Avro Lancastrian

Avro

Industry	Aerospace
Founded	1910
Headquarters	United Kingdom , United Kingdom

The Avro 691 Lancastrian was a British-Canadian passenger and mail transport aircraft developed during the 1940s and used into the 1950s, derived from the Avro Lancaster heavy bomber. Essentially, the Lancastrian was a Lancaster bomber stripped of its armour and weaponry, with gun turrets replaced by smooth metal fairings and featuring a redesigned nose section. The earliest models were converted directly from existing Lancasters, while subsequent units were newly constructed.

Design and development

In 1943, Victory Aircraft in Canada undertook the conversion of a Lancaster X bomber into a civilian transport for use by Trans-Canada Airlines (TCA). (Victory Aircraft later became part of what evolved into Avro Canada). This initial transformation proved successful, leading to eight more Lancaster X bombers being adapted. These "specials" were equipped with Packard-manufactured Merlin 38 engines and incorporated an extended, streamlined nose along with a tail cone. The operational range was enhanced by installing two standard Lancaster long-range fuel tanks, each holding 400 gallons (1,818 litres), within the bomb bay. TCA deployed these Lancastrians on its Montreal–Prestwick route.

Following World War II, converting surplus military aircraft into urgently needed civilian transports was widespread in the UK; a parallel example is the Handley Page Halton, which was a similar adaptation of the Halifax heavy bomber.

Operational history

File:Avro Sapphire Lancastrian VM733 Coventry 06.54.jpg

Lancastrian fitted with two jet engines for testing at Coventry Airport, June 1954

File:Young boy watching a Lancasterian aircraft. St. Hubert airstrip, Montreal. 1947.jpg

Lancastrian at St. Hubert airfield, Montreal, 1947

Beginning in 1945, British-built Lancastrians were delivered to BOAC, totaling thirty aircraft. During a demonstration flight on 23 April 1945, registration G-AGLF completed a journey of approximately 13,500 miles (21,700 km) from England to Auckland, New Zealand in just over three days at an average velocity of 220 mph (354 km/h).

The Lancastrian combined speed with extended range capabilities and could carry substantial loads; however, interior space was constrained due to its design origins as a bomber accommodating seven crew members dispersed throughout the fuselage and utilizing a bomb bay measuring 33 ft (10.05 m) in length for payload carriage. As passengers occupy more volume relative to their weight compared to cargo, the aircraft was not ideal for transporting large passenger numbers but was well suited for mail and limited VIP travel. BOAC operated it on routes between England and Australia starting from 31 May 1945. The type also served with the Royal Air Force, including RAF Lancaster I serial PD328, which was converted to a Lancastrian variant named Aries, as well as being employed by airlines such as Qantas and Flota Aérea Mercante Argentina.

During the Berlin Airlift, fifteen Lancastrians completed over five thousand sorties transporting petrol supplies. In 1946, a Lancastrian operated by BSAA became the first aircraft to conduct scheduled flights from the newly inaugurated London Heathrow Airport.

Lancastrian engine test platforms

Source: Avro Aircraft since 1908

The introduction of gas turbine engines created a necessity for flight testing these new powerplants in well-equipped and instrumented airborne setups. The Avro Lancastrian proved to be an excellent choice, as it could house the required test instrumentation and still operate on two piston engines if needed. Multiple Lancastrians were designated for engine testing roles, with turbojet engines often installed in place of the outer Merlin engines or piston engines in the inner nacelles. Fuel configurations differed, sometimes involving kerosene jet fuel stored in outer wing or fuselage tanks, while avgas was carried in other fuel compartments.

