[citation needed], The Avro Lancaster was initially equipped with four Nash & Thompson Frazer Nash hydraulically operated turrets mounted in the nose, tail, mid-upper and underside. Answer (1 of 4): Less than you might think, especially towards the end of the war. [20][21] Only 300 of the Lancaster B.II, which was outfitted with Bristol Hercules engines, were constructed; this had been produced as a stopgap modification as a result of a shortage of Merlin engines due to fighter production having higher priority for the engines at that time. [86] Altogether, 8,621 tons of bombs were dropped on Hamburg by the end of the operation. The sound of the 4 Merlins alone has a profound effect on any one who is the least bit . General Purpose High Explosive (GP/HE) bombs, Maschinenfabrik Augsburg-Nrnberg A.G., Augsburg, "Second World War propaganda film of "Grand Slam" in action. At the heart of this family-owned historic aircraft collection is Just Jane, a Lancaster in the middle of an extensive restoration to get it back to flight status. Fred and Harold Panton created the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre in East Kirby, Lincolnshire, to honor the memory of their brother Christopher, who died in an Avro Lancaster bomber during a raid over Nuremberg in 1944. The Lancaster was the most popular night-time bomber used by the Royal Air Force for its air raids. 7 In a dive, it had a tendency to go more deeply into the dive as speed increased. The Lancaster was the most well-known and effective RAF heavy bomber of World War II, yet more than half of the 7,377 produced were destroyed by enemy action or training mishaps. By the last full month of war-time operations (April 1945) the dominance of the Lancaster within Bomber Command reached its peak, no fewer than 56 Squadrons being equipped with the type. The introduction of the Heinkel He 219 and Messerschmitt Me 262 night fighters erased any speed advantage and would have left the aircraft undefended. [131] Repatriation flights returning POWs and ordinary troops continued until November 1945. BB The panorama was created way back in 2004 whilst Pan 3Sixty was creating a 360 virtual tour of the American Air Museum at Imperial War Museum Duxford. [32], The standard crew for a Lancaster consisted of seven men, stationed in various positions in the fuselage. Mining of ports, canals, rivers and seaways. }, Think of the old classic British cars - eg, Jaguars and Bentleys in green - it's that colour. [citation needed], Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era. Time limit is exhausted. [58], On 17 April 1942, 12 Lancasters of No. [80] The story of the operation was later made into a book, and subsequently a film, The Dam Busters. 617 Sqn against the Bielefeld viaduct in North Rhine-Westphalia; this target had not yet been rendered inoperable despite being damaged by prior conventional bombing. The ventral (underside) FN-64 turret quickly proved to be dead weight, being both difficult to sight because it relied on a periscope which limited the gunner's view to a 20-degree arc,[35] and too slow to keep a target within its sights. This unit was equipped with B.III (Specials), officially designated the "Type 464 (Provisioning)", modified to carry the 9,250lb (4,200kg) "Upkeep" bouncing bomb. The bomb bay of the Lancaster bomber was used to house two 400-gallon fuel tanks giving the aircraft a more extended range and allowing TCA to deploy the plane on its Montreal to Preswick, Scotland route. 82 Squadron received new PR.1 dedicated photo-reconnaissance model derived from the Lancaster B.1 which was painted silver and lacked defensive turrets. The Lancaster bomber called 'Ropey', which served as part of the Canadian 428 Squadron. [92] Between 15 November 1943 and 24 November 1944, sixteen major bombing operations were conducted against the German capital in the Battle of Berlin; of the 9,111 sorties flown, 7,256 had been performed by Lancasters. The British Avro Lancaster was a heavy bomber that was mainly used as a nighttime bomber during World War II. The Lancaster took on the role of long range anti-submarine patrol aircraft (later supplanted by the Avro Shackleton) and air-sea rescue. A glimpse inside a Lancaster bomber. 