Life Inside a Lancaster Heavy Bomber (Cross Section)

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The British Avro Lancaster was a heavy bomber that was primarily used as a night-time bomber during World War Two and spearheaded the Allied strategic bombing campaign devised by RAF Commander in Chief of Bomber Command , Arthur “Bomber” Harris against Germany.
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Credit:
Show Created by Daniel Turner (B.A. (Hons) in History, University College London)
Script: Natasha Martell
Narrator: Bryan 'Lazlo' Beauregard

[@Simplehistory]

Go to my sponsor aura.com/simplehistory to get a 14 day free trial and see if your personal information has been leaked online

[@malcolm824]

@Don't Read My Profile Picture ok, I won't

[@Charlie-fu6ep]

@Don't Read My Profile Picture Your Mother

[@oslonorway547]

6:47 Did you explain why exactly that last guy doesn't/wasn't allowed to have his parachute on? Was it because of space, some rule, or why?

[@Ms_cheif]

@@Charlie-fu6ep w

[@angeltorres7936]

kzbin.infoJlEyyeljPek?feature=share this guy appears to be using your content without crediting you

[@hawkeyeten2450]

As an American who has heard and read a ton about the B-17 over the years, it's great to hear more about our RAF allies and their magnificent "heavy bombers"! An incredibly courageous and talented group of men.

[@Ramzi1944]

There's nothing magnificent in those caskets

[@AudieHolland]

If it were up to me, I'd rather have flown on a Mosquito, which could carry the same bomb load as the B-17 did on long range missions, 4,000 pounds.

[@mcgarbageproductions588]

@@AudieHolland thats nothing compared to 10,000 kilos of british tea falling on your head. God save the king

[@SimulDatCor]

@@uhoh5776 Why are you using emojis like this is twitter

[@Free-Bodge79]

Easy boys. None of us were there. They all had big balls. We all put in to fucking them up. God save the king. ! x

[@CanImperator]

I'm lucky enough to live near the last Canadian Lancaster that still flies. It flies over our neighbourhood regularly throughout the year. You can always hear it coming because there's no mistaking the sound of those engines for anything left nowadays. I can't imagine how incredible it must have been to see and hear dozens of them flying overhead at once. It must have been truly glorious!

[@shaggybaggums]

Growing up I remember seeing the British one go over a few times, we'd see spitfires and hurricanes more often though. I know exactly what you mean about hearing merlin engines though. My dad once said, you can hear one of 'em, but you can feel four at once. To see a raid heading out back in the day with the sky filled with them, must've been really something to see, and hear.

[@Thegaming_husky]

Every time I see it fly over it amazes me even tho I live almost directly under its flight path. If anyone is visiting Toronto take the drive to Hamilton to see it. It's 1000% worth the drive.

[@spottiercamp8183]

I also live close to the Lancaster in Hamilton I’m truly is a sight to see!

[@sleeplesspops3949]

The thought of a bunch planes flying over like that terrifies me. Its so ominous.

[@adamlines3808]

Yeah it’s in Hamilton, ON. It’s beautiful to see

[@marksmangalactic9050]

My grandfather was a lancaster pilot in the RCAF. He gave me his wings when i was a child and they're one of my most prized possessions. I was young when he passed away and I wish I had been able to talk to him as an adult. He was a very kind man and I miss him dearly.

[@nishilbhartiya]

may he rest in peace. That's an amazing story!

[@AntiMullahs]

He mustve had balls of steel! May he rest in peace

[@AlexReiter1988]

Honor to your grandfather

[@StrategicBomberEnjoyer]

Thats awesome! May he rest in peace, he was a hero! ❤

[@spacewurm]

Great story. RIP to your Grandfather. My mother has her father's RCAF wings. My grandfather was in the 425 squadron. They received the Lancaster just as the war in Europe was ending. Squadron was getting ready to fly to Pacific theater but thankfully Japan surrendered. He passed away in 1979. I was only a few months old.

[@gamerallys591]

Is it just me, but I love being able to walk around in moving vehicles, there's just a weird but good feeling about it.

[@crazywildegg54]

Real

[@417Owsy]

its surreal for some reason, like your in a dream

[@sheilaolfieway1885]

not something you get in many games.

[@jonbowman7686]

@@sheilaolfieway1885 right? that's why battlefield 1942 was so great when it came out. Someone could be driving a battleship or aircraft carrier while you walked around on it. It also had bombers, but instead of walking around you could only switch positions unfortunately. unless you count the mods that let you walk around a C130 (iirc) while it was in the air!

