Avro 683 Lancaster

Lancaster
	Lancaster B I PA474 of the RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight in 460 Squadron (RAAF) colours, escorted by Hurricane Mk.IIc LF363.
Role	Heavy bomber
National origin	United Kingdom
Manufacturer	Avro
Designer	Roy Chadwick
First flight	9 January 1941
Introduction	February 1942
Status	Retired
Primary users	Royal Air Force; Royal Canadian Air Force; Royal Australian Air Force
Number built	7,377
Unit cost	£45–50,000[source?]
Developed from	Avro Manchester
Variants	Avro Lancastrian
Developed into	Avro York; Avro Lincoln

Avro 683 Lancaster was developed out of Avro 679 Manchester. It was the most used RAF bomber in the Second World War. The changes made on Avro 679, like four Rolls-Royce Merlin X instead of two powerplants and longer wings, have led to the new name Avro 683. Royal Air Force ordered 1070 pieces of this airplane. After the success on the war places, Avro sold the production licence to other companies. One of those was Packard, who bought the licence for powerplant production and improved them. The variant with the most produced pieces was Avro 683 B I, a plane which was the base of RAF Bomber Command at that time.

Drawing of Avro 683

Technical data (Lancaster B I)

Data	Units
Years of production	1941-1946
Manufacturer	Avro
Wingspan	31 m
Length	21,10 m
Hight	6,10 m
Wing area	120,50 m²
Weight (empty)	16.740 kg
Max takeoff weight	31.750 kg
Passengers	-
Crew	7
Speed	462 km/h
Service ceiling	7.470 m
Range	4.070 km
Powerplant	4*Rolls-Royce Merlin X

Avro 683 Lancaster Media

Lancasters on Avro's Woodford assembly line at Cheshire, 1943
Lancasters under construction at Avro's factory at Woodford, Cheshire, 1943
PA474, Lancaster B.I of the RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight
Three 44 Squadron Avro Lancaster B.Is in 1942
Bomb aimer in his position in the nose
Inside G for George of No. 460 Squadron. Looking forward between wing spars. At left is the wireless operator, and at right is the navigator
Battle of Britain Flight Lancaster Mk I PA474 in flight showing nose, dorsal and tail .303 Browning gun positions
Gunner in Fraser Nash FN50 mid-upper turret with twin .303 Brownings, February 1943
Gunner in the Nash & Thompson FN20 tail turret
A Rose Gun Turret on display at RAF Museum London

References

↑ Norris 1966, pp. 13–14.

Notes

↑ This aircraft carries the deepened bomb aimer blister (Mod. 780) and the later paddle-bladed propellers. Neither H2S blister nor exhaust shrouds are fitted.

Other websites

20./21. February 1945 - The last flight of RAF PD421 IQ-F. Historical research of an Avro 683 lost near Hagen, Germany^{[dead link]} German

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[norris_13-14-2] Norris 1966, pp. 13–14.

[1] This aircraft carries the deepened bomb aimer blister (Mod. 780) and the later paddle-bladed propellers. Neither H2S blister nor exhaust shrouds are fitted.

[a]

[1]

Lancaster

Lancaster B I PA474^[a] of the RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight in 460 Squadron (RAAF) colours, escorted by Hurricane Mk.IIc LF363.
Role	Heavy bomber
National origin	United Kingdom
Manufacturer	Avro
Designer	Roy Chadwick
First flight	9 January 1941
Introduction	February 1942
Status	Retired
Primary users	Royal Air Force Royal Canadian Air Force Royal Australian Air Force
Number built	7,377^[1]
Unit cost	£45–50,000^[source?]
Developed from	Avro Manchester
Variants	Avro Lancastrian
Developed into	Avro York Avro Lincoln