Avro Lincoln; The Super Lanc That Was Outdated When it Arrived
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- čas přidán 7. 06. 2021
- When the British began thinking about their bomber needs when it came to attacking the Japanese homeland, they did the logical thing and created an upgraded Lancaster - the Avro Lincoln.
But their roots meant they were very soon outdated in the post-war world.
Despite this, they soldiered on and gave service in bushfire conflicts around the globe.
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I was a navigator on Lincolns with 61 squadron at Waddington, Eastleigh Nairobi, and Wittering, and later with 83 squadron at Hemswell.before joining the V Force Valiants at Marham. I am 90 years old now, and joined the RAF in 1950 as a cadet navigator.
Thank you for your service. You secured our freedom and safety. o7
How cool. Glad you found this video sir and an honor to meet you
I hope you are keeping well. 🫡
My respects to you, Sir
Godbless you sir and thank you for protecting mine and others futures❤️🙏🏻
It’s worth noting that it was developed into the Shackleton, which was the very final variant of the Manchester line. That remained in service to the early 90’s.
Indeed. From the mid' 1930's until about 1994... damn impressive for any aircraft lineage.
That; and the Manchester line also spawned the Lancastrian, a seperate spinoff aircraft, and the Lanc' / Linc' were the first British aircraft of their size to test turboprop's & straight up jet engines.
Another awesome name. It should be given to another tough plane.
Sadly the Shackleton only saw action once with South Africans in its whole international service life
I was at Lossiemouth with the Shackleton,the BBMF had the engines and all the spares after the Shackleton left service.
@@jimtaylor294 the actual history is,Manchester,Lancaster,York,Lancastrian,Lincoln,Tudor,Shackleton and Vulcan,there were several other civilian versions of the above aircraft,(York and Lancastrian),and can’t forget the old faithful Annie.
I just watched this with my 7 year old son, his first foray into military aircraft. He said, “I liked watching that.” And so another generation is introduced to this passion and I cannot think of a better channel to start his education with. Cheers.
Excellent! Though please check my videos before showing him, I do have bad language/adult humour in a few.
Lovely anecdote!
Introduce him to making plastic model kits and see if he likes it. He'll not only learn about planes and tanks etc, but also of world history, and the parts they played in it. He may enjoy it more than video games.
@@warrenmilford1329 I'm not sure the world needs any more plastic...
@@LaurenceLDN Well, you're right about that, but there's a lot less plastic in probably 50 model planes, compared to a game console, that is replaced when the latest model is released, and ends up eventually dumped. As well as in the make up and packaging of new games, which once played, share the same fate. I learnt so much from making models, not just from the info supplied about each one, but also from the further reading that it encouraged me to do. There are also balsa wood and cardboard models available as well.
The Lincoln was designed with the concept of the 'Bomber Stream' attack method still in mind. It improved on areas where the Lancaster had fallen short which Ed explained. The Lincoln might well have seen service over Europe but for some development issues. For example the 3 blade propellors on the Lincoln B.I caused a lot of vibrations and only 50 or so were made, until it was found that 4-blade props cured it. All the B.Is were then converted to B.IIs. Integration into service took a long time too.
For Tiger Force ops, I think the intention was that the Tallboy and Grandslam bombs would be used to bomb Japan's bridges during a land borne invasion of the mainland. I like the Lincoln, it has a place in the RAF's history.
When I was a child, I used to sneak under the fence at RAF Watton, and play inside a couple of abandoned Lincolns.
That would have been definitely fun.
Dropping pretend bombs on Japan!!
You lucky dog!
And somehow security just missed you? IDBY
Wouldn't have been so much fun bumping into an RAF dog.🐕
@@toomanyhobbies2011 This was in the early 1960s, and it was a very different world back then. On Sunday afternoons, people used to go for walks on the airfield, past parked Vickers Varsities and Canberras - an RAF police van used to do a circuit of the perimeter track every hour or so, but that's all. The two Lincolns were lying on their bellies at the north east end of the airfield, ready to be used for fire training, and we lived in the married quarters nearby, ( Cardington Road if you want to Google Earth it ). It was easy to slip under the fence and get to the aircraft. Later on, around 1968/9, they were gone, but there was a HP Hastings and a Canberra's cockpit section lying in the same area, both also accessible.
I have a photo of my father, standing in the cabin of RAAF A73-31, head above the cockpit, guiding the pilot while taxying after landing at Tengah, July 1951, being the first aircraft to complete 100 operational sorties in Malaya.
The engines also soldiered on powering the Canadair Northstar airliner, which delivered hearing loss and tinnitus to many a Trans Canada Airlines traveler.
When i was a kid they were of course called Tin Can Airlines. I believe we have a North Star sitting outside at the Air Museum here in Ottawa waiting for restoration.
Yes, never a good idea to have unrestricted exhaust stacks next to the passenger cabin. I think there was a mod that routed the cabin side outlets to the other side of the nacelle.
