Avro Lancaster

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Avro 683 Lancaster - version overview


DesignationAircraft design - description
Manchester Mk.III (BT308) Flew 9 Jan 1941, triple SOP from Manchester B Mk.I, Merlin X engines, flew without gun turrets,
renamed Lancaster Mk.I from 28 February 1941
Lancaster 2nd prototype (DG595) double SOP, Merlin XX engines, carried gun turrets, flew 13 May 1941
Lancaster 3rd prototype (DT810) twin SOP, Bristol Hercules VI engines, carried gun turrets, flew 26 Nov 1941
Lancaster Mk.I production from 31 Oct 1941, changes introduced during production, always powered by British
Merlin XX, 22 and 24 engines, in 1942 the designation was changed to Avro Lancaster B Mk.I. In total, 3,348 "ones" were built.
Lancaster B Mk.I Special 33 aircraft were modified for the Tallboy and Grand Slam bombers, due to the reduction in
weight, the front and upper gun turrets were removed
Lancaster PR Mk.I photo reconnaissance version, fully disarmed, camera kit was in the bomb bay
Lancaster B Mk.I (FE) modified aircraft for combat against Japan, tropical equipment, American radio equipment and navigation system
Loran, a new version of the H2S radar and additional fuel tanks.
Lancaster B Mk.II 300 aircraft built by Armstrong Whitworth, powered by
Bristol Hercules XVI
Lancaster B Mk.III appearance, dimensions and performance were identical to the "ones", but were powered by
American Packard Merlin 28, 38 and 224 engines.
Lancaster B Mk.III Provisioning 23 production aircraft were modified for the cylinder bomb
weighing 9,250 lb, designed to destroy dams.
Lancaster ASR Mk.III In 1945, 120 Lancasters were modified for the Naval Rescue Service,
carrying an ASV radar and an Airborne Lifeboat Mk.II under the bomb bay.
Lancaster GR Mk.III 100 Lancaster ASR Mk.IIs were modified for long-range reconnaissance.
Lancaster MR Mk.3 a maritime reconnaissance aircraft that flew operationally until the second half of
1950s.
Lancaster B Mk.IV three prototypes with larger wingspan, Merlin 85 engines in August 1944
re-badged as Avro Lincoln B Mk.I
Lancaster B Mk.V prototypes with larger wingspan, Merlin 65 or 68A engines,
redesignated Avro Lincoln B Mk.II in August 1944.
Lancaster B Mk.VI The high altitude bomber was powered by Merlin 85/87 engines, the engines suffered from significant
wear, during service the gun turrets were removed from the nose and back of the aircraft, they served as markers (Pathfinders).
Lancaster B Mk.VII The dorsal and rear gun turrets were fitted with a pair of large-calibre Brownings, 180 aircraft were built in total
Lancaster B Mk.VII (FE) Most of the "Sevens" were completed in this version, and were intended to fight
Tiger Force against the Japanese, with the additional tanks greatly increasing the range.
Lancaster B Mk.X Lancaster licensed production began in 1943 by the company
Victory Aircraft Limited in Malton. The aircraft was powered by Packard Merlin 38 engines and had a
Martin 250CE 23A turret with a pair of half-inch Browning guns. Canadian squadrons flew these machines to England.
Lancaster B Mk.XV One squadron was built in Canada to match
British Avro Lancaster Mk.IV prototypes and was also re-badged as the Avro Lincoln B Mk.XV. After the war work was stopped.




Sources used:
Francis K. Mason, The British Bomber since 1914, Putnam Aeronautical Books, London, 1994, ISBN 0-85177-861-5
A. J. Jackson, Avro Aircraft since 1908, Putnam Aeronautical Books, London, 1990, ISBN 0-85177-834-8
Martin Derry, Avro Lancaster in military Service 1945-1965, Pen and Sword, ISBN 1-47382-724-8
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avro_Lancaster
author's archive
URL : https://www.valka.cz/Avro-Lancaster-t15930#555416 Version : 10000

