British Heavy Bomber AVRO Lancaster B. III COBI 5759 - World War II 1:48

You know that:

• The AVRO Lancaster bomber was actually created when the team of chief designer Roy Chadwick tried to redesign the popular but underpowered AVRO 679 model. And so they modified and modified until... a completely new aircraft was created.
• The brand new machine was given 4 Rolls-Royce Merlin engines to be able to take off for the first time on January 9, 1941 from Woodford Airport.
• The original name of the bomber was Manchester III and only later was it renamed Lancaster.
• The bomber proved itself in the performance of the first tasks and serial production was gradually extended to other factories in Birmingham, Elswick and also to Kandský Malton.
• 920 different companies supplied parts for the aircraft. 1,100,000 workers participated in the entire production process.
• The Lancaster was the only Allied bomber with a large bomb bay capable of carrying a 10,000 kg Grand Slam bomb.
• Several bombers were equipped with a gunner's radar in the rear turret, capable of directing fire without visual contact at a distance of 900 - 1,300 meters.
• A total of 7,377 units were produced in several versions.
• A sad statistic says that of the total number of units produced, 3,249 Lancasters were lost in combat.
• The average age of crew members was 22 years.
• Many bombers were used after the war to transport prisoners of war back to their countries.
• Approximately 120 units were rebuilt for the naval rescue service in 1945.
• The last aircraft were withdrawn from service with the Canadian Air Force in 1963.

Technical parameters:

• dimensions: span 31.09 m, length 21.18 m, height 5.97 m
• weight 16,737 kg empty
• maximum take-off weight 31,900 kg
• power unit 4x Rolls-Royce Merlin 224 1,208 kW petrol engine
• top speed 434 km/h
• rate of climb 1.27 m/s
• maximum flight level 6,553 m
• volume of fuel tanks 8,200 l
• range 4,072 km
• armament 8x 7.7 mm Browning MG machine gun + suspended jumping bomb 4,200 kg
• crew 7

From the memoirs of Polish RAF pilot Janusz Erazm Szymanski:

"During the dangerous missions, we reaped a lot of stress, sadness and fear in the RAF, but if anyone thinks that we have lost our sense of humor through all this, then they are seriously mistaken. I remember our ground crew arming my Lancaster and loading huge pumpkins among the bombs. We found out right away during the pre-flight check that there was something extra on the plane, but we decided to leave the pumpkins there. We don't know if the Germans appreciated the fact that pumpkins were being dropped on them in addition to bombs, but no one ever called us anything other than Pumpkin bomber."