Avro Lancastrian

Lancastrian
275px
Type	Passenger and mail transport
Manufacturer	Avro
Designed by	Roy Chadwick
Maiden flight	1943
Introduced	1945 (BOAC)
Retired	1960s
Primary users	BOAC Trans Canada Airlines Alitalia Royal Air Force
Produced	1943-1945
Number built	91 (including conversions)
Developed from	Avro Lancaster

The Avro 691 Lancastrian was a British passenger and mail transport aircraft of the 1940s and 1950s developed from the Avro Lancaster bomber (an inhabitant of Lancaster city is a Lancastrian).

The Lancastrian was very similar to the Lancaster, differing primarily in having all of the armament removed and faired over, and a streamlined non-glazed metal nose. The Avro York was a similar conversion with a redesigned fuselage.

Design and development

In 1943, Avro through its wartime Victory Aircraft Canadian subsidiary converted a Lancaster X bomber for civil transport duties with Trans-Canada Airlines (TCQ). This conversion was a success resulting in eight additional Lancaster Xs being converted. The "specials" were powered by Packard-built Merlin 38 engines and featured a lengthened, streamlined nose and tail cone. Range was enhanced by two 400-gallon Lancaster long-range fuel tanks fitted as standard in the bomb bay. These Lancastrians were used by TCA on its Montreal–Prestwick route.

Operational history

In 1945, deliveries commenced of 30 British-built Lancastrians for BOAC. On a demonstration flight on 23 April 1945, G-AGLF flew 13,500 miles (21,700 km) from England to Auckland, New Zealand in three days, 14 hours at an average speed of 220 mph (354 km/h).

Since the Lancastrian had rather limited cubic capacity yet was fast and had a long range, it was most suited for transport of mail and VIP passengers. BOAC used it for flights between England and Australia from 31 May 1945. It also served with the RAF, one of whose planes named Aries completed the first airborne circumnavigation of the globe, as well as serving with QANTAS and Flota Aerea Mercante Argentina.

Lancastrians were also used during the Berlin Airlift to transport petrol; 15 aircraft made over 5,000 trips.

Lancastrians were also used for tests of various turboprop and jet engines. One powered with Rolls-Royce Nene turbojets is credited with the first international passenger jet flight from London to Paris on 23 November 1946; the flight time was just 41 minutes.

Star Dust

File:Lancastrian-3-G-AGWH-Star-D.jpg

The B.S.A.A Lancastrian 3, Star Dust

On 2 August 1947, Lancastrian G-AGWH Star Dust of British South American Airways crashed in the Argentinean Andes after sending a cryptic radio message, what became known as the "Stendec incident". The wreckage was found 50 years later but the radio message remains a puzzle. Stendec was later adopted as the name of a UFO magazine.

The probable cause of the crash was a navigation error due to the then unknown effect of fast-moving, high altitude airstreams. Headwinds meant that dead reckoning of their position was inaccurate and the pilot started the descent while the plane was still over and not past the crest of the Andes mountains.

Variants

Lancaster XPP

Nine built by converting Lancasters at Victory Aircraft Ltd Canada.

Lancastrian C.1

Nine-seat transport aircraft for BOAC and Qantas. Royal Air Force designation Lancastrian C.1 to Specification 16/44. A total of 23 built by Avro

Lancastrian C.2

Nine-seat military transport aircraft for the RAF. A total of 33 built by Avro

Lancastrian 3

13-seat transport aircraft for British South American Airways. A total of 18 built by Avro

Lancastrian C.4

Ten to 13-seat military transport aircraft for the RAF. Eight built by Avro

Operators

Civil Operators

Template:ARG

• Flota Aerea Mercante Argentina

Template:AUS

• Qantas

Template:Country data Canada

• Trans Canada Airlines

Template:ITA

• Alitalia

Template:UK

• British European Airways
• British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC)
• British South American Airways
• Flight Refuelling Limited
• Silver City
• Skyways Limited

Military Operators

Template:ARG

• Argentine Air Force

Template:UK

• Royal Air Force
  • No. 24 Squadron RAF
  • No. 231 Squadron RAF
  • No. 232 Squadron RAF

Specifications (Lancastrian C.1)

General characteristics

• Crew: 5
• Capacity: 9 passengers
• Payload: 3,560 kg of mail ()
• Length: 76 ft 10 in (23.4 m)
• Wingspan: 102 ft (31.1 m)
• Height: 19 ft 6 in (5.9 m)
• Wing area: 1,297 ft² (120.5 m²)
• Empty weight: 30,426 lb (13,800 kg)
• Loaded weight: 65,000 lb (29,480 kg)
• Powerplant: 4× Rolls Royce Merlin 12 piston, 1,250 hp (930 kW) each

Performance

• Maximum speed: 310 mph at 5,000 ft (500 km/h at 1,520 m)
• Range: 4,150 miles (6,680 km)
• Service ceiling: 23,000 ft (7,000 m)
• Rate of climb: 750 ft/min (230 m/min)

See also

Related development

• Avro Lancaster
• Avro York

See also
List of aircraft of the RAF

References

Bibliography

• Franks, Richard A. The Avro Lancaster, Manchester and Lincoln: A Comprehensive Guide for the Modeller. London: SAM Publications, 2000. ISBN 0-9533465-3-6.
• Holmes, Harry. Avro Lancaster (Combat Legend series). Shrewsbury, UK: Airlife Publishing Ltd., 2002. ISBN 1-84037-376-8.
• Jackson, A.J. Avro Aircraft since 1908, 2nd edition. London: Putnam Aeronautical Books, 1990. ISBN 0-85177-834-8.
• Mackay, R.S.G. Lancaster in action. Carrollton, Texas: Squadron/Signal Publications Inc., 1982. ISBN 0-89747-130-X.
• Milberry, Larry. The Canadair North Star. Toronto: CANAV Books, 1982. ISBN 0-07-549965-7.
• Taylor, John W. R. "Avro Lancaster." Combat Aircraft of the World from 1909 to the present. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1969. ISBN 0-425-03633-2.

External links

• British Aircraft Directory
• British Aircraft of WWII

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Avro Lancastrian".