44 Sqn; a planned mission against the German battleshipTirpitz had been rescheduled due to poor weather conditions. Although the Lancaster was primarily a night bomber, it excelled in many other roles, including daylight precision bombing, for which some Lancasters were adapted to carry the 12,000lb (5,400kg) Tallboy and then the 22,000lb (10,000kg) Grand Slam earthquake bombs (also designed by Wallis). Behind these and facing forwards the wireless operator sat on a seat at the front of the main spar. THE horrors of the World War Two Lancaster bombing raid have been brought to life in an incredible virtual reality recreation. Christopher said . Neither, The "Ruhr Express" the subject of a Canadian National Film Board production, Similar view and speed problems were commonplace in the era, having particularly afflicted the ventral turret in the, The Martin 250 CE 23A turret was the same unit which had been equipped upon many American bombers, such as the. Some Interesting Facts - Random interesting facts from the World. [13] The first flight was made by test pilot H. A. A Lancaster Bomber, one of only two that remain airworthy, will pass over Hatfield, a village about seven miles from the centre of Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Often, when the weather was deemed to be unsuitable for bombing missions, night-time mine-laying operations were flown instead. Bomb Run Times. The tail gunner escaped by rotating his turret to the rear, opening the door in the back of the turret, passing into the fuselage, and clipping on a parachute that was hung on the side wall. The FN-20 was replaced by the very similar FN-120 which used an improved gyroscopic gun sight (GGS). The Second World War was an absolutely fascinating time for military aviation technology. [28], Lancasters from Bomber Command were to have formed the main strength of Tiger Force, the Commonwealth bomber contingent scheduled to take part in Operation Downfall, the codename for the planned invasion of Japan in late 1945. 09:31 EST 18 May 2008. Andrew Mynarski won the Victoria Cross, the Commonwealth's highest award for gallantry, on June 13, 1944, when his Lancaster was shot down in flames, by a German night fighter. [28] Compared with other contemporary aircraft, the Lancaster was not an easy aircraft to escape from as its escape hatch was only 22in 26.5in (56cm 67cm) in size; in a Halifax or Stirling (which both had an escape hatch 2in (5.1cm) wider), 25 per cent of downed aircrew bailed out successfully, and in American bombers (albeit in daylight raids) it was as high as a 50 per cent success rate while only 15 per cent of the Lancaster crew were able to bail out. The Avro Lancaster of 61 Squadron, crashed in the lake during a night . There was little room for comforts on the flight deck. [4] 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 German Ruhr valley dams. Please reload the CAPTCHA. 18,704. This icon of the RAF Bomber Command was one of the most important aircraft of World War. In conjunction, low-level nighttime bombing raids continued, but the emphasis shifted away from the strategic bombing of German industry in favour of directly attacking military concentrations, such as U-boat pens and V-1 flying bomb launch sites. Lancasters play a prominent part in Appointment in London with Dirk Bogarde. During early 1942, No. Join one of our expert IWM guides in a behind-the-ropes exploration of the iconic Avro Lancaster. One of the most famous parts of the Lancasters heritage is its role in carrying and releasing the bouncing bomb payload, as glamorized in the 1955 film The Dam Busters. Throughout the 1950s, the RCAF operated seventy modified Lancasters, designated Lancaster 10MR/MPs, as Maritime Reconnaissance and Patrol aircraft in an anti-submarine role. [12][10] Avro's aircraft, named the Manchester, entered RAF service in November 1940. [104] Extensive daylight raids were performed during the month; cities such as Cologne, Walcheren, and Bergen were targeted by hundreds of Lancasters. [22] All of the wing and fuselage sections were manufactured separately, during which they were outfitted with all of the required equipment in advance of final assembly being performed, as a measure intended to accelerate the rate of production. Powerplant The Lancaster bomber was powered by four Rolls-Royce Merlin V12 engines. Elite Members and our great community of Aviation Fans welcome all new Members -https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkQef3Fidr7tm3gNuXgGKPw/joinGive us a like