Avro Lancaster


Born from the failure of Avro Manchester


If we are to consider the history of this highly successful heavy bomber, which was the most important four-engined bomber of British Bomber Command in the second half of World War II, we must return to its immediate predecessor, the twin-engined Avro Manchester. The Avro Manchester heavy bomber was eagerly awaited by RAF units, and was intended to replace the slow night bombers Armstrong-Whitworth Whitley and also the medium bombers Handley Page Hampden. The design team at A. V. Roe & Corporation Ltd. (hereafter Avro) did a good job, but this was invalidated by the conditions imposed by the British Air Ministry, this in its specifications B.13/36 stubbornly demanded the installation of all-new twenty-four cylinder Rolls-Royce Vulture engines, and so it was primarily through the use of these immature and out-of-tune engines that the Avro Manchester bomber brought considerable disappointment to its users. In addition to the unreliable engines, the new bombers suffered from instability (this was remedied by the addition of a third vertical tailplane). Due to the Vulture engines used, these machines were underpowered, in addition, they had a small wingspan (another ministerial requirement) and this brought with it all the other bad features such as long take-off times, lower bomb load capacity - less than the aircraft could carry due to its bulky bomb bay, and was further devalued by the small bomb load range. However, the Air Ministry did not back down from its brief and so the result was a two-piece build of Manchesters.
Avro's chief designer Roy Chadwick CBE, together with Avro's managing director Roy Dobson, realised the shortcomings of the twin-engined concept before production of the Manchester began, and although Chadwick trusted the Vulture engines, he began work with Stuart Davies on a study and later a design for a four-engined bomber that would utilise the Manchester's almost unaltered fuselage. For propulsion, the tried and tested Rolls-Royce Merlin twelve-cylinder engines were to be used, or Bristol Hercules twin-star engines, or Taurus engines from the same manufacturer. The Manchester design with Merlin engines was designated Type 680, Roy Chadwick developed this design to specification number B.19/39, which called for a four-engined bomber with a crew of seven, carrying 10,000 lb (4,536 kg) of bombs, with a take-off weight of 50,000 lb (22,680 kg), It was to have a range of at least 2,500 miles (4,023 km) and a maximum airspeed of 280 mph (451 km/h) at 15,000 feet (4,572 m), but there was still a requirement for an ejection take-off, with a ground ejection to solve the lack of long runways. Come November 1940, serial production of the Avro Type 679 Manchester bomber began, but at the same time, after a design review, the Avro factory was handed an order to build four prototypes of the Avro Type 683 Manchester Mk.III, which was just a Manchester powered by a quartet of excellent and reliable Rolls-Royce Merlin X engines. Luck stood by this four-engined Manchester even in early 1941 when the Secretary of State for War, Lord Beaverbrook, was considering an immediate halt to its development, and the production capacity of the Avro factory was to be fully utilised, once production of the Manchester had ceased, for the production of the promising Handley Page Halifax four-engined bombers.


Prototypes


Construction of the first prototype (BT308) proceeded apace, aided by the fact that many of the parts of the new Manchester Mk.III were taken without modification from the twin-engined Manchester B Mk.I. Parts of the fuselage, complete vertical tail surfaces, undercarriage, some instrumentation and armament were used without modification; minor modifications had to be made to the electrical and hydraulic systems, to the outer parts of the wings, and the span of the horizontal tail surfaces was increased. The engine bed and wing centre section were completely new. The first flight was planned for Christmas Day 1940, this date had to be postponed because the airfield was bombed, the take-off failed on the second date as well, this time the design team had to rebuild the hydraulic system, because in the meantime information came about hydraulic problems on the Manchesters. The Lancaster prototype thus received a heavily modified hydraulic system, and the prototype was not able to take off until 9 January 1941. This first prototype still had triple SOPs, with the middle SOP having the largest area and not fitted with a rudder, later this aircraft underwent modifications and carried only double SOPs. The first prototype did not yet carry an upper and lower gun turret and was powered by the aforementioned Merlin X. These engines were already supercharged by two-speed compressors but still used 87 octane gasoline, for this reason their supercharging was still limited and the maximum engine power was 1,280 hp (954 kW). The first prototype made ten take-offs with a factory pilot and was then handed over to the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment (A&AEE) at Boscombe Down, where it was extensively tested and on 28 February the Air Ministry approved it and changed its name to Avro Lancaster, chosen for the machine by Roy Chadwick.
On 13 May 1941 a second prototype (DG595) flew, this prototype already resembled the later production Lancasters, it also carried full defensive armament, ie, The two gun turrets mounted on production Manchesters (the front FN-5 with a pair of Browning Mk.II machine guns and the rear FN-20 with four of these machine guns) were supplemented by a FN-50 type dorsal gun turret and an FN-64 type lower gun turret, each also carrying a pair of the aforementioned machine guns. The lower gun turret was not rotatable through 360°, it fired backwards and could be rotated 100° to the left and right. The second Lancaster prototype thus carried a total of ten 0.303 in (7.7 mm) machine guns for its defence. Meanwhile, sufficient quantities of aviation gasoline with an octane rating of 100 were already available in the UK, this gasoline was burned by the Rolls-Royce Merlin XX engine and it was these engines that were installed in this prototype. With this fuel, the compressor charge pressure could be increased, reciprocally increasing the engine's power to 1,490 hp (1,111 kW) at 12,500 ft (3,810 m). The performance of this aircraft was very good. Meanwhile, Rolls-Royce had ceased production of the not-so-reliable Vulture four-cylinders that powered the Manchesters, and so the Avro factory also ceased production of these at the same time, with all of the factory's production capacity rapidly being prepared for mass production of the new high-performance Lancasters that were to replace the unpopular Manchesters and older versions of the Halifaxes in service.
On 26 November 1941 a third prototype (DT810) was completed and subsequently flown, this prototype was a new version designated Lancaster Mk.II, differing from the Lancaster B Mk.I currently in production in its power units. The Air Ministry was rightly concerned at the time that there might be a shortage of Merlin engines, as they were used in many types of British aircraft of all categories, which is why the Lancaster B Mk.II was created, powered by twin-turbo four-cylinder Bristol Hercules VI engines of 1,650 hp (1,230 kW). During testing it was found that the performance of the new Lancaster did not improve despite the higher power of the engines, perhaps only during take-off did this higher power have a positive effect, on the other hand the fuel consumption of these engines was higher and so the range of this prototype was less. The construction of the fourth prototype was abandoned.


