Avro Lincoln

Heavy bomber introduced in 1945

Overview

Avro United Kingdom 1945–1950

The Avro Lincoln was manufactured by Avro as a British heavy bomber powered by four engines. It was a development of the Lancaster heavy bomber and first flew in June 1944. The aircraft was introduced in 1945 and saw service with the Royal Air Force, Argentine Air Force, and Royal Australian Air Force. A total number of 604 aircraft were built.

Specifications

Units
Engine
4 × Rolls-Royce Merlin 85 or Packard-Merlin 68
Engine type
Piston
Power
4 × 1,750 hp · 1,305 kW
Avionics
—
Wing tips
No winglets
Seats
8
Crew
—
Cabin width
—
Cabin height
—
Cabin length
—
Exterior length
78 ft 3 in  ·  23.86 m
Tail height
17 ft 3 in  ·  5.27 m
Fuselage diameter
5 ft 7 in  ·  1.70 m
Wing span
120 ft 0 in  ·  36.58 m
Baggage volume
—
Gross weight
—
Empty weight
—
Max takeoff weight
82,000 lb  ·  37,200 kg
Max landing weight
75,000 lb  ·  34,000 kg
Max payload
22,000 lb  ·  10,000 kg
Fuel capacity
4,300 gal · 16,300 L · 11,700 kg (AvGas)
Max cruise speed
270 kt  ·  311 mph  ·  500 km/h
Maximum speed
—
Cruise speed
—
Approach speed
65 kt  ·  75 mph  ·  120 km/h
Range
2,400 nm  ·  2,760 mi  ·  4,440 km
Fuel burn
—
Ceiling
30,500 ft  ·  9,300 m
Rate of climb
800 ft/min  ·  4 m/s
Takeoff distance
—
Landing distance
—
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Avro Lincoln

Operational Context

The Avro Lincoln I is a long-range bomber variant for the Royal Air Force. It can accommodate seven or wight crew members including a pilot, flight engineer/co-pilot, navigator, wireless operator, front gunner/bomb aimer, dorsal and rear gunners. It has an external length of 23.86 meters, an external height of 4.3 meters, and a fuselage diameter of 1.7 meters. The tail height is 5.27 meters and the wheelbase is 14.6 meters. It has a wingspan of 37 meters and a wing area of 132 square meters. The empty weight is 20,043 kg and the gross weight is 34,019 kg. It has a maximum takeoff weight of 37,195 kg and a fuel capacity of 4,300 US gal in six wing tanks 180 US gal of oil in four nacelle tanks.

The aircraft is powered by four Rolls-Royce Merlin 85 or Packard-Merlin 68 V-12 liquid-cooled piston engines rate at 1,750 hp each. It also drives a four-bladed Rotol or de Havilland Hydromatic fully-feathering propellers. The Lincoln has a maximum speed of 270 knots at 18,300 feet and a cruise speed of 187 knots at 20,000 feet. It has a stall speed of 65 knots with flaps and undercarriage extended. The travel range is 2,400 nautical miles at 15,000 feet with 6,400 kg of bomb load at 170 knots. It can fly up to 30,500 feet and can climb at a rate of 800 feet per minute.

The Avro Lincoln could be armed with two 12.70 mm M2 Browning machine guns in a Boulton Paul Type F nose turret, two 20 mm Hispano Mk.IV cannon or Hispano Mk. V cannon in a Bristol B.17 dorsal turret and two 12.70 mm M2 Browning machine guns in a Boulton Paul Type D tail turret. Some aircraft were also fitted with a single 12.70 mm M2 Browning in a ventral position. It could also be loaded with up to 6,400 kg of bombs; exceptionally a single 10,000 kg Grand Slam Deep Penetration bomb.