[@Kratos_Messi7050]

@@sheilaolfieway1885 gmod does but its limited but MWII can let you walk on speeding vehicles without physics destroying itself, werr 1 step closer to a WW2 game with this physics

[@POPE_FRANC1S]

My great grandfather was a reargunner in a Lancaster. I had the honour to meet him many times before he died in 2013.

[@ExtinctAirplane]

RIP to your grandfather. I'm sure you enjoyed hearing about his service!

[@petrovicovic3172]

Hope he saw UK filled with Pakistanis and Indians

[@UsuallyTrolling]

@@petrovicovic3172 Petro, the British Empire once covered over a quarter of the globe, while the Indian Empire consists of a small curry restaurant in Birmingham. I don’t think we can be entirely absolved from blame on the colonisation front.

[@ls200076]

@@petrovicovic3172 Don't forget the Polish

[@offtheice]

My great great uncle was also a gunner in the Lancaster Mark III, went on a mission to Munich but never came back due to fuel exhaustion 25 miles off of the English coast, RIP

[@paulahillier1390]

I live in Southern Ontario. The Lancaster still flies over my house a few times every summer. It's amazing to see and Hear.

[@killercat1981]

It's a unique sound just like the Spifire, Hurricane and Messerscherschmitt 109 and I'm like you I love hearing these machines in the sky. It's just a shame there's so few intact examples and among those very few can actually fly so it's always a great privilege when you get to experience them flying overhead. Although I envy you I truly hope you get to enjoy alot more summer flyovers.

[@abdullahrizwan592]

Its located in Hamilton, correct? I have always wanted to visit it

[@Diamondmine212]

My three uncles flew on Lancaster Bombers during the war, two were Navigators , one was a rear gunner. Fortunately all survived the war.

[@UsuallyTrolling]

Thats really lucky considering nearly 50% died in the war

[@muhazreen]

Your rear gunner uncle is pretty lucky considering how exposed he is

[@AdamsHadEnough]

Wow that is fortunate. My grandfather was also a Lancaster navigator with the 617, he somehow survived two tours.

[@FlashyVic]

@@AdamsHadEnough 617 squadron? The Dambusters?!

[@Diamondmine212]

Very lucky they were all brothers too, when the youngest was old enough to be called up because his brothers where in the RAF he had to join the Merchant navy on convoy duty !!!. Yes, he survived too making it an even bigger miracle that grannt got all her boys back.. Although uncle Frank s plane was so badly riddle with bullets they had to limp back home and belly crash on landing.

[@garyrobinson116]

My grandfather was a rear gunner in a Lanc during WWII, used to love hearing his war stories, especially the one where he tried to bail out of a burning plane, not realising it was coming in to land. He ended up bouncing down the runway and spending a month in hospital

[@kyleyapching-g2562]

Bomber Crew is a cool game that let's you command a Lancaster Crew. Great video!

[@azimisyauqieabdulwahab9401]

Not talking about Burt Lancaster

[@philapinyo]

This video made me want to re-download it

[@JURASSICLEGO777]

That’s where i leaned about this bomber

[@jaegergames7042]

Both my Great-Great-Grandfather, and his Son, served aboard Lancaster crews in WW2. In fact, my 2nd-Great-Grandfather flew for the RNAS in WW1, and survived as a POW. Always loved the Lancaster- the only bomber I like more than the B-17!

[@markjarrett9400]

As a kid one of my parents friends flew in Lancaster's in WW2. I never asked him about it. Anyway, a really informative and interesting video. Adverts normally make me groan, but your one for aura was so OTT that it made me laugh and smile. Well done on that one.

[@cloaker1619]

When I was still in primary we where playing outside out school in a grassy field during lunch break when out of nowhere two spitfires and a Lancaster started flying over my school field which totally shocked me, the other students and the teachers as we watched it fly around the field and it got really close to the ground at one point, such a magnificent beast.

[@Long.live.Hellsing]

Glad you enjoyed the show old chap

[@krashd]

@@Long.live.Hellsing Chin chin!

[@StrategicBomberEnjoyer]

Awesome! I wish i could get close to a strat bomber

[@tomjones7676]

SAME AND LIKE THE REST OF THE RAF LOL

[@mynameflanders1045]

My great grandad was a pilot in ww2 and he flew these beasts. Even got one tatted on my arm in memory of him after he passed in 2022. He is a hero of mine and always will be. He always loved talking about the planes he flew. Especially the Lancaster. One of the finest bombers of ww2. Awesome video 🫡

[@ytuser0449]

My Grandfather was part of No. 6 Bomber Group RCAF, but not aircrew. He was able to get a ride over Germany after VE Day to see the result of the aerial campaign and ground combat. I was told he only ever talked about it once to my dad, what he saw I would assume was very grim. My dad has since researched his story and found records of the flight with his name in the logbook. Lest we forget. 🇨🇦

[@anthonyeaton5153]

I live in RCAF 6 Group Country of North Yorkshire. I was stationed at RAF Leeming one of many Bomber stations in 6 Group which is the only station still operating. In my town of Northallerton there is a tribute to the RCAF and 6 Group on the towns war memorial.