Avro Lancaster B Mk.I


The first orders for the production of the new Lancasters were simply confirmed by changing existing orders for the now unrealised production of the Manchester, these orders were negotiated between 1937 and 1940. The first production Lancaster B Mk.I (L7527) initially had the appearance of a Manchester (apart from the four engines), but changes were already being made during construction; it flew on 31 October 1941 and, in contrast to the prototype second model, had a new FN-20A type rear gun turret, again with a machine-gun quad. This aircraft was immediately handed over to the A&AEE test centre at Boscombe Down for trials. As a result of the very successful trials it was recommended that the remote-controlled lower gun turret should be deleted, in the opinion of the A&AEE this turret was totally dispensable for a night bomber due to its weight and aerodynamic drag. On Christmas Day 1941, the Lancaster Mk.I was deemed operationally capable, and on the same day the 44 Squadron (Rhodesian) based at Waddington received a Christmas present of its first three Lancasters, this squadron took off for its first operational flight on 3 March 1942, laying anti-ship mines south-east of Heligoland.
The rapid ramp-up to series production brought with it some variation in the individual machines coming from early production, this was due in part to the use of some already manufactured parts originally intended for the older and no longer produced Manchesters. This was the case with the fuel tanks, for example, four tanks were fitted to the wings of the first Lancasters, totalling 1,711 UK gallons (7,779 l), later larger external tanks were fitted, and still later these were supplemented by a further pair of wing tanks, bringing the total to 2,154 UK gallons (9,792 l). The first mass-produced machines did not have an aerodynamic collar around the dorsal gun turret, which also prevented firing into their own tail surfaces.
From 1942 onwards, the Lancaster Mk.I engines Merlin 22 with 1,435 hp (1,070 kW) at 11,000 ft (3,353 m) were installed, and a little later the more powerful Merlin 24, the latter gave 1,610 hp (1,201 kW) at take-off and maximum combat power was 1,510 hp (1,126 kW) at 9,250 ft (2,819 m), the installation of these engines is revealed by the different propellers - their blades were wide and had 15% more efficiency than the earlier propellers. At that time, the designation of the Lancasters was supplemented with the letter B for Bomber, so the designation was changed to Lancaster B Mk.I. A total of 3,348 aircraft of this version were built.
From the end of 1944, a new FN-150 type dorsal gun turret was installed in the Lancaster Mk.I, Mk.III and Mk.VII versions, the armament remained the same - two Browning Mk.II, a more significant change was the installation of a rear gun turret of the FN-82 type, this turret was fitted with a pair of much more effective half-inch Browning, less numerous was the installation of a semi-covered rear gun turret of the Rose-Rice Type R No.2 Mk.I again with half-inch Brownings. An AGLT gunnery radar was installed in some aircraft to allow firing without line of sight to the target, this system will be described later.


Avro Lancaster B Mk.I (Special)
As the name implies, this was a special modification that 33 aircraft underwent, the modification consisted of a consistent lightening of the production machine, as after this modification a heavy penetrating bomb "Tallboy" weighing 12,000 lb 5,443 kg) could be suspended under the aircraft. This bomb was classified by the British as MC by explosive weight ratio, the body of the bomb was cast from heavy-duty steel to provide the necessary penetration. The explosion of this bomb had an earthquake effect, i.e., it penetrated deep into the ground and caused a powerful destructive wave with its blast. The "Tallboy" was first deployed on 9 June 1944, when an important railway tunnel at Saumur was blocked by these bombs, the Lancasters of 617 Squadron in this raid and dropped 19 "Tallboys" on the target, the target being guided by 83 Squadron (Pathfinder Force). No aircraft were lost in this action. In June, the V-1 and V-2 launchers were attacked by "Tallboy" bombs, and later raids continued on the submarine shelters at Le Havre, Boulogne and Brest. On the night of 23-24 September, the Dortmund-Ems canal near Ladbergen was destroyed. Also very famous are the attacks on the German battleship Tirpitz, during three attacks carried out from September to November 1944, a total of 87 "Tallboys" were dropped, only the last attack brought the desired result - Tirpitz was hit by two bombs and capsized.
Meanwhile, the designer Dr. Barnes N. Wallis had prepared another giant bomb, called "Grand Slam", its weight was 22,000 lb (9,979 kg). The bomber had to be stripped of its forward and dorsal gun turrets, the bomb bay doors were removed ("Tallboy" fit in the bomb bay), and the crew was reduced by two gunners. Take-off weight was 72,000 lb (32,659 kg), despite the fact that the empty weight was reduced to almost 33,000 lb (14,968 kg). The giant bomb was suspended in the bomb bay by a chain, but because of its size it protruded beyond the outline of the aircraft. The range of the loaded Lancaster was 20,000 ft (6,096 m), the economical airspeed was 220 mph (322 km/h ( at 15,000 ft (4,572 m), and subsequently the maximum range was up to 1,550 miles (2,494 km). The first such modified machine flew to test the bomb at the firing range on 13 March 1945, and the very next day a combat flight took place to destroy a railway viaduct near Beilefeld on the Hamm-Hannover line, using one "Grand Slam" bomb and 14 "Tallboys" - the viaduct was irreparably destroyed. Further "Grand Slam" attacks were made on other railway viaducts, bridges, submarine shelters at Bremen and Hamburg, the last attack was made against coastal artillery batteries on the island of Heligoland.


