Avro Lincoln

Avro Lincoln
Public domain · source
Name	Avro Lincoln
Caption	An Avro Lincoln B.2 in flight.
Type	Heavy bomber
National origin	United Kingdom
Manufacturer	Avro
Designer	Roy Chadwick
First flight	9 June 1944
Introduction	1945
Retired	1963 (Royal Air Force)
Primary user	Royal Air Force
Number built	604
Developed from	Avro Lancaster
Developed into	Avro Shackleton, Avro Tudor

Avro Lincoln. The Avro Lincoln was a British four-engined heavy bomber developed from the famous Avro Lancaster during the latter stages of the Second World War. Designed by Roy Chadwick and built by Avro, it entered service with the Royal Air Force in 1945, becoming the last piston-engined bomber operated by the RAF. Although it arrived too late for combat in World War II, it served as a key component of Britain's postwar strategic deterrent and saw action in various Cold War conflicts.

Development and design

The development of the aircraft was initiated to meet the requirements of Air Ministry Specification B.14/43, which sought a successor to the Avro Lancaster with greater range, higher operational ceiling, and increased bomb load. Under the leadership of chief designer Roy Chadwick, the team at Avro extensively modified the Lancaster's design, resulting in a new type initially designated the Lancaster IV and V before being renamed the Lincoln. Key changes included a lengthened fuselage, a new wing with a greater span, and more powerful Rolls-Royce Merlin engines, specifically the Rolls-Royce Merlin 85. The prototype, converted from a Lancaster airframe, first flew from Ringway on 9 June 1944, with testing revealing excellent handling characteristics. Further refinements led to the main production variant, the Lincoln B.2, which featured even more powerful Rolls-Royce Merlin 68A or Rolls-Royce Merlin 300 series engines and an enlarged tail fin for improved stability. The design also incorporated advanced defensive armament, with Nash & Thompson-designed turrets mounting Hispano-Suiza HS.404 cannons, and a robust structure capable of carrying a vast array of ordnance, including the massive Grand Slam bomb.

Operational history

Entering service with the Royal Air Force in 1945, the aircraft equipped squadrons of RAF Bomber Command and later RAF Coastal Command, forming a crucial part of Britain's nuclear deterrent in the early Cold War. It never dropped bombs in anger over Europe, but it saw extensive combat during the Malayan Emergency, where it performed long-range bombing missions against Malayan Communist Party insurgents in the jungles. The type also participated in the Mau Mau Uprising in Kenya and was deployed during the Suez Crisis in 1956. Several were converted for electronic intelligence (ELINT) and maritime patrol duties, serving with the Royal Australian Air Force during the Indonesian Confrontation. The advent of jet-powered bombers like the English Electric Canberra and Vickers Valiant rendered the piston-engined design obsolete, and it was gradually phased out of frontline RAF service by the late 1950s, with the last training examples retired in 1963.

Variants

The primary production model was the Lincoln B.2, which constituted the bulk of the 604 aircraft built. Several specialized variants were developed, including the Lincoln ASR.3 for air-sea rescue, equipped with a lifeboat under the fuselage. The Lincoln MR.31 was a maritime reconnaissance version operated by the Royal Australian Air Force. Experimental models included the Lincoln II, used as a testbed for the Armstrong Siddeley Python turboprop engine, and aircraft modified to carry and test early British nuclear weapon shapes. The design also served as the basis for the Avro Shackleton maritime patrol aircraft and influenced the development of the Avro Tudor airliner.

Operators

The principal operator was the Royal Air Force, which used the type with numerous squadrons including No. 57 Squadron and No. 617 Squadron. The Royal Australian Air Force received 54 aircraft, operating them from bases like RAAF Amberley. The Argentine Air Force was a significant foreign customer, using the bomber from 1947 into the 1960s. Other operators included the Royal Canadian Air Force, which used a small number for aerial photography and Arctic reconnaissance, and the French Air Force. A single aircraft was also evaluated by the Soviet Air Forces.

Specifications (Lincoln B.2)

* **Crew:** 7 (pilot, flight engineer, navigator, bomb aimer, wireless operator, two gunners) * **Length:** 78 ft 3½ in (23.86 m) * **Wingspan:** 120 ft 0 in (36.58 m) * **Height:** 17 ft 3½ in (5.27 m) * **Empty weight:** 44,188 lb (20,044 kg) * **Max takeoff weight:** 82,000 lb (37,195 kg) * **Powerplant:** 4 × Rolls-Royce Merlin 68A V-12 liquid-cooled piston engines, 1,750 hp (1,305 kW) each * **Maximum speed:** 319 mph (513 km/h, 277 kn) at 18,300 ft (5,600 m) * **Range:** 2,800 mi (4,500 km, 2,400 nmi) with 14,000 lb (6,350 kg) bomb load * **Service ceiling:** 30,500 ft (9,300 m) * **Armament:** 2 × 20 mm Hispano-Suiza HS.404 cannons in nose and tail turrets, 2 × .50 in (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine guns in dorsal turret; up to 22,000 lb (9,979 kg) of bombs

Survivors

No complete aircraft remains airworthy, but several are preserved in museums worldwide. A Lincoln B.2 is on display at the Royal Air Force Museum Cosford in the United Kingdom. The Imperial War Museum Duxford holds another example in its collection. Internationally, a Lincoln B.2 is preserved at the Museo Nacional de Aeronáutica in Morón, Argentina. The fuselage of an Australian Lincoln MR.31 is part of the collection at the RAAF Museum at RAAF Base Point Cook in Victoria.

Category:Avro aircraft Category:British bomber aircraft 1940–1949 Category:Four-engined piston aircraft