Designation	Serial Number	Tested Engine	Date of First Flight	Remarks
Nene-Lancastrian	VH742	2x Rolls-Royce Nene	14 August 1946	Conducted the inaugural international all-jet passenger service from London to Paris on 23 November 1946.
Nene-Lancastrian	VH737	2x Rolls-Royce Nene
Avon-Lancastrian	VM732	2x Rolls-Royce Avon
Avon-Lancastrian	VL970	2x Rolls-Royce Avon		Later utilized for testing the Rolls-Royce Avon 502 civil turbojet intended for the de Havilland Comet 2 airliner.
Ghost-Lancastrian	VM703	2x de Havilland Ghost 50 + 2x Walter HWK 109-500 RATOG units	24 July 1947	Evaluated the engines and takeoff-boost system proposed for the de Havilland Comet 1 airliner.
Ghost-Lancastrian	VM729	2x de Havilland Ghost 50		Served in afterburner research and subsequent development and certification of the Ghost 50 for the Comet 1a.
Sapphire-Lancastrian	VM733	2x Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire	18 January 1950
Griffon-Lancastrian	VM704	2x Rolls-Royce Griffon 57 (inboard)		Used to evaluate Griffon engine installations for the Avro Shackleton.
Griffon-Lancastrian	VM728	2x Rolls-Royce Griffon 57 (inboard)		Also employed in testing Griffon powerplants for the Avro Shackleton.
Merlin 600-Lancastrian	VM704	2x Rolls-Royce Merlin 600		Tested civil Merlin 600-series engines designated for use in the Canadair North Star#Canadair C4M and Avro Tudor aircraft.

Accidents and incidents

Between 1946 and 1964, the Lancastrian was involved in 23 hull loss accidents recorded by the Aviation Safety Network, affiliated with the Flight Safety Foundation, resulting in a total of 81 fatalities.

Significant incidents include:

Lancastrian G-AGLX

On 23 March 1946, Lancastrian G-AGLX disappeared over the Indian Ocean while flying between British Ceylon and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. All ten occupants perished.

Lancastrian G-AGWH, Star Dust

Lancastrian G-AGWH, known as Star Dust, operated by British South American Airways, crashed into the Andes on 2 August 1947 during a flight from Buenos Aires, Argentina, to Santiago, Chile. The accident was likely caused by a navigation error influenced by an unrecognized effect of a high-speed jetstream.

Lancastrian T-102

On 11 December 1960, Lancastrian T-102 of the Argentine Air Force crashed near San Andrés de Giles, Argentina, resulting in the deaths of all 31 individuals on board. This event stands as the deadliest accident involving this model.

Variants

Lancaster XPP

Conversion of nine Lancaster Mk. X aircraft into this variant was completed by Victory Aircraft Ltd in Canada.

Lancastrian C.1

A nine-seat transport model utilized by BOAC and Qantas, designated Lancastrian C.1 by the Royal Air Force under Specification 16/44. Avro manufactured a total of 23 units.

Lancastrian C.2

Designed as a nine-seat military transport for the RAF, with 33 examples produced by Avro.

Lancastrian 3

Configured to carry 13 passengers for British South American Airways, with Avro building 18 aircraft in this series.

Lancastrian C.4

A military transport aircraft accommodating between ten and thirteen seats for the RAF, with eight units constructed by Avro.

Civil operators

Template:ARG

• Flota Aérea Mercante Argentina (FAMA) – introduced three C.4 aircraft in 1947

Template:AUS

• Qantas

Canada

• Trans Canada Airlines

Template:ITA

• Alitalia – operated five Lancastrians from 1947 through 1952

Template:UK

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

Military operators

Template:ARG

• Argentine Air Force – incorporated two C.4 aircraft previously operated by FAMA in 1948

Template:UK

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

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.
• Ottaway, Susan and Ian. Fly With the Stars – A History of British South American Airways. Andover, Hampshire, UK: Speedman Press, 2007. ISBN 978-0-7509-4448-9.
• 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

• "The Lancastrian," a 1945 Flight article on the Avro Lancastrian
• "The Pathfinder goes by Star Light," a 1946 AVRO advertisement for the Lancastrian in Flight magazine
• "England to Australia in 3 Days!" – a 1945 advertisement in Flight magazine promoting BOAC's Lancastrian service to Australia
• "Flight in the Nene Lancastrian" a 1946 article from Flight
• "Nene Installation," a 1947 Flight feature on the experimental Rolls-Royce Nene jet engine fitted to the Lancastrian