Avro Lancaster Bomber

The Canadian-built Avro Lancaster Mark X bombers were formidable machines, comparable in size and design to the Consolidated B-24 Liberator. While the USAAF relied heavily on the Liberator, the Avro Lancaster was the primary heavy bomber used by both the RAF and RCAF from 1942 onwards.

The Lancaster Mark X was powered by four Rolls Royce Merlin 224 engines, and could achieve speeds in excess of 400 kilometres per hour. It was one of the most successful night bombers of the Second World War; it could be fitted with up to 22,000 pounds of bombs of various magnitudes. Defense against enemy aircraft came courtesy of turrets at the front, mid-section, and rear of the plane, typically equipped with 0.303in Browning Mark II machine guns.