Avro Lancaster PR Mk.I
The photo reconnaissance Lancaster was disarmed and carried a set of F.24 type cameras in the bomb bay, during the war they flew with the 82nd and 541st Squadron, after the war they flew with the 683rd Squadron until 1953.
Avro Lancaster B Mk.I FE (Far East)
Modified in 1945 for use by the Tiger Force to bomb targets in Japan, the aircraft received different radio and navigation equipment, a different radar, tropical equipment, and one or even two additional tanks were installed in the bomb bay, each with a capacity of 400 UK gallons (1,818 l); the camouflage underwent major changes, the aircraft was white, the underside was black.

Avro Lancaster B Mk.II


A prototype of this version (DT810) was flown on 26 November 1941, in February it was handed over to the A&AEE test facility at Boscombe Down, there it was found that the Hercules engines would allow a slight improvement in take-off performance, but speed was slightly lower due to the higher aerodynamic drag, the biggest problem however was the small operating range, the Hercules engines were optimised for lower altitude than the great Merlins. At the time, the Armstrong-Whitworth concern was already preparing to mass produce this version. The first production machine of this version (DS601) was not flown until 2 September 1942, and together with a second machine built in this way, it was delivered to the A&AEE test facility in September.
The Armstrong-Whitworth concern received an order for the licensed construction of 300 of these Lancasters, which were fitted with Hercules XVI engines with slightly higher lift. Production took place at the Coventry factory, but started with a slight delay as production of the Whitley heavy night bombers was still underway. The entire order was completed in March 1944. No further Hercules-powered machines were produced, but there were plenty of Merlin engines, mainly due to supplies from the USA, where extensive licensed production was underway with the Packard Motor Company.
The 61st Squadron[/url] was the first squadron to use these bombers in combat, 61st Squadron armed with this version of the C Squadron, in January 1943, targeting the Friedrich Krupp AG Hoesch-Krupp factory complex in Essen. The armament was identical to the previous version, except that some machines had a small Preston Green drop-shot gun with a 12.7 mm Browning machine gun instead of the lower gun turret, a modification that also appeared on other Lancasters. The flight characteristics were slightly different, the Hercules engines were left-hand drive, the Merlins were right-hand drive.


Avro Lancaster B Mk.III


This version matched the B Mk.I in size and appearance, differing from it by the installation of Packard Merlin 28 engines, these engines were supplied to the UK by the above American manufacturer. This engine was approximately equivalent in performance and design to the British Merlin XX. Minor modifications were started in October 1942, these were really only minor modifications and so the first aircraft powered by these engines was tested at the end of 1942 at the A&AEE at Boscombe Down. The supply of American engines was steady and so by mid-1943 production of these Lancasters was well underway. American powerplants were plentiful and so American Packards were often installed when the older 'Ones' were overhauled. Later on, Packard Merlin 38 engines were installed in Lancaster B Mk.IIIs with 1,400 hp (1,044 kW) at 11,500 ft (3,505 m) and even later Packard Merlin 224 engines with 1,680 hp (1,253 kW) at 2,750 ft (838 m). The mass production of the "Ones" and this version made the Lancaster the most widely used and also the most successful four-engined bomber used by Bomber Command. A total of 3,059 aircraft were built in this version.


Avro Lancaster B Mk.III Type 464 Provisioning
The British sought to damage the German armaments industry in many ways and means, one of these means was to damage the dams in the Rhineland and Ruhr, by breaching the dams they would firstly put the power stations out of action, and secondly the flood wave would damage the industries and towns lying below the dams. However, attacking the dam was by no means an easy task; the dam is a narrow target and if attacked across, there is little chance of a direct hit. An attack along the length of the causeway will provide a much better chance, but this attack is very dangerous for bombing aircraft, as the causeway is well protected by anti-aircraft artillery. The solution would be a torpedo attack, but torpedoes are of limited use and the causeway can be protected from torpedoes by nets, so the designer Dr. Barnes N. Wallis (Sir Barnes after the war) designed a special bomb to destroy the causeway. A heavy bomber had to be modified for its use and the choice fell on the great Lancaster bomber. The modification was made in the spring of 1943 when a total of 23 production aircraft were modified to carry the cylindrical bomb. This special bomb, weighing 9,250 lb (4,196 kg) and 50in (1,270 mm) in diameter and 60in (1,524 mm) in length, was suspended transversely under the modified bomber and spun upstream at 500 rpm before being dropped. The bomb had to be dropped at night, at a flight speed of 220 mph (354 km/h), at a height of 60 ft (18.3 m) and at a distance of 1,215-1,345 ft (370-410 m) from the dam itself. If these conditions were met, the bomb bounced off the surface of the water and continued a series of bounces up to the dam (bouncing along the surface like a frog), then sank and exploded at a depth of 30-50 ft (9-15 m) after impacting the dam body, the explosion and water pressure subsequently breaching the dam. The modifications to the Lancaster consisted of removing the bomb bay doors, installing bomb slings, a hydraulic motor to spin the bomb, a special range finder was installed to drop the bomb at a specified distance from the dam's dam, the height of the bomb drop was achieved by using two reflectors angled into the bomb bay, and once these reflectors formed a single point on the dam's surface, the bombardier knew he was at the correct height. However, the weight of the bomb and equipment caused this modified Lancaster to be overloaded and so the upper gun turret had to be dismantled, several aircraft carried a single 7.7mm machine gun in the firing slot. These aircraft were used by 617 Squadron to attack dams from 18 April 1943, the following month the dams on the Möhne and Eder rivers in the Rhineland were breached using these bombs, for the successful destruction of German dams this unit was nicknamed "Dambusters".


