The Avro Lancaster was the most famous allied bomber of World War II. Manufactured by A.V. Roe in wartime England and Canada, the four-engine Lancaster replaced the unreliable and underpowered twin-engine Avro Manchester, which finally ceased production in 1941. But, unlike its predecessor, the Lancaster was a powerful aircraft capable of carrying heavy bombs over long distances. Designed by Roy Chadwick, A.V. Roe's chief designer, the Lancaster took part in almost every major bombing raid of Europe from mid-1942 until the end of the war – becoming the backbone of the British Bomber Command. In fact, it flew more missions and dropped more tonnes of bombs than all of the other English heavy bombers combined. With a wingspan of over 100 feet, the Lancaster was also the only British aircraft with the capacity to carry the 12,000-pound 'Tallboy' bomb and the 22,000-pound 'Grand Slam' bomb – the heaviest bomb-load lifted by any bomber of World War II. The "Lanc" – as it was called – is also known for its daring and precise bombing raids on the Moehne and Eder dams in 1943 and in the sinking of the Tirpitz, a German battleship, in a well-defended Norwegian fjord. With fighters unable to escort the large aircraft on its long missions, it was heavily armed with nose, mid-upper and tail turret guns – and didn't give much room for the seven-member crew. Despite its less than luxurious interior, the all-metal airplane was strong and reliable. Although the Lancaster was built for the war, it did get a new lease on life in Canada for several years – serving in maritime patrol, search and rescue, navigator training and photo reconnaissance. But today, of all 7,300 Lancasters built, including 400 built in Canada, there are only two left in the world still flying.
