| Lincoln | |
|---|---|
 The only Canadian-built Avro Lincoln | |
| General information | |
| Type | Heavy bomber |
| National origin | United Kingdom |
| Manufacturer | A V Roe (168) |
| Built by | Metropolitan-Vickers (80) Armstrong Whitworth (281) |
| Status | Retired |
| Primary users | Royal Air Force |
| Number built | 604[1] |
| History | |
| Introduction date | 1945 |
| First flight | 9 June 1944[1] |
| Retired | 1961Royal Australian Air Force 1963Royal Air Force 1967Argentine Air Force |
| Developed from | Avro Lancaster |
| Developed into | Avro Shackleton Avro Tudor |
TheAvro Type 694 Lincoln is a British four-enginedheavy bomber, whichfirst flew on 9 June 1944. Developed from theAvro Lancaster, the first Lincoln variants were initially known as theLancaster IV andV; these were renamedLincoln I andII. It was the lastpiston-engined bomber operated by theRoyal Air Force (RAF); the laterAvro Shackleton, though piston-engined, served in maritime patrol rather than bomber roles.
The Lincoln attained operational status in August 1945. It had been initially assigned to units of theTiger Force, aCommonwealth heavy bomber force which had been intended to play a role in theJapan campaign in the closing stages of theSecond World War, but the war ended before the Lincoln could participate. Production of the type proceeded and the type was adopted in quantity, complementing and progressively replacing the Lancaster in RAF service during the late 1940s.
The Lincoln was deployed on operations during the 1950s. RAF squadrons equipped with the type fought againstguerrilla fighters during theMau Mau Uprising in Kenya; the RAF and theRoyal Australian Air Force (RAAF) also operated the Lincoln during theMalayan Emergency. The type also saw significant peacetime service with the RAF, RAAF and theArgentine Air Force. Lincolns were also operated in civil aviation, including use as aerial test beds for aero-engine research.
In RAF service, the Lincoln was replaced by a new generation of bombers usingjet propulsion. In 1967 the last Lincoln bombers in service, in Argentina, were retired.
The Avro Lincoln originated from a design produced byRoy 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.[2][3] Known initially as theLancaster IV andLancaster V, the envisioned aircraft, while considerably similar to the Lancaster, had numerous improvements such as the adoption of stronger, longer span, higheraspect ratio (10.30 compared with 8.02) wings, and two-stagesuperchargedRolls-Royce Merlin 85 engines fitted withinUniversal Power Plant (UPP) installations.[4][3] The new bomber also had an enlarged fuselage that accommodated increased fuel and bomb loads and allowed up to 11 tons of various armaments and equipment fittings, including theGrand Slam bomb, to be carried. It had a higher operational ceiling and longer range than the Lancaster, with a maximum altitude of 35,000 ft (6.6 mi; 11 km) and a maximum range of 4,450 miles (7,160 km).[5][4]
The prototype Lancaster IV, later renamed theLincoln I, was assembled by Avro's experimental flight department atManchester'sRingway Airport.[6] According to aviation author Kev Delve, development of the Lincoln had proceeded relatively smoothly.[2] On 9 June 1944, the prototype conducted itsmaiden flight from Ringway Airport.[7][8] Testing of the prototype quickly proved it to have favourable flight characteristics.[6] In February 1945 the first production Lincoln was completed.[6]
The type was mainly produced at Avro'sWoodford, Cheshire andChadderton Lancashire factories; additional aircraft were also constructed byArmstrong Whitworth at their Coventry facilities. Separate production lines were also established in Canada and Australia, although, as a consequence of the end of the war, production in Canada was halted after only a single aircraft had been constructed. Lincolns were manufactured in Australia and operated by theRoyal Australian Air Force (RAAF).
From early 1945 the British Government set about restoring the country to a peacetime stance, with drastic reductions to the armed forces including the disbanding of many squadrons of theRoyal Air Force (RAF).[2] A new emphasis was soon placed on 'quality over quantity' during the rationalisation process, seeking to employ fewer but more capable aircraft to perform their envisioned roles; while there was no longer any urgency in bringing new types of aircraft into service, limited procurement of equipment that fell within this ethos did proceed.[2] In accordance with this aim, the BritishAir Ministry proceeded to formulate and releaseSpecification B.14/43, which sought an improved piston-enginedheavy bomber to replace the wartime four-engine bombers, theShort Stirling, theHandley Page Halifax, and theAvro Lancaster.[2]
One Lincoln B Mk XV pattern aircraft was completed in Canada byVictory Aircraft; a follow-up order for a total of six RCAF variants was cancelled shortly following the end of hostilities.[9] Along with two additional Lincoln (Mk I and Mk II) aircraft on loan from the RAF, the type was briefly evaluated postwar by the RCAF.[10] The Lancaster V/Lincoln II differed mainly in that it was fitted with Merlin 68A engines.