The Avro Lancaster ASR Mk.III - (Air Sea Rescue) was a version designed for the sea rescue service, a total of 120 Lancasters were modified by the Cunliffe Owen factory in 1945. The UK, under the Lend-Lease Act, had to return Liberators to the US that had served with Coastal Command. The modified machines were fitted with a powerful ASV anti-ship radar (probably of the ASV Mk.VII type), based on the H2S radar and operating on a 3 cm wavelength, and an Airborne Lifeboat Mk.II type lifeboat was suspended below the cancelled bomb bay, which was dropped by parachute if necessary.
The Avro Lancaster GR Mk.III - (General Reconnaissance) version for long range reconnaissance, about 100 Lancaster ASR Mk.III's were modified to resemble this wreck. It was used primarily for anti-submarine patrolling and guarding shipping lanes.
Avro Lancaster M.R. Mk.3 - (Maritime Reconnaissance) - a maritime reconnaissance aircraft, it was the longest serving version of the Lancaster, it did not stop flying operationally until 1953 when it was replaced by the Avro Shakleton, and the very last aircraft was retired from the RAF training unit until the autumn of 1956.



Avro Lancaster B Mk.IV


This version numbered three prototypes (PW925, PW929 and PW932), was given a longer wingspan, while the fuselage was lengthened, and was armed with two pairs of large-calibre machine guns, which were fitted with two Boulton Paul Type F gun turrets on the nose and stern of the aircraft. The propulsion units were Merlin 85 high-altitude engines. The first aircraft flew on 9 June 1944, and from August that year the aircraft were redesignated Avro Type 694 Lincoln B Mk.I.


Avro Lancaster B Mk.V


This version of the Lancaster was modified similarly to the previous version, perhaps only the engines were to be of the Rolls-Royce Merlin 66 or 68A type, its designation was changed to Avro Type 694 Lincoln B Mk.II.


Avro Lancaster B Mk.VI


According to the specifications of B.14/43, high-altitude bomber Lancasters were built in 1943. Initially three verification machines were built and six more were completed in 1944. These high-altitude machines were powered by Rolls-Royce Merlin 85/87 engines, which achieved good performance at high operational altitudes due to efficient supercharging with two-stage and two-speed compressors. The highest power output of this engine was 1,705 hp (1,271 kW) at 5,750 ft (1,753 m). However, the engines were high maintenance, their synchronous operation was also difficult to adjust, and their wear was much greater than that of the standard Merlin. Three-bladed propellers were used. These aircraft were assigned to only four selected RAF squadrons, these were the 7th, 83rd, 405th and 635th. The bombers were relieved of their gun turrets during operational service and only the rear turret was retained. The aircraft were fitted with radar and served as marker bombers (Pathfinders). These aircraft were withdrawn from combat service in November 1944, serving as flying laboratories.


Avro Lancaster B Mk.VII


In April 1945, the first one flew. A total of 180 aircraft were built at Austin Motor Corporation Ltd. in Longbridge. These aircraft carried the Martin 250CE 23A upper gun turret, as did the Canadian "10s", the turret was also moved forward, as was the case with the Canadian Lancasters, and the FN-20A type rear turret was replaced by an FN-82 turret, which also carried a pair of half-inch machine guns.
Avro Lancaster B Mk.VII FE
The vast majority of the aircraft of this version were completed in the FE version, i.e. for combat against Japan as part of the Tiger Force. An additional 400 UK gal fuel tank was fitted to the bomb bay as standard. In order to extend the range of the Lancasters, trials were carried out with additional tanks carried on the back of the aircraft, these tanks had a capacity of 1,200 UK gal (5,455 l) and larger ones with a capacity of 1,500 UK gal (6,819 l), the undercarriage of these experimental machines had to be strengthened. Approximately fifty of the aircraft were completed as "One" dorsal with British FN-50 turrets and 7.7 mm Browning machine guns due to the lack of American gun turrets. Anti-Japanese aircraft were virtually unable to intervene in the fighting.