@@garethonthetube Yeah I think so. That was why the first class section of most piston airliners was at the BACK, not the front.
Greetings from Argentina. An important use that was given to the Lincolns in addition to those mentioned in the video was to "bombard" the first Argentine Antarctic bases with supplies until the construction of landing strips.
Greetings from the USA. In 1975, I was assigned to USN patrol squadron VP-65 when we retired the P2V-7 Neptune. Many were mothballed but a few were purchased by Argentina. Their surface search radar came in handy locating the Royal Navy during the Falklands/Malvinas fight.
"LV-ZEI" 🙂
@@scootergeorge7089 There are no such islands as the malvinas.
@@terrystevens5261 - No "malvinas" but the Argentines call a certain islands "Malvinas." or, more specifically, "Islas Malvinas." The English, call them the Falklands. Facts.
@@scootergeorge7089 Yup. 1494, Treaty of Tordesillas, sanctioned in 1506 by Pope Julius II, says that all land everywhere belongs to either Spain or Portugal, with a big dividing line in the Atlantic. No land belongs to heathens, and even less to despicable heretics. The problem is that Popes are infallible (though, technically, they only became infallible 3 centuries later, so a big question relates to whether Papal infallibility is retrospective). So anyway, tough luck for the indigenous inhabitants of South America: convert or ... I dunno, burn in hell for all eternity, perhaps? Either way, no land for you. Fortunately, no-one at all ever lived in the Malvfaklands until some miserable, cold British people decided to try it one day. But, aha, Papal infallibility! So yes, the Failkvinas belong for all eternity to the pious Catholic faithful of Argentina. As long as they remain Catholic, pious and faithful, the fact that they are Conquistadores and imperialists can be forgiven (if they confess and repent, sincerely, all the sins they can think of). But do they remain so? And when they repent their sins, are they truly sincere? God knows.
My father was a Gunnie with the RAAF loading the Lincolns with bombs during the Malayan Emergency. He always a a soft spot the the aircraft.
I really don't see why they kept making them after ww2 ended. The few Lincolns made before VJ day, along with remaining Lancasters and a few purchased B29s, could have filled the gap from Lancaster to Valiant, especially if they could produce a few B29 components in cooperation and for local parts supply.
My dad was in 205 Sqn for most of his 9 years in the RAF. They flew Sunderlands from RAF Seletar in Singapore and also carried out bombing raids on what were then termed CTs. Bombs were mounted on racks under the wings instead of depth charges. He said he couldn't understand why they were just bombing monkeys and birds, l later found out there may have been method in their madness.
@@alan6832 didnt help that Australia had a Prime Minister who was staunchly supportive of everything British and refused the RAAF the approval to buy American until the Brit equipment became hopelessly obsolete, hence why the RAAF had Lincolns, meteors and Vampires instead of B-29s and F-86s.
Lets also not forget shortly after came the Canberra and the V bombers. It was just a question of timing.
That shot at 08.54 looks like the third prototype with three-bladed props that I photo'd at Cranfield in the late fifties/early 60s. Still in camouflage with the 'P' but no guns. Three bladed props upset the harmonics of the a/c so they went for four-bladed. The Cranfield prototype was scrapped. The Napier de-icing Lincoln at Luton had a Lanc nose which made recogmition awkward when, as a schoolboy I walked around it (no security then). Lincolns regularly popped up at Biggin Hill airshows and at one I photo'd the last three on a flypast.
Finally evolution? Shackleton anyone?
Yep, the super-lincoln aka the super-super Lancaster, or the super-super-super Manchester...
Arguably Shackleton is not a super-Lanc, since it's not a bomber. The Manchester lineage of the Shack is undeniable, but the latter might rather be called a next-generation Sunderland. Whaddya think?
@@javiergilvidal1558Aircraft don't lose development heritage because of change in role. Regardless Lancasters we're used as maritime Recon post war too. Sunderland was a flying boat a totally creature made by a totally different company.
@@dylanmilne6683 .... but not for a "totally different" purpose! Funny, too, that you answer my "The Manchester lineage of the Shack is undeniable ..." with "Aircraft don't lose development heritage because of change in role".
The Shackleton wasn’t quite the final evolution either - the RAAF built four turboprop Lincoln’s that were used in atomic tests in Australia. They were used to drop prototype nuclear devices from 45,000ft to calibrate the aerodynamic models for the British V-bombers.
Considering the fact that active duty Lincolns made it all the way through the 1950s I'd say she didn't do too badly for a design that was basically born obsolete... :-)
British Classic
No aircraft lasts forever... except the B-52 , and the KC-135
Don’t forget to C-130 and the U-2.
Tu-95
@@AtheistOrphan
you’re Right in both accounts.
The U-2’s ‘replacements’ SR-71 and A-12 are all in museums, now.
