Ex-RAF LancasterThe Avro Lancaster arose from the avro Manchester and the first prototype Lancaster was a converted Manchester with four engines, The Lancaster was first flown in January 1941, and started operations in march 1942, By March 1945 The Royal Air Force had 56 Squadrons of Lancasters with t he first squadron equipped being the no. 44 squadron.
The Lancaster had a crew of seven or eight, with a maximum speed of 287 mph (Mks I,lll, and X). Maximum range of 2,500 miles and a ceiling of 22,000 feet.
ARMAMENT. two .303 browning machine guns in nose turret, dorsal turret, and four tail turret. or two .50mm in tail turret. payload of 18,000 lb of bombs, one 12,000 lb or 22,000 lb bomb if modified.
DIMENSIONS. span 102 ft. length 69ft 4inches. and height 20ft. 6inches.
MAJOR EVENTS
Dambuster Raid on the Mohne and Eder dams, The Sinking of the Tirpitz, Bombing and destruction of German Rocket research station at Peenemunde.
A Total of 7,378 Avro Lancasters were built and flew after world war two with The Royal Canadian Air Force, French Air force, and Argentinian Air Force .
Picture added on 08 June 2006
Added by Peter Langsdale on 31 December 2007.