The Avro Lancaster is a British four engine heavy bomber that entered Royal Air Force service in 1942, becoming the principal aircraft of RAF Bomber Command's night bombing campaign over occupied Europe and Germany. It carried the largest bomb loads of any Allied bomber of the war, including the specialized bombs used in the 1943 raid on German dams that gave a squadron of Lancasters the nickname the Dambusters.
Facts
SignificanceThe RAF's principal heavy bomber of the Second World War, modified to carry the Dambusters bouncing bomb and the largest earthquake bombs of the war. 1 Manufacturer or Builder Connections
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Avro Lancaster
WikipediaLead paragraph, sentence 2: designer and manufacturer
It was designed and manufactured by Avro as a contemporary of the Handley Page Halifax, both bombers having been developed to the same specification, as well as the Short Stirling, all three aircraft being four-engine heavy bombers adopted by the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the same era.
Second paragraph: RAF Bomber Command service entry year
It first saw service with RAF Bomber Command in 1942 and as the strategic bombing offensive over Europe gathered momentum, it was the main aircraft for the night-time bombing campaigns that followed.
Third paragraph: 617 Squadron Dambusters raid sentence
The versatility of the Lancaster was such that it was chosen to equip 617 Squadron and was modified to carry the Upkeep "bouncing bomb" designed by Barnes Wallis for Operation Chastise, the attack on German Ruhr Valley dams.
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