Avro Lincoln

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avro_Lincoln

The Avro Type 694, better known as the Avro Lincoln, is a British four-engined
heavy bomber, which first flew on 9 June 1944. Developed from the Avro
Lancaster, the first Lincoln variants were initially known as the Lancaster IV
and V; these were renamed Lincoln I and II. It was the last piston-engined
bomber operated by the Royal Air Force (RAF).

The Lincoln attained operational status in August 1945. It had been initially
assigned to units of the Tiger Force, a Commonwealth heavy bomber force which
had been intended to play a role in the closing stages of the Second World War
by participating in the Japan campaign with operations against the Japanese
mainland; the war ended before the Lincoln went into action. Production of the
type proceeded and the type was adopted in quantity, allowing it to complement
and progressively replace the preceding Lancaster in RAF service during the late
1940s.

The Lincoln was deployed on operations during the 1950s. RAF squadrons equipped
with the type were used as part of Britain's action against guerrilla fighters
during the Mau Mau Uprising in Kenya; the RAF and the Royal Australian Air Force
(RAAF) operated the Lincoln during the Malayan Emergency. In addition to its
wartime use, the type also saw significant service with the RAAF and the
Argentine Air Force (Spanish: Fuerza Aérea Argentina). Lincolns also saw some
use in civil aviation, often being operated as aerial test beds for aero-engine
research.

In RAF service, the Lincoln was replaced by a new generation of bombers
harnessing newly developed jet propulsion. Chief amongst these was the English
Electric Canberra, which was also adopted by a wide range of operators across
the world including the RAAF and Argentine Air Force. During the 1950s, the RAF
also adopted a total of three advanced jet-powered strategic bombers to carry
Britain's new nuclear deterrent – collectively known as the V Force – the
Vickers Valiant, Handley Page Victor and the Avro Vulcan. In 1967, the last
Lincoln bombers in Argentinian service were retired.

The Avro Lincoln originated from a design produced by Roy Chadwick as a
development of the earlier Lancaster bomber which had been produced with the
purpose of conforming with the requirements of the Specification B.14/43. Known
initially as the Lancaster IV and Lancaster V, the envisioned aircraft, while
bearing considerable similarity to the Lancaster, featured numerous
improvements, such as the adoption of stronger, longer span, higher aspect ratio
(10.30 compared with 8.02) wings along with two-stage supercharged Rolls-Royce
Merlin 85 engines fitted within Universal Power Plant (UPP) installations. The
new bomber also possessed an enlarged fuselage that accommodated increased fuel
and bomb loads and allowing for the carriage of up to 11 tons of various
armaments and equipment fittings including the Grand Slam bomb. As a result of
these changes, it would possess a higher operational ceiling and longer range
than its Lancaster predecessor, being capable of a maximum altitude of 35,000 ft
(6.5 miles) and a maximum range of 4,450 miles.

The prototype Lancaster IV, later renamed as the Lincoln I was assembled by
Avro's experimental flight department at Manchester's Ringway Airport. According
to aviation author Kev Delve, development of the Lincoln had proceeded
relatively smoothly. On 9 June 1944, the prototype conducted its maiden flight
from Ringway Airport. Testing of the prototype quickly proved it to have
favourable flight characteristics. In February 1945, the first production
Lincoln was completed.


Role
Heavy bomber

Manufacturer
A V Roe (168), Metropolitan-Vickers (80) and Armstrong Whitworth (281)

First flight
9 June 1944

Introduction
1945

Retired
1963 Royal Air Force
1967 Argentine Air Force

Status
Retired

Primary users
Royal Air Force
Argentine Air Force
Royal Australian Air Force

Number built
604

Developed from
Avro Lancaster

Developed into
Avro Shackleton
Avro Tudor

During 1945, the Royal Air Force (RAF) received its first Lincoln, which was
delivered to No. 57 Squadron based at RAF East Kirkby, Lincolnshire. In August
1945, No. 75 (New Zealand) Squadron began to re-equip with the Lincoln at RAF
Spilsby, Lincolnshire. However, No. 75 (NZ) Sqn had received just three aircraft
prior to VJ Day, and was disbanded quickly thereafter.

During the postwar climate, the Lincoln quickly equipped the bomber squadrons of
the RAF. Nearly 600 Lincolns were constructed to equip a total of 29 RAF
squadrons, the majority of which were based in the United Kingdom. They were
supplemented and partially replaced by 88 Boeing Washingtons, on loan from the
USAF, which had longer range and could reach targets inside the Iron Curtain.
Small numbers remained in use with Nos 7, 83 and 97 Squadrons until the end of
1955, at which point the type was phased out, having been replaced by the first
of the V bombers.

During the 1950s, RAF Lincolns participated in active combat missions in Kenya
against Mau-Mau insurgents. During this action, they were operated from
Eastleigh. The Lincoln was also deployed to Malaya during the Malayan Emergency,
where it was used against insurgents aligned to the Malayan Communist Party. In
Malayan theatre, RAF Lincolns were operated from Changi Air Base and Tengah Air
Base. In excess of 3,000 sorties were flown during their ?7 1/2-year deployment,
during which half a million pounds of bombs dropped. This equated to 85 per cent
of the total bomb tonnage dropped during the Malayan emergency.

