Avro Lincoln

Avro · United Kingdom · first flew 1944 · bomber

The Avro Lincoln was a British four-engine heavy bomber developed as an improved successor to the Lancaster, featuring a longer fuselage, extended wingspan, and more powerful Merlin engines.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Mid-mounted, tapered
E — Engines	4 × piston, wing-mounted
F — Fuselage	23.86 m fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.

Spot it by:

Lancaster successor with longer wing and higher tail
Four Merlin engines in slimmer nacelles than Lancaster
Taller fin and rudder compared to Lancaster ancestor

Resembles the Lancaster closely but is larger in all dimensions; the taller fin, longer nose, and slightly different engine nacelle shape distinguish it; the overall impression is of a stretched, refined Lancaster.

Specifications

The Avro Lincoln has a length of 23.86 m (78 ft).
It has a wingspan of 36.58 m (120 ft).
Its maximum speed is 476 km/h (296 mph).
Typical crew: 7.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

First flown in June 1944, the Lincoln arrived too late to see significant service in World War II. It subsequently served with RAF Bomber Command as the primary heavy bomber into the early 1950s, seeing active service in the Malayan Emergency and Kenyan Mau Mau uprising.

Variants

The Lincoln B.1 and B.2 were the main RAF versions; Australia built the Lincoln as the Mk.30 and Mk.31, serving extensively with the RAAF.

Where you'll see it

Served with the RAF, RAAF, and Argentine Air Force; the type had a genuine operational record in colonial counter-insurgency campaigns in the late 1940s and early 1950s.

Related aircraft

AircraftIQ — the aircraft field guide: 5,024 recognition guides, live overhead identification, works offline.