[@metalinyourhead3604]

What many people don’t know, is that of the three working Lancasters: 1 can’t fly, the other is owned and funded by the RAF, and the other sits in a small museum in Hamilton Ontario Canada, and only flies because of generous donations from the public. She’s also dedicated to Pilot Officer Andrew Mynarski (VC), who refused to jump from his stricken Lancaster, to save the life of his friend, tail-gunner Pat Brophy. Brophy survived, but Mynarski sadly died of after being severely burned. For his actions, Mynarski was awarded the Victoria Cross.

[@paulahillier1390]

I live just south of Hamilton. I love hearing the Lancaster flyover every summer. It's truly awesome.

[@binowoo6268]

Two of which are based mere miles away. The one that can taxi on it's own sounds and looks amazing, and can't wait until the day it flies again.

[@richardvernon317]

Seen both of the Flyer's in formation when the Canadian one was in the UK.

[@robertthomas3777]

There’s one non-flying on display at the Bullcreek Aviation museum - Perth, Western Australia. Great exhibit. 🦘🇦🇺👍

[@Ukraineaissance2014]

We have Canadian lancaster crewmen buried in my local graveyard (east yorkshire), they crashed nearby in an accident trying to land during the war

[@geertdewit6281]

Great mini doc, very interesting! I especially like your mentioning of the tailgunner's troublesome position when bailing out. This led to (my distant relative) Nicholas Alkemade to jump out without a parachute and surviving his jump from several thousand feet, quite incredible

[@notwocdivad]

I believe the "several thousand feet" was actually about 28.000 feet!! His life was saved by falling through pine trees and landing in a deep snow drift, I seem to remember with only a broken leg? A lucky man indeed! Normal procedure was to reach into the plane through the rear doors of the turret for his parachute hanging just inside, then turn the turret sideways and fall backward out trying to don the parachute on the way out!!!!!

[@richardvernon317]

@@notwocdivad 18,000 feet was the height that Flt Sgt Alkemade jumped from the aircraft. his parachute was burnt up by a fire in the rear of the aircraft. He damaged his leg exiting the aircraft and got a few scratches and burses going through the pine trees before landing in the snow drift which wasn't that deep.

[@Ukraineaissance2014]

That's suprisingly common

[@j.peters1222]

I remember around 15+ years ago being at EAA (largest airshow in the USA) in Wisconsin. I can't remember the exact year but that year's show was extra special. This was because they decided to bring 1 of the 2 air worthy Lancaster bombers to the show. The one they brought was from Canada (The other resides in England) and my god was that a treat to see. You look at the B-17 and think "Damn that's big". But then you look at a Lancaster up close and it dwarfs it. Definitely a great experience and one I surely will never forget. Not sure if it has revisited EAA since then though. By the way, I like this style of video. Would love to see more cross sections of other famous military hardware and machinery.

[@WanderlustZero]

Crazy to believe there's only ten years between the first flight of the Avro Lancaster and the Avro Vulcan.

[@AndrewJOliver]

I had a maths teacher who flew in both.

[@wilburfinnigan2142]

wanderlust Harder to believe the B29 was commishioned ay about the same time as the lanc and was ten times the bomber the Lanc was !! !

[@bobowen7754]

⁠@@wilburfinnigan2142 I think you should explain your comment!

[@yhammess1175]

Since I was a kid lancasters have always been my favourite aircraft, the sound it makes as it flys over is just amazing

[@thomasthedestroyerofplanet6018]

It was an honour seeing that same Lancaster two times fly over my village and school

[@thomasthedestroyerofplanet6018]

@Simple_History_1319 shutt

[@decayingsun5798]

It's fun knowing more about the Lancaster after playing Bomber Crew. The silhouette familiarity from the cross section was a more immediate draw than the usual art style signifying a Simple History video this time.

[@WanderlustZero]

Ah, a man of culture. I love BC

[@StrategicBomberEnjoyer]

A fellow bomber crew player, i love the game and ww2 strat bombers!