On 12 March 1953, an RAF Lincoln (RF531 "C") of Central Gunnery School was shot
down 20 mi (32 km) NE of Lüneburg, Germany by several Soviet MiG-15s as it flew
to Berlin on a radar reconnaissance flight, resulting in the deaths of the seven
crew members.

From 1947, the Lincoln bomber served with the Fuerza Aerea Argentina; Argentina
had procured a total of 30 aircraft, together with a batch of 15 secondhand
Lancasters. The adoption of the Lincoln effectively gave Argentina the most
powerful bombing force in South America. Eighteen of these Lincolns were newly
built, along with twelve ex-RAF aircraft. In 1947, the type entered service with
I Grupo de Bombardeo of V Brigada Aérea. By the beginning of 1965, eleven of
these remained in operational use, the majority of these were retired during the
next year. In 1967, the final examples of the Lincoln were retired.

The Argentine aircraft were used in bombing missions against domestic rebels.
Lincolns were deployed during an attempted military coup conducted in September
1951, the type was also used by both the government and rebel forces during the
1955 Revolución Libertadora coup which resulted in Argentinian President Juan
Perón being deposed.

Argentinian Lincolns were also used to conduct supply airdrops in support of
Argentine operations in the Antarctic region. In 1948, one of the bombers was
returned to Avro for modification at RAF Langar in Nottinghamshire in order to
allow it to operate these Antarctic support flights; the changes included the
addition of Lancastrian nose and tail cones, additional fuel tanks, and removal
of armament; this led to the aircraft becoming the first Avro Lincolnian.
Modified as such, the aircraft received a civilian registration and was named
Cruz del Sur; it undertook its first aerial supply flight to the Antarctic San
Martín Base in December 1951.

Specifications (Lincoln I)

General characteristics
Crew: 7 or 8 (pilot, flight engineer/co-pilot, navigator, wireless operator,
front gunner/bomb aimer, dorsal and rear gunners)
Length: 78 ft 3.5 in (23.863 m)
Wingspan: 120 ft (37 m)
Height: 17 ft 3.5 in (5.271 m)
Wing area: 1,421 sq ft (132.0 m2)
Empty weight: 44,188 lb (20,043 kg) equipped
Gross weight: 75,000 lb (34,019 kg)
Max takeoff weight: 82,000 lb (37,195 kg)
Fuel capacity: 3,580 imp gal (4,300 US gal; 16,300 l) in 6 wing tanks ; Oil 150
imp gal (180 US gal; 680 l) in four nacelle tanks
Powerplant: 4 × Rolls-Royce Merlin 85 or Packard-Merlin 68 V-12 liquid-cooled
piston engines, 1,750 hp (1,300 kW) each

Performance
Maximum speed: 310 mph (499 km/h; 269 kn) at 18,300 ft (5,600 m)
Cruise speed: 215 mph (346 km/h; 187 kn) at 20,000 ft (6,100 m)
Stall speed: 75 mph (121 km/h; 65 kn) flaps and undercarriage extended
Range: 2,800 mi (2,433 nmi; 4,506 km) at 15,000 ft (4,600 m) with 14,000 lb
(6,400 kg) bomb load at 200 mph (170 kn; 320 km/h).
4,450 mi (3,870 nmi; 7,160 km) at 15,000 ft (4,600 m) with 3,000 lb (1,400 kg)
bomb load at 200 mph (170 kn; 320 km/h).2,240 mi (1,950 nmi; 3,600 km) at 20,000
ft (6,100 m) with 14,000 lb (6,400 kg) bomb load at 260 mph (230 kn; 420
km/h).3,560 mi (3,090 nmi; 5,730 km) at 20,000 ft (6,100 m) with 3,000 lb (1,400
kg) bomb load at 260 mph (230 kn; 420 km/h).Service ceiling: 30,500 ft (9,300 m)
Rate of climb: 800 ft/min (4.1 m/s)
Time to altitude: 20,000 ft (6,100 m) in 26 minutes 30 seconds
Wing loading: 52.77 lb/sq ft (257.6 kg/m2)
Power/mass: 12.2 lb/hp (7.4 kg/kW)

Armament

Guns: 2x 0.5 in (12.70 mm) M2 Browning machine-guns in a Boulton Paul Type F
nose turret, 2x 20 mm (0.787 in) Hispano MK.IV cannon or Hispano Mk.V cannon in
a Bristol B.17 dorsal turret and 2x 0.5 in (12.70 mm) M2 Browning machine-guns
in a Boulton Paul Type D tail turret.
(Some aircraft fitted with a single 0.5 in (12.70 mm) M2 Browning in a ventral
position)Bombs: Up to 14,000 lb (6,400 kg) of bombs; exceptionally 1 x 22,000 lb
(10,000 kg) Grand Slam Deep Penetration bomb.



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