Avro Lancaster B Mk.X


In 1943, licensed serial production of the Lancaster, designated by the Roman numeral X, began at Victory Aircraft Ltd. in Malton, Canada. This machine was essentially a modified Lancaster B Mk.III, powered by Packard Merlin 38 engines. The difference from the British machines was the installation of a Martin 250CE 23A type upper gun turret, this turret was fitted with a pair of effective 12.7 mm Browning M2 large calibre machine guns. Compared to the British Frazer-Nash FN-50 turrets, this turret was moved forward by 2,200 mm. Thus armed, Canadian Lancasters were flown by home units, from September 1943 the "10s" were flown to England where they formed the armament of Canadian squadrons, and there they were quite often replaced by British Martin turrets with the usual armament of two 7.7 mm Browning Mk.II machine guns. A total of 430 aircraft were built.
After the war, several purpose-built modifications were made:
Avro Lancaster Mk.10 AR - Arctic Reconnaissance - additional radar and camera equipment, designed for cold weather service.
Avro Lancaster Mk.10 BR - Bomber Reconnaissance - Bomber/ reconnaissance machine.
The Avro Lancaster Mk.10 DC - Drone Carring - was designed to carry and control two unmanned target drones. The drones were carried under the wings.
Avro Lancaster Mk.10 MR - Maritime Reconnaissance
Avro Lancaster Mk.10 N- Navigation - an aircraft designed for navigator training
Avro Lancaster Mk.10 O - Orenda - one aircraft merged to test the Avro Orenda jet engine
Avro Lancaster Mk.10 P - Photografic - 9 aircraft were modified for cartographic imaging.
Avro Lancaster Mk.10 S - Standard - after the war, several aircraft were preserved and handed over to museums.
Avro Lancaster Mk.10 SR - Sea Rescue - eight aircraft served with the Maritime Rescue Service.
Avro Lancaster Mk.10 U - Unmodified - unmodified stored aircraft.
Avro Lancaster Mk.10 PP - 6 aircraft were demilitarized and served as transport aircraft for 10 passengers with Trans Canada Airlines.
Three Lancaster aircraft served in Canada until 1964.


Experimental Defence Armament


The Browning Mk.II machine guns were certainly an excellent weapon, they could literally shower a target with a multitude of projectiles, but these were light in weight and also short in range. Enemy fighters opened fire at a much greater range and the projectiles from their guns had a strong destructive effect. Therefore, towards the end of the war, Lancasters began to be fitted with gun turrets with twin half-inch machine guns in both the dorsal and tail turrets. The types of these turrets have been described in the preceding text. In 1943, the FN-79 upper gun turret with a pair of 20 mm Hispano guns was tested on several machines; the turret with the guns and ammunition supply was much heavier than the original turret with the pair of Browning guns and so could only be mounted in the centre of gravity of the aircraft. The following year, an American-made rear gun turret from the Emerson Electric Company was tested on a Lancaster Liberator. Also tested this year was the Bristol B.30 dorsal gun turret, again fitted with a pair of 20mm Hispano guns. A cancelled project was the installation of two remote-controlled gunnery turrets by Boulton-Paul, these turrets were on the back and belly of the Lancaster and each was again fitted with a pair of Hispanics.

Puma armament


The Lancaster inherited the large bomb bay from its predecessor, the Manchester, and this made it possible to fit HC(High Capacity)"Cookie"]weighing 4,000 lb (1,814.4 kg), soon bulging bomb bay doors were installed on the Lancasters, increasing the space in the bomb bay by 30% and allowing even larger bombs to be hung in such a bomb bay"Super - Cookie", first weighing 8,000 lb (3,628.8 kg) and later even 12,000 lb (5,433.2 kg) "Blockbuster". These larger bombs were created by joining the original "Cookie", joining the cylindrical parts of the bombs together. These bombs were thin-walled, using the destructive effect of the pressure wave, which both shattered the walls of the houses and also destroyed the roofs of the houses, the target was then showered with large amounts of incendiary bombs, which in turn ignited the already exposed interior of the houses. For completeness, there was also a 2 000 lb (907.2 kg) HC bomb.
The SMC - Small Bomb Container was a box into which small incendiary bombs were hung; 234 small hexagonal bombs weighing 4 lb (1.81 kg) or 24 larger ones weighing 30 lb (13.6 kg) were hung into the container. The body of this bomb was made of electron and the ignition charge was thermite, the burn time was about 10 minutes at a burning temperature of about 2,400° C.
The MC - Medium Capacity (triple burst) bombs were used in the following weights 500 lb (226.8 kg), 1,000 lb (453.6 kg) and 4,000 lb.
Pumas GP - Genaral Purpose - (universal triple tear) weight categories of 250 lb (113.4 kg), 500 lb, 1,000 lb 1,900 lb (826 kg) and 4,000 lb. The British often fitted these bombs with a delay device - this allowed them to set a delayed explosion of up to 144 hours, making the job of firefighters and rescue workers more difficult.
The SAP - Semi Armour Peircing bombs - (penetrating with a tearing effect) weighing 500 lb were dropped e.g. on submarines in bases
Puma AP Armour Piercing (piercing) weighing 1,600 lb (725.7 kg) and 2,000 lb.
The Type A Mk.14 anti-ship aerial mines weighing 1,000 lb or 1,850 lb (838.1 kg) were dropped by parachute.
DCDepth Charges - Depth Charges of 250 and 500 lb.


