The Lancaster

The Avro Lancaster is a British Second World War heavy bomber.  It was designed and manufactured by Avro as a contemporary of the Handley Page Halifax, both bombers having been developed to the same specification, as well as the Short Stirling, all three aircraft being four-engine heavy bombers adopted by the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the same wartime era.

The Lancaster has its origins in the twin-engine Avro Manchester which had been developed during the late 1930s in response to the Air Ministry Specification P.13/36 for a capable medium bomber for "world-wide use".  Originally developed as an evolution of the Manchester (which had proved troublesome in service and was retired in 1942), the Lancaster was designed by Roy Chadwick and powered by four Rolls-Royce Merlin engines and in one version, Bristol Hercules engines.  It first saw service with RAF Bomber Command in 1942 and as the strategic bombing offensive over Europe gathered momentum, it was the main aircraft for the night-time bombing campaigns that followed.  As increasing numbers of the type were produced, it became the principal heavy bomber used by the RAF, the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and squadrons from other Commonwealth and European countries serving within the RAF, overshadowing the Halifax and Stirling.

Of the 7,377 aircraft built, 3,736 were lost during the War (3,249 in action and 487 in ground accidents). 

For information about the Lancaster bombers that were assigned to 625 Squadron, please click here.

General Characteristics:

General Characteristics

Crew: 7 (typical)

Length: 69 ft 6 in (21.18 m)

Wingspan: 102 ft 0 in (31.09 m)

Height: 20 ft 6 in (6.25 m)

Wing area: 1,300 sq ft (120 m2)

Aerofoil: Root: NACA 23018. Tip: NACA 23012

Empty weight: 36,900 lb (16,738 kg)

Max takeoff weight: 72,000 lb (32,657 kg)

Fuel capacity: 2,154 imp gal (9,792 L)

Powerplants:

Lancaster Mk. I, III, VI, VII & X:

• 4 x Rolls-Royce, Packard or Ford UK built Merlin XX, 22, 24, 28, 85 or 224 liquid-cooled V-12 piston engines with power output between 1,280 hp (954 kW) and 1,635 hp (1,219 kW) each

Lancaster Mk. II:

• 4 x Bristol Hercules Mk.VI or XVI air-cooled 14-cylinder radial piston engines with power output of 1,615 hp (1,204 kW) each

Propellers:

Lancaster Mk. I, III, VI, VII & X:

• 3-bladed de Havilland, Hamilton Standard or Nash Kelvinator Hydromatic constant-speed fully feathering metal bladed propellers, 13 ft (3.96 m) diameter

Lancaster Mk. II:

• Rotol electric constant-speed fully feathering wooden bladed propellers, 13 ft (3.96 m) diameter

Performance:

Maximum speed:

• Lancaster Mk. I, II, III, VII & X: 287 mph (461 km/h)

• Lancaster Mk.VI: 315 mph (507 km/h)

Cruising speed: 

• 207 mph (333 km/h)

Range: 

• 2,530 mi (4,073 km)

Service ceiling: 

• 23,500 ft (7,162 m)Armament

Armaments:

Standard:

• Two 0.303-inch (7.7 mm) Browning Mark II machine guns in:

  • Nash and Thompson FN5 nose and

  • FN50/150 mid-upper turrets,

• Four 0.303-inch Browning Mark II machine guns in Nash and Thompson FN20/120/121 rear turret

Alternative/additional:

• Nash and Thompson FN64 ventral turret with two 0.303-inch (7.7 mm) Browning Mark II machine guns

• Glenn Martin 250CE electrically operated mid-upper turret with two 0.5-inch (12.7 mm) Browning AN/M2 machine guns (Lancaster Mk.VII and late production Lancaster Mk. X only)

• Nash and Thompson FN82 rear turret with two 0.5-inch (12.7 mm) Browning AN/M2 machine guns (Lancaster Mk.VII &late production Lancaster Mk.I only)

• Rose Brothers Type R rear turret with two 0.5-inch (12.7 mm) Browning AN/M2 machine guns (late production Lancaster Mk.I & III only)

• Ventral 0.303-inch (7.7 mm) Browning Mk.II machine gun in a free mount (Lancaster Type 464 only)

• Ventral 0.5-inch (12.7 mm) Browning AN/M2 machine gun in a free mount

• ARI 5559 A.G.L.T. 'Village Inn' Mk.I: Radar guided gun laying system (incorporating Infrared IFF recognition system) fitted to FN121 rear turret with four 0.303-inch (7.7 mm) Browning Mark II machine guns

Bomb Loads:

Typical:

• 14,000 lb (6,350 kg) consisting of varying combinations of 2,000 lb AP, 2,000 lb HC, 4,000 lb HC, 8,000 lb HC, 250 lb, 500 lb, 1,000 lb bombs, or various sizes of incendiary bombs installed in Small Bomb Containers or Cluster Projectiles

• 1 x 12,000lb (5,443 kg) HC bomb

• 6 x 1,850 lb (839 kg) Parachute Anti-Shipping Mines

Specialized:

• 1 x 5,500 lb (2,494 kg) Capital Ship Bomb

• 12 x 500 lb (226 kg) JW 'Johnny Walker' Oscillating Mine

• 1 x 9,250 lb (4,195 kg) Vickers-Armstrongs Type 464 'Upkeep' revolving depth charge

• 1 x 12,000lb (5,443 kg) MC Vickers-Armstrongs 'Tallboy' deep penetration bomb

• 1 x 22,000 lb (9,979 kg) MC Vickers-Armstrongs 'Grand Slam' deep penetration bomb

Communication and Navigation Equipment:

• TR9F: HF R/T radio transceiver

• TR1196: HF R/T radio transceiver

• TR1143/SCR522: VHF R/T radio transceiver

• T1154: Medium and High frequency W/T transmitter

• R1155: Medium and High frequency W/T & direction finding receiver

• ARI 5033/5083 GEE Mk.I/II: Radio navigation system

• ARI 5560/5564 H2S Mk.II/III: Radar navigation/target finding system

• TR3190/3160 Lucero Mk.I & II: H2S adapter to permit interrogation of radar navigation beacons, Eureka beacons & IFF

• ARI 5525/5597 GEE-H Mk.I/II: Radio navigation/target finding system

• AN/APN-4 LORAN: Long range radio navigation system

• ARI 5148/5514/5582 Oboe Mk.I & II: Radar bomb aiming system

• AN/AP1 (AYD): Low range radar altimeter

• SCR-718-C: High range radar altimeter

• Lorenz Standard Beam Approach: Runway blind approach system

Radio Countermeasures:

• ARI 5000/5025/5640 IFF Mk. II & III: Friend or Foe radar identification system

• ARI 5171/5625/5672/5769 Mandrel: Freya and Wurzburg radar jamming system

• ARI 5538/5557 Boozer Mk.I & II: Passive radar warning receiver

• ARI 5122/5281 Monica Mk.I, III & V ('Lulu'): Active tail warning radar

• Fishpond: Fighter warning radar add-on to H2S

• Monica-Fishpond ('Fishcake'): Hybrid tail warning radar

• Tinsel/Special Tinsel: Night fighter radio control jamming system

• TR3549 Airborne Cigar (ABC): Night fighter radio control jamming system

• ARI 5549 Carpet II: Wurzburg radar jamming system