Not long after the issue of B.1/39, for a bomber landplane, the Air Ministry expressed interest in the A.V.Roe & Co. Ltd. proposals for a four engined aircraft, a derivative of the Manchester bomber. This new aircraft, Type 683, had its wing span enlarged to 90 feet, featured an enlarged tailplane and four Merlin X engines. With the planned introduction by Rolls Royce of the Merlin XX, increasing the power to over 1,200 hp at 20,000ft, A.V. Roe was quick to recognise the value of the XX. In February 1940, a new set of calculations for the Type 683 referred to a top speed of slightly over 300 mph at 18,000ft, with an estimated maximum all-up weight of 58,000lbs.
On the 9 January 1941, BT308, the first "Lancaster"-prototype took to the air. Although as early of February 1940, the Type 683 was referred to by A.V.Roe's design department as the "Lancaster", for security reasons the firm had been instructed by the Air Ministry to stop using this name and therefore BT308's first flight was as a "Manchester Mk.III".
Trials at the A&AEE at Boscombe Down followed in February and March by which time the Air Ministry had formally approved the name "Lancaster".
Back with the manufacturer, BT308, had four new Merlin XXs installed. The central fin was removed and two enlarged fins and rudders fitted.
The first production Lancaster, L7527, made her maiden flight on 31 October, 1941, from Woodford.
On Christmas Eve 1941, the first three Lancasters (L7530, L7537 and L7538) arrived at RAF Waddington for No. 44 (Rhodesia) Squadron, RAF. Soon, No.97 (Straits Settlements) Squadron at RAF Coningsby would follow.
Lancaster B.I production:
A.V. Roe & Co. Ltd., Newton Heath, Manchester: Three prototypes, the first being BT308, a Manchester airframe modified for the installation of four Merlin X engines and retaining the central fin. The other two prototypes were DG595 and DT810. A fourth envisaged prototype, DT812, was not built.
A.V. Roe & CO. Ltd., Chadderton, Manchester, with final assembly at Woodford: 43 aircraft (originally ordered as Manchester I, but completed as the first production batch of Lancaster Mk.I).
Metropolitan-Vickers Ltd., Trafford Park, Manchester:
56 aircraft (originally ordered as Manchester I, but completed as Lancaster Mk.I).
200 aircraft (second production batch).
207 aircraft (third production batch).
129 aircraft (fourth production batch).
One aircraft (ninth production batch of in total 723 aircraft of which 722 were built as Lancaster III).
225 aircraft (tenth production batch).
32 aircraft Lancaster I (Special). These Lancasters were adapted to carry the 22,000lb Grand Slam weapon and were delivered between January and March 1945.
A.V.Roe & Co. Ltd., Yeadon: 10 aircraft (fifth production batch of in total 350 aircraft; all other finished as Lancaster III).
44 aircraft (sixth production batch of in total 200 aircraft; 156 aircraft finished as Lancaster III).
Metropolitan-Vickers Ltd., Trafford Park, Manchester: 57 aircraft (first production batch, ordered as Manchesters but completed as Lancaster I)
170 (second production batch).
91 aircraft (third production batch).
250 aircraft (fourth production batch, of which 7 aircraft were converted to Lancaster III).
Metropolitan-Vickers Ltd., Mosley Road, Manchester: 200 aircraft (fifth production batch).
121aircraft (sixth production batch).
Vickers-Armstrong Ltd., Castle Bromwich, Birmingham: 200 aircraft (initially ordered as Lancaster II, then changed to Lancaster III, but ultimately built as Lancaster I).
Vickers-Armstrong Ltd., Chester: 235 aircraft (first production batch).
100 aircraft (second production batch).
15 aircraft (aircraft built by Metropolitan-Vickers Ltd., but assembled by Vickers-Armstrong at Chester).
Sir W.G. Armstrong-Whitworth Aircraft Ltd., Whitley, Coventry: 350 aircraft (third production batch).
400 aircraft (fourth production batch).
65 aircraft (fifth production batch of 170 aircraft, the remainder built as Lancaster III).
25 aircraft as Lancaster I (FE), built in June and July 1945 for service in the Far East for the Tiger Force.
21 aircraft (batch built during June 1945)
50 aircraft (produced between July 1945 and March 1946).
Austin Motors Ltd., Longbridge, Birmingham:
100 aircraft (first production batch).
50 aircraft (second production batch).
Total B.I production, including 3 prototypes, 32 B.I (Specials) and 25 B.I (FE): 3428 aircraft.
Engines for the Lancaster I:
Four Rolls Royce Merlin XX, 1,390 hp (1,036 kW)
Four Rolls Royce Merlin 22, 1,490 hp (1,111 kW)
Four Rolls Royce Merlin 24, 1,610 hp (1,200 kW)
Today only a handful of Lancasters survive, with two airworthy examples: B.I PA474 with the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight at RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire, England, and B.X FM213 with the Canadian Warplane Heritage at Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Meanwhile efforts are made at the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre at East Kirkby to return their Lancaster B.VII NX611 to the skies.
The oldest surviving Lancaster B.I is preserved in the RAF Museum at Hendon. R5868 served with 83 Squadron at RAF Scampton and RAF Wyton before transferring to 467 Squadron, RAAF at RAF Bottesford. Coded 'PO-S', R5868 completed 137 operational sorties.
Lancaster B.I W4783 is on display at the Australian War Memorial at Canberra. The machine flew 90 operational sorties with 460 Squadron, RAAF.
- Country of Origin:
United Kingdom
- First Flight:
9 January 1941
- Initial Service Date:
3 March 1942
- No. Built:
3,428
- No. In Service:
1
- No. of Hardpoints:
0
- Crew:
7