The composition of armament was standardised for RAF bomber units, for example I will give a few armament assemblies:
"Arson" (arson attack) - 14 SBC containers of small incendiary bombs were slung into the bowels of the Lancaster, carrying a total of 3,304.
"Abnormal" - 14 1,000-pound three-burst bombs (many with several hours delayed detonation), attacks on industrial buildings, shipyards and transport hubs.
"Plumduff" - 1x four-pound "Cookie", 3x thousand-pound GP bombs and 6x SBC containers with 1,416 incendiary bombs.
"Plumduff-Plus" - 1x 8,000-pound "Super-Cookie" and 6x 5,000-pound GP bombs. Attacks on cities.
"Usual" - 1x 4,000-pound "Cookie" and 12 SBC containers with 2,832 incendiary bombs, again targeting German cities.
"Gardening" - 6x parachute-dropped anti-ship mines, each weighing 1,850 lb, mined shipping lanes, canals and estuaries.

Navigation, radar and other electronic equipment


Gee System
It was used from 1942 until the end of the war, the basis was pulse transmissions from ground stations in the UK, there was a receiver and oscillator in the bombers that accurately determined the difference in timing of the two signals, the advantage of this system was passive reception, so the aircraft could not be detected, the disadvantage was the ability to jam the signal, which the Germans did very often and successfully. The accuracy of the target guidance was in the order of hundreds of meters and the signals could be used by an unlimited number of aircraft.


Oboe
The Gee guidance system was suitable for navigation, but its accuracy was not sufficient to guide the target so that it could be bombed without direct line of sight. Such bombing was made possible by the Oboe system, which consisted of two ground stations named "Cat" and "Mouse". These stations were spaced apart and transmitted their signals-pulses 133 times per second, this frequency being shortened or lengthened as necessary. The aircraft flew around the circumference of the circle and returned the received signals to the stations, where the signals were evaluated by means of large oscillators and a modified Morse code signal was sent to the pilot to inform him of the course; at the moment of dropping the bombs, the "Mouse" station sent a signal in the form of five dots and one comma. The aircraft was under the control of both stations throughout the flight, and hence the main disadvantage of this system - it could only be used by one bomber - the marker. By rather complicated switching it was possible to navigate at most 10-12 aircraft at a time. It was mostly used by light bombers Mosquito. It was used less frequently on the Lancaster. The range was 450 km from the transmitters and the accuracy was reportedly 16 m!


Gee-H system
This was an improved Gee navigation system, this system was used from November 1943 until the post-war years. The basis of operation was to determine the angle and distance from radio stations in the UK. Accuracy was less than that achieved by the Oboe system, but the advantage was that up to 80 aircraft could use it at a time, with an accuracy of about 150 yards (137 m) over a distance of 300 miles (483 km). The Germans managed to jam the system frequently. Aircraft using this system were marked with two yellow stripes on the SOP.


H2S radar
This navigation system was used from 1943 and also until the end of the war but other versions of this radar were also used in the Falklands War (1982). The official designation was TR3159 (H2S Mk. I / ASV VIB) or TR3191 (H2S Mk. II), At first the radar operated at a wavelength of 9.1 cm (3 GHz) and later at 3 cm (10 GHz). In addition to navigation, it also provided relatively accurate target acquisition for bombing, the accuracy being dependent on the ruggedness of the terrain. The radar was mounted under the fuselage behind the bomb bay and was housed under a Perspex half-drop cover. The maximum range for navigation was about 150 km, in practice lower power was used and the radar had a range of about 50 km, for target acquisition the range was about 15 km. Bombing accuracy depended heavily on the experience of the radar operator, the disadvantage was that it was an active radar system and German night fighters were guided to the transmissions of this radar by the FuG 350 Naxos radar detector, so it was only used in short pulses.


Fishpond
Extended the function of the H2S radar, it could display incoming enemy fighters on an auxiliary screen, the disadvantage was that these machines could only be detected below the aircraft.


Monica
Warning radar that helped guard the area behind the bomber, its presence was told by a small dipole antenna under the rear gun turret, the range was 0.9 - 6.4 km. However, the Germans managed to capture this radar, its purpose was quickly recognised and a passive receiver, the FuG 227 Flensburg, was quickly assembled and used to guide German night fighters to the wavelength of the Monica radar from the spring of 1944. The British stopped using these radars from the second half of 1944 after they managed to acquire one undamaged Junkers Ju 88 G-1 type night fighter from the 7th Staffel/ NJG with Flensburg guidance equipment on 13 July.


Boozer
It was a detector that was to communicate to the crew of the aircraft, by means of optical signalling, the fact that it had detected the activity of the German Würzburg-Reise ground radars and later the FuG 202 Lichtenstein B/C and FuG 212 Lichtenstein C-1 airborne radars. In practice, however, this detector was not very successful, because the area over Germany was already so polluted with radio signals that the detector could not distinguish the transmissions of these radars and very often reported false alarms.