on www.facebook.com/bigjettv On 17 September, precision strikes were performed on Boulogne only 200 yards from the Allied lines. MOTAT's Lancaster is currently been assessed by two aircraft engineers who have concluded itneeds repair work done to the structure attaching the outer starboard wing and a number of other areas. Live from Lincs Aviation Heritage Centre featuring Lancaster NX-611 'Just Jane'https://www.lincsaviation.co.uk/-----. This bomber, with a crew of seven men (five Canadians including pilot Robert Upcott of Windsor, Ontario), took off in bad weather on the morning of 29 April 1945 without a ceasefire agreement from the German forces, and successfully dropped its cargo. 1 x 9,250lb (4,200kg), hydrostatic-fused "Upkeep" mine. Having completed the deep strip and inspection, many parts are starting to Poland. By the end of the war, these aircraft had completed hundreds of trips across the Atlantic. The mid-upper gunner sat on a rectangle of canvas that was slung beneath the turret and would stay in position throughout the flight. 8 (PFF) Group which commenced operations in August 1942 with mixed Lancaster/Halifax . Starting with the design of the aircraft by Roy Chadwick, you will be guided through the bomber's illustrious history, from the celebrated Dams Raid to the controversy of 'area bombing' under Bomber Harris. 5 Group, the bombing of the Schneider Works at Le Creusot, France; only a single aircraft, W4774, was lost during the course of the mission. Here he recounts that experience. This page was last edited on 2 March 2023, at 13:10. [39] However this neglects the fact that the two main Luftwaffe night fighters of the time, the Messerschmitt Bf 110 and the Junkers Ju 88 night fighters were capable of over 300mph (480km/h), thus a 50mph (80km/h) increase over the Lancaster's normal cruising speed of around 180mph (290km/h), giving a speed of 230mph (370km/h), still left the Lancaster vulnerable to interception. Peter Wheeler, from the New Zealand Bomber Command Association, says the aircraft, on display at MOTAT in Auckland's Western Springs, "is a point for everyone to recognise the efforts of the people who put all their families aside and went to war and did what was asked of them". [7], The origins of the Lancaster stem from a twin-engined bomber that had been submitted to British Air Ministry Specification P.13/36 of 1936 for a twin-engined medium bomber for "worldwide use" which could carry a torpedo internally, and make shallow dive-bombing attacks. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. We takes a look inside an Avro Lancaster to see made it so successful. .hide-if-no-js { The first combat use of Barnes Wallis' 12,000lb (5,400kg) 'Tallboy' bombs occurred around this time. 1 x 22,000lb (10,000kg) short-delay fused "Grand Slam" bomb. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. Using the Lancaster would have required much less modification to the aircraft itself, but would have necessitated additional crew training for the USAAF crews. Therefore, this was a bomber similar to the ones used by the US to penetrate deep inside German lines . [58] From its entry into service, the original model of the Lancaster was operated in almost every major bombing raid of the European conflict. [46][47] Two Aldis lights were fitted in the rear bomb bay fairing, aimed forward so the bomb aimer could see the converging lights below his blister in the nose; the optimum height for dropping "Upkeep" was 60ft (18m) and, when shone on the relatively smooth waters of the dam's reservoirs, the light beams converged into a figure 8 when the Lancaster was flying at the correct height. [42], Gunners using both the FN-20 and 120 removed perspex and armour from the turret to improve visibility, but trials by the RAF showed that a Mosquito night fighter was still able to get within a very short distance of the tail gunner without being spotted, confirming what the Luftwaffe had already realised. Mantelli, Brown, Kittel and Graf 2017, pp. [22] The first Lancaster produced in Canada was named the "Ruhr Express". The FN-121 was the Automatic Gun Laying Turret (AGLT), an FN-120 fitted with Village Inn gun-laying radar. [25], Early production Lancaster B.Is were outfitted with a ventral gun turret position. Saying all this, I had the honour and privilege of being allowed close up and personal with a Lancaster today, as well as being allowed inside that very same aircraft. [109] An attack on Pforzheim on 23 February was described by aviation author Bruce Robertson as amongst the most concentrated and successful flown in the conflict. })(120000); I'll take you on a full tour of the interior and exterior of the Lanc made famous for the dambuster raids. 