close contemporaries the Handley Page
Halifax and Short Stirling. The "Lanc", as it was affectionately known, thus
became one of the more famous and most successful of the Second World War night
bombers, "delivering 608,612 long tons of bombs in 156,000 sorties." The
Lancaster, an evolution of the troublesome Avro Manchester, was designed by Roy
Chadwick and was powered by four Rolls-Royce Merlins, or, in one version,
Bristol Hercules engines.

A long, unobstructed bomb bay meant that the Lancaster could take the largest
bombs used by the RAF, including the 4,000 lb (1,800 kg), 8,000 lb (3,600 kg),
and 12,000 lb (5,400 kg) blockbusters, loads often supplemented with smaller
bombs or incendiaries. The versatility of the Lancaster was such that it was
chosen to equip 617 Squadron and was modified to carry the Upkeep "Bouncing
bomb" designed by Barnes Wallis for Operation Chastise, the attack on Germany
Ruhr Valley dams. Although the Lancaster was primarily a night bomber, it
excelled in many other roles, including daylight precision bombing: in the
latter role some Lancasters were adapted to carry the 12,000 lb (5,400 kg)
Tallboy and then the 22,000 lb (10,000 kg) Grand Slam earthquake bombs (also
designed by Wallis).

Role Heavy bomber
Manufacturer Avro
Designer Roy Chadwick
First flight 9 January 1941
Introduction February 1942
Retired 1963 (Canada)
Primary users Royal Air Force
Royal Canadian Air Force
Royal Australian Air Force
Number built 7,377
Unit cost £45–50,000
Developed from Avro Manchester
Variants Avro Lancastrian
Developed into Avro York
Avro Lincoln

The first RAF squadron to convert to the Lancaster was No. 44 Squadron RAF in
early 1942.

Lancasters flew 156,000 sorties and dropped 608,612 long tons (618,378 tonnes)
of bombs between 1942 and 1945. Lancasters were the mainstay of British heavy
bombers from 1942 until the introduction of the Lincoln in large numbers,
post-Second World War. Just 35 Lancasters completed more than 100 successful
operations each, and 3,249 were lost in action. The most successful survivor
completed 139 operations, and was scrapped in 1947.

Specifications (Lancaster I)

General characteristics
Crew: 7: pilot, flight engineer, navigator, bomb aimer/nose gunner, wireless
operator, mid-upper and rear gunners
Length: 69 ft 4 in (21.11 m)
Wingspan: 102 ft 0 in (31.09 m)
Height: 20 ft 6 in (6.25 m)
Wing area: 1,297 sq ft (120.5 m²)
Empty weight: 36,457 lb (16,571 kg)
Loaded weight: 68,000 lb (30,909 kg) [46]
Max. takeoff weight: 72,000 lb (32,727 kg) with 22,000 lb (10,000 kg) bomb
Powerplant: 4 × Rolls-Royce Merlin XX liquid-cooled V12 engines, 1,280 hp (954
kW) each

Performance
Maximum speed: 282 mph (246 knots, 454 km/h) at 63,000 lb (29,000 kg) and 13,000
ft (4,000 m) altitude [40]
Cruise speed: 200 mph (174 knots, 322 km/h)
Range: 2,530 mi (2,200 nmi, 4,073 km)
Service ceiling: 21,400 ft (6,500 m) at 63,000 lb (29,000 kg)[40] ()
Rate of climb: 720 ft/min (3.7 m/s) at 63,000 lb (29,000 kg) and 9,200 ft (2,800
m) altitude[40] ()

Armament
Guns: 2 Browning .303 Mark II machine guns in nose turret, 2 Browning .303 Mark
II machine guns in upper turret, and 4 Browning .303 Mark II machine guns in the
rear turret.
Bombs: Maximum normal bomb load of 14,000 lb (6,350 kg) or 22,000 lb (9,979 kg)
Grand Slam with modifications to bomb bay


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