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| Lancastrian | |
|---|---|
_(15215624954).jpg) Avro Avro 691 Lancastrian 3 G-AGWH cn 1280 'Stardust' BSAA (British South American Airways) | |
| General information | |
| Type | Passenger and mail transport |
| Manufacturer | Avro |
| Primary users | BOAC |
| Number built | 91 (including conversions) |
| History | |
| Manufactured | 1943–1945 |
| Introduction date | 1945 (BOAC) |
| First flight | 1943 |
| Retired | 1960 |
| Developed from | Avro Lancaster |
TheAvro 691 Lancastrian was a British and Canadian passenger andmail transport aircraft of the 1940s and 1950s developed from theAvro Lancasterheavy bomber. The Lancastrian was basically a modified Lancaster bomber without armour or armament and with the gun turrets replaced by streamlined metal fairings, including a new nose section. The initial batch was converted directly from Lancasters; later batches were new builds.
In 1943, Canada'sVictory Aircraft converted aLancaster X bomber for civilian transport duties withTrans-Canada Airlines (TCA).[1] (After the war Victory Aircraft was purchased by what becameAvro Canada). This conversion was a success, resulting in eight additional Lancaster Xs being converted. The "specials" were powered byPackard-builtMerlin 38 engines and featured a lengthened, streamlined nose and tail cone. Range was increased by two 400 gal (1,818 L) Lancaster long-range fuel tanks fitted as standard in the bomb bay. These Lancastrians were used by TCA on itsMontreal–Prestwick route.[2]
The modification of abundant military aircraft into desperately needed civilian transports was common in the United Kingdom in the immediate postwar period; theHandley Page Halton was a similar conversion of theHalifax heavy bomber.
In 1945, deliveries commenced of 30 British-built Lancastrians forBOAC. On a demonstration flight on 23 April 1945,G-AGLF flew 13,500 mi (21,700 km) from England toAuckland,New Zealand in three days, 14 hours at an average speed of 220 mph (354 km/h).
The Lancastrian was fast, had a long range, and was capable of carrying a heavy load, but space inside was very limited as the Lancaster had been designed with space for its seven crew dispersed throughout the fuselage, and with the majority of the load being carried in the 33 ft (10.05 m) longbomb bay. Consequently, as passengers are bulky but low in weight, it was not suited to carry large numbers of passengers, but was suitable for mail and a small number ofVIP passengers. BOAC used it for flights between England andAustralia from 31 May 1945. It also served with theRAF; RAF Lancaster Iserial numberPD328, was converted to a Lancastrian and renamedAries, as well as serving withQantas andFlota Aérea Mercante Argentina.
15 Lancastrians made over 5,000 trips during theBerlin Airlift to transportpetrol. In 1946 a Lancastrian operated byBSAA was the first aircraft to make a scheduled flight from the then-newly openedLondon Heathrow Airport.
Data from: Avro Aircraft since 1908[3]
With the advent of gas turbine engines there emerged a need to test the new engines in a controlled flight environment in well instrumented installations. An ideal candidate emerged as the Avro Lancastrian which could easily accommodate the test instrumentation as well as fly on the power of two piston engines if required. Several Lancastrians were allocated for engine test-bed work with turbojet engines replacing the outer Merlin engines or test piston engines in the inner nacelles. Fuel arrangements varied but could include kerosene jet fuel in outer wing tanks or fuselage tanks, with avgas carried in remaining fuel tanks.
| Name | Serial | Test engine | First flight | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nene-Lancastrian | VH742 | 2xRolls-Royce Nene | 14 August 1946 | Flew the first international all-jet passenger flight from London to Paris on 23 November 1946.[4] |
| Nene-Lancastrian | VH737 | 2x Rolls-Royce Nene | ||
| Avon-Lancastrian | VM732 | 2xRolls-Royce Avon | ||
| Avon-Lancastrian | VL970 | 2x Rolls-Royce Avon | Latterly used to test theRolls-Royce Avon 502 civil turbojet for thede Havilland Comet 2 airliner. | |
| Ghost-Lancastrian | VM703 | 2xde Havilland Ghost 50 + 2xWalter HWK 109-500 RATOG packs | 24 July 1947 | Testing the engines and takeoff-boost system proposed for thede Havilland Comet 1 airliner |
| Ghost-Lancastrian | VM729 | 2x de Havilland Ghost 50 | Used for afterburner research and later development and certification of the Ghost 50 for the Comet 1a | |
| Sapphire-Lancastrian | VM733 | 2xArmstrong Siddeley Sapphire | 18 January 1950 | |
| Griffon-Lancastrian | VM704 | 2xRolls-Royce Griffon 57 inboard | Used for testing the Griffon installation for theAvro Shackleton | |
| Griffon-Lancastrian | VM728 | 2x Rolls-Royce Griffon 57 inboard | Used for testing the Griffon installation for the Avro Shackleton | |
| Merlin 600-Lancastrian | VM704 | 2xRolls-Royce Merlin 600 | Used for testing the civil Merlin 600-series for use in theCanadair C4M andAvro Tudor |
TheAviation Safety Network, part of theFlight Safety Foundation, records 23hull loss accidents involving the Lancastrian occurring between 1946 and 1964 resulting in a total of 81 fatalities.[5]
Notable accidents include:
On 23 March 1946 LancastrianG-AGLX was lost over the Indian Ocean en route betweenBritish Ceylon and Cocos (Keeling) Islands. All 10 on board died.[6]
On 2 August 1947 LancastrianG-AGWHStar Dust of British South American Airways was lost in theAndes en route fromBuenos Aires,Argentina, toSantiago, Chile. The probable cause of the crash was a navigation error due to the unknown effect of the fast-movingjetstream.[7][8]
On 11 December 1960 LancastrianT-102 of theArgentine Air Force crashed nearSan Andrés de Giles, Argentina. All 31 on board were killed. This was the worst accident involving this type of aircraft.[9]
Data from Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1947,[11] Avro Aircraft since 1908[3]
General characteristics
Performance
Related development
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
Related lists