@@commandingjudgedredd1841
Of course!! the loudest plane ever, also the longest lasting!
I've just got back from the pub after a six pint session and got this gem to watch. Thanks Ed!
Good Man
Boy ! That' s a hell of a photo at 4mins 10 secs Ed. 3 feathered with just the Starboard inner running ! No margin for error from that pilot ! Thanks Ed. (Someone mentioned Shackleton !)
WOW!
Is that an RAAF turbo-prop variant?
Ekeing out flight in ground effect?
@@DickHolman Flying testbed.
My Dad flew the Lincoln and the B29 and thought that there was no comparison, he loved the B29
Where the
Lincoln looks like another B-32 failure
@@tomstevenson161 Yet the Lincoln wasn't a failure, unlike the B-32.
I wonder what the unit costs were for the two aircraft; Lancaster was 1/3rd the cost of a B-29, I see the Lincoln being 1/2 that of the Superfortress. Development costs were definitely larger for the B-29, it was more expensive than the atomic bomb.
Edit: this video states you could get 3-4 Lincoln's for a B-29, or 5 Lancasters for a B-29.
When my Dad picked up various B29s from the USA the first thing he would buy was leather or rubber to repair his shoes and boots then chocolate and candies.
Well, the RAF preferred the B29 and flew them in early 50s as a stop gap till the VBombers arrived.
I grew up in my early years with the local Air Force having Lincolns at the local Air Base ( Townsville, Queensland. Australia). They used to have open days. I have actually been inside one AND sat in the rear gunner seat. They became coastal patrol planes before the Neptunes began.
My Dad flew Lincolns in 83 squadron at RAF Hemswell and for the Bomber Command Bombing School at RAF Lindholm. My claim to fame is that his squadron flew the planes in the film "The Dambusters".
Parts of the film where filmed at hemswell as well I believe
@@dean-gm1lg yes, it was used as Scampton.
@@stracepipe I thought so I go to carboot and autojumble at hemswell
The British know how to "Stretch" a design.
Ask any MGB owner.
BTW the Shackelton wasn't taken out of service until
The late 80s /early 90s
CZcams agrees, here's a 1990's doc about them czcams.com/video/elENLa01XHA/video.html
@@davecoz4227 thanks 😊
And the V Bombers hit the Falklands and refuelled the fleet for decades!
Yup Canberra is still in service with NASA I believe
@@WoT_the_Feck Yep.
Great video, Thanks. I almost always chuckle when I read or hear "Why didn't they simply..."
It's hard to predict the future especially when you are fighting a World War.
I love that shot (nerves of steel to take it!) of the single engined Linc flying on the deck during proximity fuse testing.
A terrific analysis of the end state of the Avro Manchester. The context for the aircraft in post-war era is spot on!
This channel is turning out as one of my favorites! Keep up the good work!
You learn something new every day, because I always thought the Lincoln was powered by the 37 litre Griffon, as in the Shackleton. I was going by the shape of the radiator nacelle. Apparently it just had uprated 27 litre Merlins from the Lancaster. They used to fly from the Woomera-Evetts Field aerodrome in South Australia.
The lancaster used the Merlin 20 series engines, a SINGLE stage with a second speed gear in the supercharger, why the service ceiling loaded was less than 25,000 ft, wheras the B17's had a turbocharger as its second stage supercharger giving it as service ceiling of 35,000 ft. these both were used throughout the war, but strangely people like to piss and moan about the single stage Allison powered planes that could fly higher !!! The Lincoln and up engined Lancaster used the LATER merlin 60 series engines, 2 stage 2 speed but it was very late to the war and the shackleton used the Griffon engine with either single stage or 2 stage supercharger, also too late for the war!!! And these had to try and compete with the much more modern B29, why post war the USA GAVE the Brits 100 of them so the Brits had a nuclear capable long range heavy bomber !!! The Lancaster was drooled and slobbered over as the cats meow but it had serious short comings, payload and range and service ceiling, average bomb load of the Lancaster throughout the war was but 7,000 #, RAF figures tonnes of bombs dropped divided by sorties flown !!! The 14,000# bomb load was only for short range........
@@wilburfinnigan2142 The Lancaster could carry 14,000lb to Berlin. Not exactly short range in the context of the war against Germany.
@@wilburfinnigan2142The US gave nothing they made the UK pay
@@wilburfinnigan2142 Lancaster 1660 miles with 14000 lb
As a teenager [around 1956], I got to look inside one at the Government Aircraft Factory in Melbourne. fascinated by the bomb bay bypass, from memory you dragged yourself down this rectangular tunnel by as rope to get to the other end.
Mr Nash
I must compliment you on your videos. They are just getting better & better, all the time. Not that they weren’t excellent to start with.
Keep up the good work.
Vickers had a much more advanced bomber in development at the sea time, called the "Windsor", but it did not go into production.
Very interesting video. Thanks for taking the time to produce and upload it.