Village Inn (Automatic Gun-Laying Turret)
A gunnery radar that allowed defensive firing from the rear gunnery turret without target visibility at ranges of 0.9 - 1.3 km. The presence of the radar is indicated by the smaller rounded housing under the rear gun turret, but this radar did not distinguish between own and foreign aircraft, so it was often supplemented with infrared detectors and Lancasters were given infrared reflectors in the nose.


The Airborne Cigar (ABC)
It was a specialized jamming device that consisted of three 7 ft (2,100 mm) antennas. Another crew member had a station in the hull of the jamming Lancaster, which spoke German and tapped into the wavelength of ground controllers to give false commands and information to night fighters. The Lancasters with this device were in 101st Squadron status and took heavy losses because their transmissions allowed German fighters to detect and guide them. This system was used from 1943 until the end of the war in Europe.


Identification Friend or Foe
Various sets of IFF transponders were installed on Lancasters, including the Mk.II and Mk.III, this equipment was protected against the possibility of enemy acquisition by explosives that exploded when the bomber made an emergency landing or hit the ground.


Bushes
Tinsel - was a jamming device that operated in the VHF band and jammed the frequencies used by ground guidance stations and Luftwaffe fighters.
Mandrel - was a jammer specialized for Freya ground radars.
Airborne Grocer - a jamming system for the FuG 202 and FuG 212 airborne radars.
Joste - was aimed at anti-aircraft artillery radars


Production trivia


A single bare but airworthy Lancaster cost an average of £58,974 sterling; its additional equipment, i.e. guns, radio receiver and transmitter, IFF, radar, jammer guidance system and bomb sight, increased its price to £120,000 sterling. It took 35,000 standard hours to produce one aircraft without armament, equipment and engines.
The entire production from 1941 onwards was managed by a group called the Lancaster Produktion Group, its activities were a logistical marvel, coordinating operations and production not only at the end suppliers, which were these factories:
A.V. Roe & Co. Ltd.
Austin Motors Limited
Fairey Aviatin Company, Ltd.
Metropolitan Vickers
Sir W. G. Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft Ltd
Vickers Armstrong
Victory Aircraft Limited
There were several thousand other small or larger manufacturers involved in the production of parts, components and assemblies, the production and transport of the basic parts, their assembly into groups and assemblies, right through to their final assembly, all complicated by the war, German air raids, congested transport, lack of skilled workers etc.


By the end of the war in Europe, Bomber Command had about 2,000 Lancasters in service with 57 squadrons (60 squadrons in all, but 3 squadrons had been rearmed or reorganised by the end of the war), of this number 43 squadrons were British, 14 squadrons were Canadian and 3 squadrons were Australian. The Lancasters made a total of 156,308 combat sorties, dropping 618,379 tons of bombs (63.8% of the total tonnage dropped by Bomber Command aircraft) and 51,316,106 incendiary bombs, plus 12,733 mines, as well as 6,000 tons of food dropped in April and May to the starving Dutch. One more major action was accomplished by the Lancaster crews, 74,178 prisoners of war returned home in the hulls of Lancasters as part of Operation Exodus. They used 103,659,000 litres of petrol in these operations.
A total of 7,377 Lancasters were produced, of which 3,345 were lost to enemy action. To this must be added the additional losses suffered by Lancasters in non-combat activity, The total losses then approached the figure of 3,800 aircraft. The life of a Lancaster averaged two weeks of combat flying over Europe.
The Lancaster did have one rather major disadvantage - the hatches inside the fuselage were narrow and when the crew was forced to abandon the aircraft in an emergency, not all members were always able to do so.





Sources used:
Richard A. Franks, The Avro Lancaster - Manchester And Lincoln. A Comprehensive Guide For The Modeller, Londra, SAM Publications, 2000, ISBN 0-9533465-3-6
Philip J. R. Moyes, Avro Lancaster I & II, Kidlington, Oxford, UK, Vintage Aviation Publications Ltd., 1979, ISBN 0-905469-65-8.
Francis K. Mason, The British Bomber since 1914, Putnam Aeronautical Books, London, 1994, ISBN 0-85177-861-5
A. J. Jackson, Avro Aircraft since 1908, Putnam Aeronautical Books, London, 1990, ISBN 0-85177-834-8
Martin Derry, Avro Lancaster in military Service 1945-1965, Pen and Sword, ISBN 1-47382-724-8
R. S. G. Mackay, Lancaster in action, Aircraft No. 52, Squadron/Signal Publications, Carrollton, Texas, 1982, ISBN 0-89747-130-X
Brian Goulding and M. Garbett, The Avro Lancaster I, Profile No. 65, Profile Publications, Leatherhead, 1966, No ISBN.
Bruce Robertson, The Avro Lancaster II, Aircraft Profile No. 235, Profile Publications, Leatherhead, 1972, No ISBN.
Jaroslav Schmid, Stíhací a bomardovací letadla Velké Británie 1939-45, Fraus Publishing House, Plzen, 1995, ISBN 80-85784-37-8.
http://www.lancaster-archive.com/
http://www.airwar.ru/enc/bww2/lankast.html
www.dailymail.co.uk
www.warplane.com
www.qsl.net
www.militaryfactory.com
www.aviastar.org
www.skytamer.com
http://www.airpages.ru/uk/lanc.shtml
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