The Avro Lancaster: A British Second World War Heavy Bomber
The Avro Lancaster, a British heavy bomber from the Second World War, was designed and built by Avro alongside the Handley Page Halifax and the Short Stirling. All three aircraft were developed to meet the same specifications and served as four-engined heavy bombers adopted by the Royal Air Force (RAF) during that era. The Lancaster's origins can be traced back to the Avro Manchester, a twin-engine aircraft developed in the late 1930s in response to the Air Ministry Specification P.13/36, which called for a medium bomber capable of worldwide use, carrying an internal torpedo, and performing shallow dive-bombing attacks. Evolving from the Manchester, which faced difficulties in service and was retired in 1942, the Lancaster was designed by Roy Chadwick and powered by four Rolls-Royce Merlins, with one version using Bristol Hercules engines. It entered service with RAF Bomber Command in 1942 and became the primary aircraft for night-time bombing campaigns during the strategic bombing...