[@martinthompson2584]

My grandfather was an engineer in a Lancaster during the war. They were damaged and ditched in the English Channel. He was at sea for three days until rescued. At least that's the story I was told. Simply can't imagine going through what he did.

[@nathanielmoran1819]

My Grandfather served in the RAF as the Navigator of a Lancaster Bomber. He never liked to recall much of his experiences and very rarely spoke of the war. Thank you Simply History for the info graphic special.

[@marcleslac2413]

One of my grandmas cousins was a tail gunner in one of these, he sadly died fighting for us in ww2.

[@cavscout7113]

My Great Uncle was a Navigator on one of these in 463 Squadron RAAF flying out of Waddington in the UK. He was killed over Antwerp in late 1944. I was named after him.

[@buildthings79]

Love the cross-section videos!! Keep 'em coming

[@Falkenred01315]

My dad (Sgt Sam Rogerson) was flight engineer on LM508 ‘P’ for Peter, shot down over Holland on 22 June 1944. He told us how difficult it was for him to bail out, with a blazing fuselage behind him and an injured bomb aimer in front of him. He had to strap on the bomb aimer’s parachute, and push him out of the very cramped front hatch, pulling the injured man’s rip-cord as he left the aircraft. Then he had to strap on his own chute and squeeze out after him. The pilot Flying Officer Gerry Hingley, stayed with the aircraft as long as he could, so as to give his crew the best chance. He was injured by a bridge parapet as he landed, but survived. Sadly the bomb aimer later died from his injuries. The tail-gunner, Sgt John Keogh had sadly earlier been killed by a JU 88 night-fighter. His body was not recovered from the wreck until it was raised from a bog near Werkendam in 2014.

[@gwtpictgwtpict4214]

A small point regarding the drastically higher percentage rate for bomber crew bailing out successfully by the USAAF. Yes, their exit options were better in the B17 and B24 than the Halifax and especially the Lancaster, but they were also bailing out in daylight, being able to see what they were doing was a huge factor. Nice video.

[@jimfarnell5813]

My dad was a Canadian in the RCAF… He was the navigator on Lancaster M for Mike in the RAF 101 Squadron out of Ludford Magna… His all Canadian crew (except the tail gunner-who was Irish) flew 30 missions from 1944-45… I have his logbook from the beginning of his training in Malton, Ontario thru to his last mission, a relief supply flight to The Hague in May 1945…

[@lightningduds]

Very interesting. I’ve never went too far into historical aviation when studying it.

[@MiaMooreA]

My Great grandfather was a tail gunner in the Lancaster. He was too big to fit in his turret but made due. He survived being shot down twice and after the war only traveled by plane one time after.

[@BobCratchit-773]

More than 55,000 men from Bomber Command lost their lives, of whom 38,000 were British. That's one in 10 of all the British servicemen lost in the Second World War. God rest their souls.

[@jimstanga6390]

The Avro Manchester was developed around the Rolls-Royce Vulture engine. This engine was created by bolting 2 Rolls-Royce Peregrine engines together at the base with a common crankshaft. The Peregrine was a troublesome engine, under powered and and prone to break down at high revs and throw a rod. By joining 2 engines together, engineers hoped to fix the problem, but only compounded it. When they eventually put 4 newly developed Merlin engines into the next plane prototype with a reworked tail plane, it became the Avro Lancaster.

[@volvotechyeg]

My grandfather's brother died over Holland he was a tail gunner in the Lancaster. Volunteered at age 17. My grandfather was too young to fight in the war and this affected him his whole life. I am so proud and thankful.

[@ensarodabas1993]

@simple_history_1842 what a load of bullsh-t

[@pp3k3jamail]

Then it's a good thing your grandfather was too young to fight in the war because you wouldn't be here today had he fought in the war, and probably would've died in one of these Lancaster bombers.

[@joedaman8436]

I had the pleasure of seeing one of these fly over my house on VE day, you can hear those engines roaring, such a distinct sound, it makes it even more special now, knowing that there are only 2 Lancaster's left flying..

[@matthewdockter2424]

Awesome! I'd love to see one on the B-24 Liberator too!

[@agent8675]

I was in Hyde Park,London, back in 1995 for the VE Day celebrations. A Lancaster bomber with escorts flew over us and it is an experience I’ll never forget. You could hear the engines miles away and as they flew overhead the thrumming vibrations coursed through my body. I felt truly honoured to have been able to experience such an event!

[@Archway16]

Kinda expect this to get buried but, My great grandfather was a pilot engineer on the Lancaster. He flew multiple missions over Germany during the war.