1 x 4,000lb (1,800kg) impact fused HC and up to 18 x 500lb (230kg) GP bombs, with both impact and delay fusing. On 4 February, 198 Lancasters raided the city of Turin; days later, 466 Lancasters attacked Lorient, and an all-Lancaster force of 142 aircraft attacked Milan on 14 February. It was hard to believe that crew could move around and operate in the fuselage - a confined dark environment- let alone wear leather flying suits and carry portable oxygen. At first, the heaviest bomb carried was the 4,000lb (1,800kg) high capacity HC "Cookie". 617 Squadron, which had been formed less than two months prior. Flight history for aircraft - PA474. On 14-15 Feb 1945, Lancaster bombers and their American counterparts devastated the German city of Dresden, killing at least 25,000 (some estimates . During the late 1930s, none of these were ready for production. In May 1943 the bouncing bombs were utilised in Operation Chastise, an allied mission to destroy German dams in the Ruhr Valley. display: none !important; A nice tour inside this wonderful aircraft conducted by Andrew Panton & Liz Dodds. Turrets - As standard the Lancaster bomber was fitted with three twin 7.7mm turrets in the nose, rear and upper-middle fuselage. . var notice = document.getElementById("cptch_time_limit_notice_73"); The bomb was similar to a large version of the Tallboy bomb but a new design . With a bomb load of 7,000 pounds, its range was a lengthy 2,530 miles, and a service ceiling of 24, 500 feet. Now on display at RAF Hendon, she flew in 137 Second World War raids more than any other aircraft. A strengthened undercarriage and stronger mainwheels, later used by the Avro Lincoln, were fitted. In addition, four Lancaster IIIs were converted by Flight Refuelling Limited as two pairs of tanker and receiver aircraft for the development of in-flight refuelling. [68], While the Lancaster had been designed to conduct night-time operations, daylight raids were occasionally performed by the type as well. [note 4][35] Other experimental turrets were tried out, including the FN-79 and the Boulton-Paul Type H barbette system. notice.style.display = "block"; I mistakenly painted my first Lancaster (dam buster) in Tamiya British Green along with the correct dark earth and matt black. The wing is constructed from five separate main sections while the fuselage is likewise composed of five sections. [citation needed], The Lancaster was also produced overseas. [35] Many rear gunners insisted on having the centre section of perspex removed from the turret to improve visibility. [127], Between 1948 and 1949, 15 former RAF Lancasters were overhauled at Langar for use by the Argentine Air Force. On Closer Inspection is a series of 360 degree immersive experiences developed by the Australian War Memorial. This year, the left side of . [25] Various additional bumps and blisters were also added, which typically housed radar equipment and radio navigational aids. [17], Flight testing of the new aircraft quickly proved it to be a substantial improvement over its predecessor. "Sam" Brown on 9 January 1941 at RAF Ringway, Cheshire. A full-size replica of a Lancaster bomber cockpit that was painstakingly made by a history buff has emerged for sale for 150,000. The fourth Lancaster with working engines and able to taxi is Bazalgette FM159 based at the Bomber Command Museum of Canada in Nanton, Alberta. In 1964 the aircraft was gifted to New Zealand and arrived in Whenuapai before being towed down Great North Rd to Western Springs and put on display. }, (function( timeout ) { Lanc Interior. The Lancas. [153], In 2017, formally retired after its Cold War service and more than 50 years on display in Edmundston, New Brunswick, Lancaster KB 882 moved to its new home at the National Air Force Museum of Canada in Trenton, Ontario, where it is to be restored and placed alongside the museum's restored RAF Handley Page Halifax heavy bomber. .hide-if-no-js { [20] According to aviation authors Brian Goulding and M. 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