Hi Ed. The South African Air Force used the Avro Shackleton for maritime patrol up to the 1970's if I remember correctly. It would be great if you could include the history of this aircraft when you have the time. Love your videos.
The shack deserves it's own vid in time:)
Great video, once again! I thoroughly enjoy your work.
I was always under the impression that the next step up from the Lancaster was the Avro Shackleton. In all my years, sadly, this is the first time that I have come to learn of the Lincoln. As time goes by there seems to be more information coming out of the woodwork about innovations that occurred in WWII.
It was no secret.
Finally Ed, IMO, you are doing your channel PERFECTLY.
Regular content, SHORT videos usually (very important, I think), always interesting, well presented, good data, HUGE variations in stories PLUS, you have a great delivery...you sound knowledgeable but easy going.
And I still love that you save us 15+ seconds from EVERY, OTHER VIDEO site (it seems) and their slightly-condescending, sales pitch 'don't forget to like, subscribe and....blah, blah' after EVERY vid.
In my opinion, for what it is worth, you keep this up and you will be over 100K subs FAST.
Cheers.
☮
Great job, Ed Nash!
I'm still awaiting for a 1/72 scale model kit of the Avro Lincoln to be released.
me too Dave - I'm bracing myself to make a Manchester conversion from a Lanc in order to complete a 1:72 Bomber Command line up, but would love to make a Lincoln just to end the story
You can purchase a conversion kit that makes a Lincoln from an Airfix Lancaster B.I/III kit, made by a company called Flightpath UK.
Get on it Airfix!
@@PiersLawsonBrown1972 www.southernskymodels.com.au/AVRO-GAFLincolnMk-30-Mk-31EnhancementSet-4158.html
Yes, long overdue. Come on Airfix!!
Cracking video as always. Looking forward to the next one
Fascinating stuff Mr Nash
My Dad was flown around Arabia when in Aden in the RAF in a Lincoln in the mid-1950s, one of them had been used in Malaya and was a bit knackered, it never made it home as the fuel tanks broke so it was scrapped locally.
Well, another Remembrance Day here in Canada. I am lucky to live in Southern Ontario, where we get to see one of the only Lancasters still flying, pass over the memorial services at the the Cenotaph. Look forward to it every year.
As a boy Lincoln’s we’re based at raf lindholm where they trained navigators. These planes used to drone around in figures of eight diving those of us living east of Doncaster mad, particularly at night in the summer
Ultimate developmemt of the Manchester - a footnote video on the Shackleton would be well worthwhile. Stalwart for Coastal COmmand and of course dragged on into AEW service.
Was just about to make the same comment.
Yep, my immediate thought too.
I remember visiting a couple of retired Shackletons at Gatwick
The Shackleton was also used in the ASW role before being replaced by the Nimrod.
I remember seeing a formation of these flying over on their way to Woodford at the end of their service life. For a few moments I thought Id slipped back in time until I realised what they were! A glorious sight indeed!
Not to mention the Tudor or Ashton
I never heard of this plane thanks again for bringing it to my attention I do alot of writing on alternative history so rare aircraft like this give me all kinds of ideas thanks again!
That low level one engine shot was taken over RAF Defford near where i live in Worcestershire. a lot of pioneering radar research took place there, due to it's proximity to the Royal Radar Establishment in Malvern. the worlds first hands off flight and automated landing also took place at RAF Defford. the arcraft used was an old Boeing 247-D airliner that was gifted to the UK by Canada. that happened in 1945 and we now don't even think about it when we board our holiday jets.
B-29 also became obsolete with jet fighters, so Lincoln was less expensive for same result. Effectively, British had 3 choices:
1) Upgrade existing plane
2) Build whole new piston bomber, knowing that jets are coming.
3) Develop jet bomber for 5 years, while war is still going on.
@@nickdanger3802 Jets were not bombers were not used in that war, though B-45's carried out some reconnaissance.
I was born and raised in Hatfield (South Yorkshire) near RAF Lindholm, under the flight-path to the north-west of the aerodrome. An enduring memory from the mid 1950s is watching Lincolns climbing towards and over our house, their Merlin engines on full power, still at a relatively low altitude. They were eventually replaced by Hastings, which although just as noisy, were not the same spectacle as the Lincolns.
I spent my last 18 months of RAF service at Lindholm on Lincolns as an engine Tech. We also had 1 Hastings and about 8 Varsities as the Station ended up as the Bomber Command Bombing School for Navigators who were destined for the new V bomber force.
Not forgetting the big Short Stirling, the heavy bomber that was restricted by politics and not allowed to be developed, had the Stirling been allowed its big wings it was more than a match for the Lancaster.
@Keep Campaigning The hangar size thing is a myth. Look it up.
A big problem with the Stirling was the angle of attack on the wings. Rather than rebuild it (which would have produced a nose down flying stance as per the Whitley) they just lengthened the landing gear to get the wings at the right angle for take off. The spindly undercarriage was responsible for many take-off and landing accidents.
