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.X KB893
With 1 Air Navigation School when it crashed at RCAF Station Summerside, PEI on 25 April 1952. Flight Lieutenant W.J.N. Burnett, Flying Officer K.R. Carter, and Flying Officer K.E. Lussier killed.
supplied by Richard Rowntree:
Flown to England to Woodford for tests on 23.2.45; Returned to Canada with #434 Sqdrn. on 8.6.45 as spare in Tiger Force at Dartmouth, N.S.; Converted to Mk.10MP; Post-war KB893 initially served with the Central Flying School at R.C.A.F. Station Trenton, Ontario. It was then transferred to No. 1 Air Navigation School at Summerside, P.E.I. It was carrying out a test flight on the 25th of April, 1952 at Summerside when it bounced on the runway after attempting an overshoot. The pilot retracted the undercarriage while in a very steep climb. The Lanc stalled and crashed. It was subsequently consumed in the ensuing fire. Those killed aboard the Lancaster were as follows: Flight Lieutenant Kenneth Edward Lussier DFC, Flight Lieutenant Walter James Burnett DFC, Flying Officer Kenneth Roland Carter, and Cpl. Joseph Bernard Lachaine SOC 8.5.52
My grandfather was the pilot when this one crashed.
1945-07-06 Taken on Strength 2022-02-07
1945-12-31 Accept from other Air Force Received from RAF 2019-08-20
1952-04-25 Accident Crash 1 ANS Summerside PE CA It was carrying out a test flight on the 25th of April, 1952 at Summerside when it bounced on the runway after attempting an overshoot. The pilot retracted the undercarriage while in a very steep climb. The Lanc stalled and crashed. It was subsequently consumed in the ensuing fire. Those killed aboard the Lancaster were as follows: F/L Kenneth Edward Lussier DFC, F/L Walter James Burnett DFC, F/O Kenneth Roland Carter, and Cpl. Joseph Bernard Lachaine SOC 8.5.52 2020-11-24
1952-05-08 Struck off Strength 2022-02-07