PA474 coming in to land
A couple of years ago I was commissioned to create a book for a friend’s “big” birthday, using images I had taken of the Lancaster. I was also asked to add some text to accompany the images. After a lot of research I completed the book and the recipient was extremely happy with it. Below is a summary of the text that accompanied the images.
FM213, PA474 and NX611 at East Kirkby in 2014
The Avro Lancaster’s maiden flight was on 9th January 1941 after which, and until the end of the second world war, 7,377 Lancasters were built across two continents of which 4128 survived the hostilities. Of those only 17 remained, and only two are airworthy. Those are the Canadian FM213, which is based at the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum in Hamilton and **PA474 **based at RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire as part of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF).
PA474 flanked by two Spitfires
PA474, a B Mk 1, was built in 1945 in the Vickers Armstrong Broughton factory, and rolled out of production on May 31st 1945, too late to see action in the European theatre, following VE Day on the 8th May that year. She was subsequently assigned to Tiger Force – the strategic bombing of Japan. But again, PA474 was too late to play a part. Consequently, she was refitted, having her gun turrets removed and the cockpit roofed, and assigned to 82 Squadron operating out of Takoradi in West Africa for Photographic Reconnaissance duties. After further attachments (including appearing in a couple of movies - “Operation Crossbow” and “The Guns of Navarone”) before arriving at RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire UK.
FM213 and PA474 at RAF Waddington 2014
In 2014 FM213 made the trip from Canada, and for a few weeks the only two airworthy Lancaster’s graced the UK skies together. On 7th May 2015 PA474 suffered a fire on the starboard outer engine but landed safely, flying again, after repairs, on 12th Oct 2015. Currently designated AR-L 'Leader' (460 Sqn) on her left hand side and VN-T (50 Sqn) on the right, PA474 now spends her days as part of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight celebrating military and public events, flypasts and air shows.
PA474 in flight
The Lancaster had a seven man crew, the average age of this crew was just 22, and the average number of missions before being lost was twenty one.
PA474 with bomb doors open
Specifications
Crew: 7 – Pilot, Flight Engineer, Navigator, Bomb Aimer/Nose Gunner, Wireless Operator Mid-Upper Gunner And Rear Gunner. (PA474 has dual controls used in training)
Length: 69 feet 4 inches
Wingspan: 105 feet
Height: 20 feet 6 inches
Empty Weight: 36,900 pounds
Maximum Speed: 282 MPH (at 13,000 feet)
Range: 2530 miles
Powered by: 4 Packard V-1650 Merlin’s
List of all remaining Avro Lancaster Bombers (those in bold are ones I have seen and photographed)
| Designation | Location | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| R5868 | London, UK Royal Air Force Museum | Static display |
| W4783 | Canberra, Australia Australian War Memorial | Static display |
| FM104 | Sidney, British Columbia, Canada British Columbia Aviation Museum | Under restoration for display |
| FM136 | Calgary, Alberta, Canada The Hangar Flight Museum | Static display |
| FM159 | Nanton, Alberta, Canada Bomber Command Museum of Canada | Static display |
| FM212 | Windsor, Ontario, Canada Canadian Historical Aircraft Association | Under restoration for display |
| FM213 | Hamilton, Ontario, Canada Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum | Airworthy |
| KB839 | Greenwood, Nova Scotia, Canada Greenwood Military Aviation Museum | Static display |
| KB882 | Trenton, Ontario, Canada National Air Force Museum of Canada | Under restoration for display |
| KB889 | UK Imperial War Museum Duxford | Static display |
| KB944 | Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Canada Aviation and Space Museum | Static display |
| KB976 | Polk City, Florida, USA Fantasy of Flight | Dismantled and in storage |
| NX611 | East Kirkby, UK Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre | Under restoration to airworthiness |
| NX622 | Bull Creek, Western Australia Aviation Heritage Museum | Static display |
| NX664 | Paris, France Musee de l'air et de l'espace | Under restoration for display |
| NX665 | Auckland, New Zealand Museum of Transport and Technology | Static display |
| PA474 | UK RAF Coningsby | Airworthy |
Information correct at time of publishing
About me:
I can mostly be found shooting models, aviation, motorsports and, when I can, wildlife. But I enjoy most aspects of photography. You can find more of my work on the links below.
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