The upper fuselage and wings were taken from the Short Sunderland. The Stirling had a limited bomb load and the segmented bomb bay restricted the ordnance it could carry.
The standard hanger was 112 feet, and servicing was to be carried out in the open air. The 100 feet wingspan was part of the Air Ministry specification
I believe it was all electric. I have a fire axe that is rated safe at 1,000 volts that came from my grandfather who worked for Shorts.
A very interesting video Mr.Ed.Have a good one.
Great video, excellent narrative, many thanks for your work.
G'day Ed. For someone who specialises in odd and rare aircraft I'm surprised that there was no mention of the long nosed Mk 31 Lincoln of the RAAF. Maybe another time.
But keep it up. This is good stuff.
He did touch on "Australian Lincolns of various marks", but I think the main thrust of the vid was to detail its evolution in the RAF context and what lay beyond it.
When I was 14 in 1951 I watched Lincoln bombers operating from RAF Leconfield practicing fighter affiliation training being ‘attacked’ by Spitfires and Tempests. On another occasion 12 Lincolns in formation flew very low over school sports field. 12 x4 Merlins.
My father worked at the Experimental Workshops of the Department of Aircraft Production at Fisherman's Bend, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. I remember him talking about being involved in experiments to convert Lancasters into Lincolns.
Very interesting I knew almost nothing about the Lincoln until now. And I know a lot more about it's successor the Shackleton. Thank you.
Thank you for another great video.
I thoroughly enjoyed my VIP-Day visit and trip in a Lancaster at East Kirkby, Lincolnshire, England.
Should be on everybody's "bucket list".
Another great vid!Thanks!
Uncle Roy would want you to look at the Short Sperrin next, Ed....
Greetings from Argentine Patagonia. What was expressed for use by our country is correct, but one more use was missing: At the beginning of the 50s Argentina's strong presence began in Antarctica, but there was no good landing strip, so the Lincolns were used for "bomb" the bases with food and other supplies. A very anecdotal use was the bombardment of the Perito Moreno glacier (I don't remember the year) because the glacier did not break like it usually does every 4 years, and a lot of water was accumulating with the danger that this entails.
By The way
0:21 Narrator:"- But no plane last forever......"
C-130: "-Hold my jet A-1"
To be fair, the B29 was equally as vulnerable to the Mig 15, it wasn’t that much faster than the Lincoln, not enough to challenge a 650mph jet.
Right. At that point, maneuverability and damage resistance were probably more important.
The B29 had a much more lethal Defensive armament and more range.
@@jeffreywilliams144 no it didn't. Its defence was no match for jets. Jets made these bombers obsolete
@@bobbyrayofthefamilysmith24 I have Never been a fan of WW2 British Heavy Bombers Including those Joining B29s Over Japan if the War were to Continue. You're Correct the Lincoln was Obsolete and the RAF Washingtons as Well.
@@bobbyrayofthefamilysmith24 Just an Aside I am not talking About Korean War Skies here.
Excellent Video/Info.
well done @
Ed Nash's Military Matters i recently went round one of avro's plants were at least the lancasters were made, Amazing all the avaitional bits still left at abandoned AVRoe manufacturing plant , even finding parts of a avroe tudor. great to hear you information on the Lincoln's progress
54 MU at Lichfield had many Lincolns in LTS 1952-3, very handy for a kip if you were on night picket patrol, I suppose they went to the breakers yard not long after. There was an area there that had been used for A/c’s scrapped, Typhoons, Mosquitos etc., still lots of lights perspex and fittings around in fair order. U/c lamps perfect spotlights for your motorbike.
I remember seeing a out of service Lincoln park near the runway at Wagga Wagga at RAAF airbase Forest Hill mid 1970's when I was around 6 years old when there was a Air show
love all the photos of three engines off and mucking around
One could argue that the final evolution of the Manchester/Lancaster was the Shackleton.
Love your videos. Please keep them coming!
Since you are doing post war aircraft can you do the DH Hornets one aircraft that is forgotten in history
love that plane
Phenomenal. Useful to compare the Hornet with the Dornier Pfeil, an aircraft designed for the same purpose but dreadfully over-complicated. Whereas De Havilland simply grafted a single-seat cockpit to a Mossie and made a thousand detail improvements.
@@raypurchase801
Yep.
Metal spar
Straight spar
Offset landing gear
Smaller nacelles
Thinner wings
Counter rotating props
Etc etc etc
@@brucebaxter6923 Agreed.
I worked on Lincons at Manby in 1958-59.
RAF Hemswell 1953-54. My father was an 83 squadron Lincoln rear gunner. Flew 20 sorties from RAF Tengah, Malaya. That followed his 40 operations as a Halifax rear gunner in 1944.
