Avro Lancaster Aircraft

Lancaster, Fairford 1997. Copyright: Chris Young

Production Details

Design Company:

A.V. Roe and Co Ltd, Newton Heath, Manchester and Woodford Aerodrome, Cheshire and Yeadon Aerodrome, Yorkshire

First Flight:

9 January 1941

Prototype:

3 - A.V.Roe and Co Ltd

Lancaster B.I:

674 - A.V.Roe and Co Ltd 924 - Sir W.G. Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft Ltd 150 - Austin Motors Ltd 457 - Metropolitan-Vickers Ltd 635 - Vickers-Armstrong Ltd

Lancaster B.II:

300 - Sir W.G. Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft Ltd

Lancaster B.III:

2992 - A.V.Roe and Co Ltd 105 - Sir W.G. Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft Ltd 136 - Metropolitan-Vickers Ltd

Lancaster B.VII:

180 - Austin Motors Ltd

Lancaster B.X:

430 Victory Aircraft Ltd, Canada

Type Specification

Applies to:

Avro 683 Lancaster

Type:

Four engined heavy bomber

Wing:

Mid wing cantilever monoplane. Two spar wing structure, ribs are aluminium alloy pressings. The entire wing is covered in a smooth aluminium alloy skin. Ailerons have metal noses and fabric covered aft of the hinges

Fuselage:

Oval all metal structure

Tail Unit:

Cantilever monoplane type with twin oval fins and rudders. All metal structure. Tailplane, fins and rudders are metal covered, elevators covered with fabric

Landing Gear:

Retractable main wheels and fixed tail wheel. Main wheels retract into inboard engine nacelles

Power Plant:

Four 1,280 hp Rolls-Royce Merlin XX twelve cylinder Vee liquid cooled engines. Three bladed constant speed airscrews

Accommodation:

Provision for a crew of seven. Bomb aimer in the nose below the front gun turret. Above and behind is the pilots position. Aft of the pilots seat is the fighting controllers position. In the fuselage are seating for the navigator and the radio operator. Further aft is the upper turret and the tail turret

Armament:

Eight 0.303 in Browning machine guns in three powered turrets. Bomb compartment can accomodate 8 tons of bombs

Span:

102 ft

Length:

69 ft 4 in

Height:

20 ft

Wing Area:

1,297 sq ft

Empty:

37,000 lb

Normal loaded:

68,000 lb

Max Speed:

287 mph

Initial Rate of Climb:

250 ft/min

Service Ceiling:

19,000 ft

Range:

3,800 miles

Preserved in British Museums

Lancaster I:

R5868 - Royal Air Force Museum, Hendon - Display DV372 - Imperial War Museum, South Lambeth - Nose PA474 - Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, Coningsby Airfield - Airworthy

Lancaster VII:

NX611 - Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre, East Kirkby - Display

Lancaster X:

KB889 - Imperial War Museum, Duxford Aerodrome - Display

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