Avro Lancaster
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Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum
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-engined 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 Merlins 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. Wikipedia
CASPIR Aircraft Groups:
RCAF Owned (236) RCAF 6 Group (555) RCAF 400 Squadrons (561) Canadian Crewed (2032) Canadian Manufactured (430) Canadian Museum (3) Prototype (2) Template (1) Cold Weather Testing (1)Lancaster Mk.II DS686
OW-D;OW-F Used by No. 424 (B) Squadron, RCAF at Linton-on-Ouse, first coded "OW*F". Bombed Mannheim on 23/24 September 1943; and Hannover on 18/19 October 1943. Received severe damage during raid on Leipzig, 20/21 October 1943, but completed mission. Coded "OW*D" on this date. Pilot Flight Sergeant F.J. Stuart, RAF received CGM for this mission. Attacked Brunswick 14/15 January 1944. Crew claimed a single engine fighter shot down on this mission. Failed to return from operations over Berlin on 27/28 January 1944, one of 4 squadron losses on this mission. May have been coded "OW*S" when lost. 6 crew killed, 1 POW.1944-01-28 Failed to Return Failed to return from operations over Berlin. 6 crew killed, 1 POW. 2019-08-20
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