Victory Aircraft Limited First Avro Lancaster Production and First Flight

The Canadian government set up Victory Aircraft to produce Avro Lancasters at the Malton airport in 1942. This need arose due to concerns about National Steel Car's ability to handle a project of such complexity (although NSC had already been producing the single-engine Westland Lysander at the plant). A pattern aircraft was flown from England to act as a template from which subsequent aircraft were to be built. A total of 430 Lancasters and a further 6 passenger variant Lancastrians would be built.
The first Canadian-built Lancaster was nicknamed the "Ruhr Express" with serial number KB700. It is shown in this video during its production and rollout ceremony on August 1, 1943, a mere 16 months from the arrival of blueprints to the plant and 12 months from the arrival of the pattern aircraft. The aircraft was ferried to England and entered service with the 405th squadron. It completed 48 missions before being lost after a bombing run on Nuremberg on January 2, 1945. The aircraft experienced a hydraulic malfunction, overshot the runway and crashed into a trench digger whereupon it was destroyed from fire and exploding ordinance.