Prior to the Lincoln being developed, the Australian government had already formulated plans for itsDepartment of Aircraft Production (DAP), later known as the Government Aircraft Factory (GAF), to construct the earlier Lancaster Mk III. In its place, it was decided to proceed with manufacturing a variant of the Lincoln I, re-designated the Lincoln Mk 30, to replace theConsolidated Liberators. This model was manufactured between 1946 and 1949, and is the largest aircraft ever constructed in Australia.[11] Orders for a total of 85 Mk 30 Lincolns were placed by the RAAF, although only 73 were produced.[12][13]
The first five Australian examples (A73–1 toA73–5), were assembled atFishermans Bend using a large proportion of imported British-made components. On 17 March 1946,A73-1 conducted its début flight; the first entirely Australian-built Lincoln,A73-6, was formally delivered in November 1946. The Mk 30 initially used four Merlin 85 engines, this arrangement was later changed to a combination of two outboard Merlin 66s and two inboard Merlin 85s. A further improved later version, designated Lincoln Mk 30A, had four Merlin 102s.
During the 1950s, the RAAF heavily modified some of their Mk 30 aircraft to performanti-submarine warfare (ASW) missions, re-designating themLincoln GR.Mk 31. These examples had a 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) longer nose to houseacousticsubmarine detection gear and its operators, larger fuel tanks to provide the aircraft with a 13-hour flightendurance, and a modified bomb bay to accommodatetorpedoes.[14] According to pilot feedback, the Lincoln Mk 31 was particularly difficult to land at night, as the bomber had a tailwheel undercarriage and the long nose obstructed the pilot's view of the runway. In 1952, 18 aircraft were rebuilt to this standard, and were reallocated new serial numbers accordingly.[11][dubious –discuss] Ten were subsequently upgraded to the MR.Mk 31 standard, which included an updated radar.[15]
Further aircraft were also derived from the Lincoln. A dedicatedmaritime patrol aircraft, designated theAvro Shackleton, was developed for the RAF and theSouth African Air Force (SAAF). Additionally, Avro decided to develop a commercial airliner, known as theTudor, which harnessed elements of the Lincoln, such as its wings, in combination with various new elements, such as the adoption of apressurised fuselage, to perform passenger operations.
During 1945, the RAF received its first Lincoln, which was delivered toNo. 57 Squadron based atRAF East Kirkby,Lincolnshire. In August 1945,No. 75 (New Zealand) Squadron began to re-equip with the Lincoln atRAF Spilsby, Lincolnshire. However, No. 75 (NZ) Sqn had received just three aircraft prior toVJ Day, and was disbanded quickly thereafter.[6]
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 88Boeing Washingtons, on loan from theUSAF, which had longer range and could reach targets inside theIron Curtain.[16] 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 theV bombers.
During the 1950s, RAF Lincolns participated in operations inKenya againstMau-Mau insurgents. During this action, they were operated fromEastleigh. The Lincoln was also deployed toMalaya during theMalayan Emergency, where it was used against insurgents aligned to theMalayan Communist Party. In Malayan theatre, RAF Lincolns were operated fromChangi Air Base andTengah Air Base. In excess of 3,000 sorties were flown during their7+1⁄2-year deployment, during which half a million pounds of bombs dropped, 85 per cent of the total bomb tonnage dropped during the Malayan emergency.[15]
On 12 March 1953, an RAF Lincoln (RF531 "C") ofCentral Gunnery Schoolwas shot down 20 mi (32 km) NE ofLüneburg, Germany by severalSovietMiG-15s as it flew toBerlin on a radar reconnaissance flight,[17] killing the seven crew members.
In November 1955, four Lincolns ofNo. 7 Squadron RAF were detached for duties in British territories in the Middle East. InBahrain, they carried out border patrols of the thenTrucial States at the time of theBuraimi dispute. When 7 Sqn was disbanded in December 1955, the four detached crews and aircraft becameNo. 1426 Flight RAF, officially a photographic reconnaissance unit. It was later sent toAden, carrying out patrols in the lead-up to theAden Emergency.