@@sirronnorris3343 I flew as as crew on several 6 hour flights. I spent most of the time on the rest bed just below the mid upper turret as my headset was duff. Happy days. Alan.
Impatiently awaiting the next video 😊
Worked on the Lincoln in the early 50s at RAF Binbrook 617,9,12,sqdns . and RAF Upwood fitting (chaff) dispensers and various anti radar systems, Great aircraft.but my favourite aircraft of the 50s and 60s was the Canberra,from the B1 to the PR9, worked on them all especially the PR7 and PR9,happy Days.
,,
Very interesting, keep up the good work.
03:18 - Note the Village Inn radar under the tail turret. Best photo of the install I have seen.
So happy you included footage of the RAAF long nose Lincolns. I always thought they were the best looking of the breed.
Great video
It would seem foolhardy to develop a Superfortress clone with the jet age at the door. There were about to be plenty of B29’s in storage as the B50 came on stream.
My old ATC commanding officer,flight lieutenant Ken Norman was a navigator on Lincoln’s and was part of the bomber force over Borneo.
Very good video. I liked the comments at the end about the B29/ Lincoln issue. A point not raised is that Avro amongst others WERE developing a new bomber. Not an interim piston powered B29 type but a Class of aircraft that blew everything else out of the water. The V bombers, especially the Victor snd Vulcan were streets ahead of anything else including anything the Yanks had. B52 is an overgrown B17. Not in the same ball park. Incidentaly only one complete Lincoln exists, that is the beautiful example at the RAF museum at Cosford. The Lancaster is at RAF museum Hendon.
There is a Lancaster in Hamilton Ontario in Canada. It flew over the Remembrance day services in Southern Ontario this morning.
The origin of the Lincoln was the twin engine Avro Manchester (not ideal) which morphed in the four engined Lancaster (a HUGE success), then as the war neared the end, the LINCOLN materialised. Apart from the normal production run in the UK, Australia built 73 Lincolns at Fishermen's Bend (CAC -Commonwealth Aircraft Factory) Melbourne VIC..
I wish my father was around, he would have tripped out on these vids!!
Was he a packy Halifax pilot?
@@javiergilvidal1558 , no he wasnt in the packaging industry nor was he a pilot. Infact he was an architect and an aircraft enthusiast especially for the ones from the second world war.
@@pushkarajdongre packaging industry - love it. Nice comeback, sir. Some people are so thick they can't even spell their insults properly.
Ed,just to say i enjoy your vids. Thanks.
No, thank you!
Love this video's, hope you'll do one on the DO-26 sometime????
I wonder why they didn't change the nose for more speed? It looks as aerodynamic as a Mack truck.
it's fugly isn't it?
It was a so called' ideal nose' (why I don't know) A production Vickers Windsor if built would have had something very similar.
@@atilllathehun1212 I would guess the guys from marketing thought it sounded better than "garden shed" nose.
At the speeds the Lincoln does, visibility matters more than pure aerodynamics. Remember: the Lancaster's round bubble is a bomb-aimer's station only; the Lincoln's nose also has to serve as the nose gunner's sighting station since the actual gun turret is "blind" unlike that of the Lanc.
The Lincoln doubled for Lancasters in the "Dam Buster" film.
Another great episode Ed.Great work.
Really ? I think you're wrong but l will check up ! I thought the RAF used and adapted 5 Lancasters for the film .
No, they're definitely Lancs.
The film makers used the four Lancs held in storage since the making of the far better film (for aircraft and accuracy) of 'Appointment in London'. It was filmed at a Lincoln/Canberra station so there are many Lincolns in the background with postwar markings. It was difficult to keep the Canberras out of shot. The film company was secretly charged less because the RAF crews merged their film work as continuation training (from the Lincs). After the film the Lancs were quietly flown away to Silloth to be disposed of. Coastal Command kept some MR Lancs until October 1956.
@@johnjephcote7636: correct, as described in the book Filming the Dam Busters by Jonathan Falconer.
I could only find this information online.
However, when I checked the serial numbers against a database of RAF airframes, they were shown as being Avro Lancaster Mk VIIs.
Curiously enough the Lancaster Mk IV and Mk V were later designated Lincoln B1 and B2 respectively.
Information:
"For many, the stars of the film are undoubtedly the Lancasters themselves. It is hard to believe that Lancasters were in short supply when the filming commenced in April 1954.
Four Mk.7 aircraft were taken out of storage from 20 Maintenance Unit at RAF Aston Down, Gloucestershire, and specially modified for the film.
These were NX673, NX679, NX782 and RT686. In fact, ’673, ’679 and ’782 had already developed a taste for the movies because they had recently starred in Philip Leacock’s feature film about a wartime Lancaster squadron, 'Appointment in London', which was premiered in 1953.
To make the Lancaster Mk.7s resemble as closely as possible the actual B.III (Type 464 Provisioning) aircraft that flew on the Dams raid in 1943, three (NX673, NX679 and RT686) were specially modified at Hemswell by a working party from the AV Roe Repair Organisation at Bracebridge Heath, Lincolnshire.
Purists will notice a number of differences between wartime Lancasters and the Mk.7s that appear in the film. Perhaps the most obvious is the Frazer-Nash FN82 poweroperated rear turret that was equipped with twin Browning 0.50in machine guns. In 1943, the Lancasters of 617 Squadron would have been fitted with FN20 rear turrets armed with four of the less-potent 0.303in Brownings.
In addition, the series of small windows along each side of the fuselage that were a noticeable feature of wartime Lancasters were deleted from the post-war Mk.7.
And note, too, the absence of the engine exhaust covers that would have been present on wartime Lancasters to reduce glare and suppress sparks from the hot exhausts at night."
The Mosquito replacement fared better though as the English Electric Canberra was so good the Americans bought it.
When I was a kid I used to see the shakelton flying over the north east coast on sub patrol. Didn't look outdated to me. It looked beautifully belligerent especially those two 20s sticking out of the front turret. Same stable, same quality. Too young to see a Lincoln unfortunately
A criminally underrated aircraft IMO. Ironically the Shackleton - in some ways a shortened Lincoln - proved much more could be squeezed from the airframe, with her four *RR Griffon* engines turning contra-rotating propellers, complimented with two Viper turbojets.
Russia's postwar Tupolev Bear, certainly suggests that the Lincoln could have been developed further, in a more useful way than the *Boeing Washingtons* we had for a relativy short time, and - to the best of my knowledge - never carried nukes, which is what they were theoretically for.
as alway's, great video ! I couldn't help to notice a gloster meteor at 8':15''... hilarious considering the range... :-)
Excellent account. In war, especially when it seems yiur on the home run, expence on aircraft design is hard to justify. As was mentioned, it was basically an up designed Lancaster.
In the 1950s both Jet engines and turbo prop engines were coming out with so much more power. The C130 Hercules was designed around 1954.
Note, even the highly advanced B29 was on its way out shortly after the war.
The RAAF Lincolns were also used in Fly-Through Tests of Atomic Mushroom Clouds ( Maralinga).
Both AirCrew and Ground Crew servicing the Aircraft eventually died of Radiation Contamination Cancers many years after Service...we had Two Veterans ( Factory Engineers) who both died from such cancers, up to 30 years after RAAF Lincoln Service...and not very nice ones at that.
a bit off subject but 7:59 reminds me of when I was at Duxford for the centenary celebrations of the RAF (2018) , when I ( and many others ) saw a Lancaster , a Panavia Tornado , and an F 35 (B ? ) flying in formation
Regarding the B-29, there were also massive development problems with it and for a while it looked like it would die before it saw any active service due to the problems but the US, being the US, stuck at it and got it working finally.
Usually, if you throw enough money at a problem, it can be overcome. Not the smartest solution (usually), but a reliable one.
The B29 was a very advanced design with pioneering features which naturally bring problems, the B 29 made everything else look stone age .
ALL new technology including enginees and RUSHED to service, yes they had problems, engine fire, but the tight cowlings were redesigned and the engines also improved and solved the problems, and everthing on it were being used at maximum capacity, straining everything but they worked it out and the B29's destroyed japan !!!
A similar argument has been made in support of the m-91 carcano rifle; not the most modern battle rifle - not even in the Italian inventory - but adequate to the task and far cheaper than retooling and replacing the existing inventory at a time when resources were severely constrained.
New noise and news and Aviation history to me at least, well done,
Thanks
Loving this series on lesser known aircraft! Can I add a vote for the Armstrong whitworth Whitley?
That's so 1930's
@@simonmcowan6874 Yeah has 1937 written all over it! Angular, but I love it! I also love the Skua and Whirlwind lol
It's one of those aircraft that looks like an April Fools joke-but the government fell for it!
@@oxcart4172 what can I say.. I love the ugly ducklings lol To fair the Whitley along with the Wellington did Stirling work early in the war
@@mcal27 it has er...character, I suppose!
I've been reading about World War ll since 1965, and I've Never Heard of This Model Until Now! That's how important channels like this are. Thank you for your excellent work and presentation, Ed Nash!
Yeah Britain couldn’t throw unlimited money at a project like America could even then , it was a good plane from an established line of development and they didn’t have the benefit of hindsight like we do looking back at the past they had to predict the future needs of the R AF
Anything on propellers was seen as a stop-gap from 1944 onwards. The Vulcan was already on the drawing board in 1947, as were the other two V-Bombers. That technology was something the yanks couldn't even dream about, irrespective of the undeniable fact that Britain was in deep financial trouble, a trouble which would have precluded her from building vast contingents of B-29 relatives. The big gamble was on a few, vastly superior jet bombers capable of delivering a nuclear payload to knock out the Soviets with a few devastating blows.