As the RAF Lincolns became unserviceable, primarily due to progressive wear and tear, they were replaced by a variety of jet-powered aircraft. The Lincolns of Bomber Command were phased out from the mid-1950s and had been completely replaced by jet bombers by 1963. The last Lincolns in RAF service were five operated by No. 151 Squadron, Signals Command, atRAF Watton,Norfolk, which were retired on 12 March 1963.[18][19][20]
From late 1946, Australian-built Lincolns were phased intoNo. 82 Wing, based atRAAF Base Amberley,Ipswich, Queensland. The type quickly replaced the Liberator bombers that had been operated by12,21 and23 Squadrons. In February 1948, these units were renumbered1,2 and6 Squadrons respectively; a fourth RAAF Lincoln squadron,No. 10 was formed on 17 March 1949 atRAAF Townsville as a reconnaissance unit.
During the 1950s, RAAF Lincolns participated in combat operations in Malaya, operating alongside RAF examples. The RAAF based the B.Mk 30s of No.1 Squadron at Tengah, for the duration of operations in Malaya.[15]
These Lincolns served with 10 Squadron RAAF atRAAF Base Townsville,Garbutt, Queensland; the discovery ofcorrosion in the wing spars led to the type's premature retirement in 1961. The Lincoln MR.Mk 31 was the final variant to see service in Australia.[15][14]
From 1947, the Lincoln bomber served with theFuerza Aerea Argentina; Argentina had procured a total of 30 Lincolns, eighteen newly built and twelve ex-RAF aircraft, and 15 secondhand Lancasters.[21][22] The adoption of the Lincoln effectively gave Argentina the most powerful bombing force in South America.[23] In 1947, the type entered service withI Grupo de Bombardeo ofV Brigada Aérea. At the beginning of 1965, eleven of these remained in operational use; most of them were retired during the next year. In 1967 the last Lincolns were retired.[24][20]
The Argentine aircraft were used in bombing missions against domestic rebels. Lincolns were deployed during an attempted militarycoup in September 1951; the type was also used by both the government and rebel forces during the 1955Revolución Libertadora coup which deposed Argentine PresidentJuan Perón.[25][20]
Argentine Lincolns were also used to conduct supplyairdrops in support of Argentine operations in theAntarctic region.[26] In 1948, one of the bombers was returned to Avro for modification atRAF Langar inNottinghamshire to allow it to operate these Antarctic support flights; the changes included the addition ofLancastrian nose and tail cones, additional fuel tanks, and removal of armament; the aircraft became the first Avro Lincolnian.[21][27] With these modifications the aircraft received a civilian registration and was namedCruz del Sur; it undertook its first aerial supply flight to the AntarcticSan Martín Base in December 1951.[27][28]
Lincolns were frequently employed astestbeds in newjet engine development.RF403,RE339/G andSX972 flew with a pair ofArmstrong Siddeley Pythonturboprops outboard in place of the Merlins, and was used for the ballistic casing drop-test programme for theBlue Danube atomic weapon.[29]SX972 was further modified to fly with a pair ofBristol Proteus turboprops.RA716/G had a similarly placed pair ofBristol Theseus turboprops and later also flew withRolls-Royce Avonturbojets replacing the pair of turboprops. Lincoln Test BedRF530 kept its Merlins but had aNapier Naiad turboprop in the nose. It later flew, bearing the civilian"Class B" test registrationG-37-1, with a similarly placedRolls-Royce Tyne which it displayed at the 1956Society of British Aircraft Constructors (SBAC) show, making a low level flypast on just the nose Tyne, the four Merlins being shut down and propellers feathered.[30]SX973 had aNapier Nomaddieselturbo-compound installed in a similar nose-mounted installation.[31]RA643 flew with aBristol Phoebus turbojet in the bomb bay, andSX971 had an afterburningRolls-Royce Derwent mounted ventrally.[32]
A pair of Lincoln IIs were operated byD. Napier & Son Ltd. for icing research from 1948 to 1962. A transport conversion of the Lincoln II, using the streamlined nose and tail cones of the Lancastrian and a ventral cargo pannier was known as theAvro 695 Lincolnian.[14]
OneLincoln Freighter Mk.2 G-ALPF, former RAF RE290, converted by Airflight Ltd. was used on theBerlin Air Lift by Surrey Flying Services Ltd.[14]
Four Lincolnian conversions by Field Aircraft Services for use as meat haulers in Paraguay were not delivered, and subsequently scrapped.[14]
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Data from Jane's all the World's Aircraft 1947,[41] Aircraft of the Royal Air Force 1918,[42]
General characteristics
Performance
Armament
Related development
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
Related lists