@@javiergilvidal1558 The US had the B47 bomber in the air in 1947 and the B52 in 1952, far in advance of the Brits V bombers !!!!! They had also upgraded the B29 to the B50 with new engines !!!!
The Lincoln was not the last derivative of the Lancaster. The Shackleton first flew in 1949 and retired in 1991.
avtually the shackelton was a derivative of the lincoln itself.
He said "the final evolution of the MANCHESTER"
My late mother’s brother, Squadron leader Albert Tooth DFC was killed whilst test flying a Lincoln in July 1948 from Boscombe Down experimental station. It was reported as flying low over Deptford village with smoke pouring from it b4 nose diving into a cornfield. He had survived the war as a spitfire pilot and subsequently as liaison officer with Wingates Chindits in Burma.
When I was a fearless 16 y/o ~ in the B.G.S. High School "Air Cadets" I flew 1st time in an Avro **Lincoln 4 engine Heavy *Bomber out of 👍Amberley R.A.A.F Base ... ( My #1 Flying introduction / Experience when &...where I *walked back & forth ~ While IN FLIGHT from Nose to tail *wearing Hob nail Army *Boots & my RAAF Winter Uniform ... but *Now I "shudder to think" as a young almost fearless 16 y/o Cadet I *walked *across the ❌️OPEN❌️ BOMB BAY❌️>>> "Cat Walk" / Plank ~ wearing ➡️ Hob NAIL ❌️*Slippery❌️ Leather Sole Army *Boots ‼️⁉️ ➡️ **& I was 🙏❌️**NOT ➡️ WEARING a PARA🪂 CHUTE ... & this was while the Pilot was "banking" ... on some occasions ! HOW 🙏CRAZY CAN that BE ⁉️ ❤️ Luckily I was HANGING ON TO SOME 'OVER HEAD' Hand Rails ... I'm Now so GREATFULL &
Chuffed ✅️ being a Healthy 81 yrs. Young ✅️ Grand Parent & to have all my ❤️ Facalities + those ❤️Happy Adventure ❤️❤️ Memories *Still "CRYSTAL CLEAR" ✅️ almost like it was only last week👍Absolutely Amazing ✅️... 'cause ALL my older flying Combat mates & almost ALL my *Non Combat friends R SADLY " GONE " 🙏 = ✝️ R.I.P. awaiting their Resurrection etc.. 🙏 👍 🙉 ✅️ 🙈 ✅️ 🙊 ✅️ Tally Ho 🫡 Amen 🙏 & Carpè Diem⏳️😍
Nice video! The Lincoln seen in 2.03 with registration B016 belonged to the Argentine Air Force. Argentina also had 3 Avro Lancastrians and also modified a Lincoln to make it Lancastrian.
A person from Lancaster maybe called a Lancastrian, doesn't change the fact that the plane is simply called Lancaster*.
Very few Americans are aware that indeed the development of the B-29 was by far the single most expensive project of the war. But we needed a long range very heavy bomber for the Pacific. And we needed a plane that could deliver the bombs being developed by the Manhattan Project. Hey, humour me: Why did the UK continue use of .303 guns instead of the .50 BMG?
As for the guns, many reasons. Bear in mind that a group of modified Lancasters were developed to drop the atomic bombs if the B-29 failed as a project and, due to technical and time issues, the B-29 Silverplate models used the British bomb release mechanism designed for 11,000lb Tallboys for both Little Boy and Fat Man. These were both fairly close to this weight, despite looking quite different to the Tallboy or, indeed, each other. The American release mechanisms didn't work until after those two missions, and aircraft modified for the US were the Saddletree variants.
One reason for retaining the .303 Brownings was that Britain had vast stocks of .303 ammunition, the last of which didn't get used until many years after 1945- possibly 1970s- I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong.
@@ianthomson9363 Correct, surplus 1950s .303 was still being sold off in the 2000s.
Another reason the .303 Browning was retained was that the .50 Calibre simply wasn't enough of a benefit for it's weight. The US had a rather strange obsession with it, mostly because they couldn't get their version of the 20mm Hispano to work properly. We could, and we did. Notice when uparming the Lancaster, and the standard armament for the Lincoln, included 20mm Hispanos. Yes, they did have .50s as well, but the 20mm Hispano is much more bang for buck.
The US Navy in particular saw the writing on the wall, but again was limited by the miserable reliability of the US M1 20mm, which wasn't solved until the post-war M2 using electrically primed ammunition. Notice how quickly the US Navy switched to 20mms post-war. It took the ineffectiveness of the .50 Calibre in Korea against the MiG-15 to convince the USAF that they needed 20mm Cannons. (some F-86Es in theatre were converted to carry four 20mm Cannon, firing in two pairs rather than simultaneously, and the later production F-86H carried a more refined installation)
I like this a lot! And now, please please please, the final version of the Manchester-Lancaster-Lincoln - the Avro Shackleton? Please?