[@JerkDogJ]

LITERALLY just asked you guys for more cross-sections last night. THANK YOU!!! 😊 I'm sure it was a coincidence, but I am just as happy.

[@thekingofcheese625]

My 2nd great uncle, david Morgan ellis, was a flight engineer on one of these, i believe the serial number of the Lancaster was ed328, and I've always been obsessed with planes ( especially bombers ) so its nice to finally know more about this specific one

[@lancepeacock7156]

When I started work there was an inspector in his 60's whose hands never stopped shaking. I asked about him and was told he'd been a Lancaster rear-gunner. Brave men.

[@theodorewester3354]

More cross section videos like this one! I like the format of the cutaway. Can we get a cross section on the Sherman tank?

[@JockTalk7]

My best mates dad was chairman of Avro. A classic English gent with a lifetime membership to lords cricket ground and his own pheasant shoot.

[@pop5678eye]

Fun fact: the most expensive WWII weapons project was not the nuclear bomb but the B-29 bomber designed to deliver it. Due to the rushed schedule the bomber suffered from severe design weaknesses and by the end of the war more B-29 were lost due to mechanical failure than to Japanese anti-aircraft measures. A backup to the B-29 was the British Lancaster which was the only other bomber at the time capable of handling the weight of such heavy bombs though it lacked the range to deliver a nuclear bomb onto the Japanese mainland from an American airbase without a complicated and risky refueling maneuver. It was also slower and had a lower service ceiling that put it at greater risk of interception. (not to mention damage from the explosion of the dropped nuclear bomb)

[@PLATE_FACE]

My Great grandfather was a Lancaster bomber pilot throughout the war, still got his RAF Ringway cufflinks, he always said he flew better after a few whiskey's 😅

[@TheRealArtimusKnight]

The Rolls Royce Merlin was a serious workhorse

[@alessiodecarolis]

Pratically about the 50% of all the Lancasters survived the war, such a percentage's losses today would've seen as horrorific.

[@aidankenealy4556]

More of these, please! Such an awesome over view.

[@richiedarko]

That payload is insane. And to still kick on at 200mph. It's awful that the crews couldn't bail easily. They should've had that chance given to them at the very least for such a perilous job. My parents lived next door to a Lancaster pilot called Peter after I'd grown up and moved out. I never got past pleasantries with him in passing, when visiting them. I so dearly wish I'd asked him about it before he passed a few years ago. But you always think "one day!" until it's too late. What a piece of history!

[@wobotnik]

Three survivors of the Dam Buster raid gave a talk at my school when I was a kid. Cool!

[@dukekeagan7256]

😊 This is an excellent overview of the Lancaster bomber. Thank you for your work in preparing it. 😊

[@hanpolo2727]

In my opinion the greatest Bomber in ww2 I take pride in knowing the UK made these.

[@History_Nurd]

Eh It was a bit of a death-trap according to some bombers

[@Ohmygodstfu2045]

Laughs in four engine b-17 returning home on one

[@luisrenato4089]

low crew survivability and poor self-defense weapons

[@dWFnZWVr]

To the commenters (not the OP). It is not fair or reasonable to say one was better than the other, they were designed for different missions and both did their job pretty well. The B-17 was designed for daylight mass raids as per US bombing doctrine at the time, it was assumed that a heavily armed bomber using the Norden bombsight could bomb accurately and overwhelm fighters sent against them. In the real world of combat in Northern Europe neither of these were true. Initially losses were unsustainable, until long range fighter protection was available to and from the target, and the Norden sight in European conditions performed no better than the British or German alternatives. The British and Germans learned in the first year or two of the war that daylight raids were not sustainable, both the Luftwaffe and the RAF having to turn to night time raids. The Lancaster was built for this, and had a smaller crew and fewer guns than the B-17. As it did not have a turret in the belly of the aircraft it could have a much larger bomb bay which later gave it the capability of carrying really large and specialist bombs. It also had a larger carrying capacity, although as with all bombers you always had to trade bomb load with distance to target. So a Lancaster could carry more bombs further than a B-17, but was much less able to defend itself. Lancasters would have been more vulnerable in the daylight raids, but an equal number of B-17s would have been unable to deliver the amount of ordnance that Lancasters could. As for performance they were equal in speed, the Lancaster could fly further, but the B-17 much higher. You also cannot compare their safety by analysing casualties because by the end of the war the RAF had dropped over 1,000,000 tonnes of explosives throughout the war, whereas the US had dropped around 660,000. The differences in their purpose and the actual practicality of their use [and for how long] make it unreasonable to assert one as being “better or worse” than the other. Both were great planes. What I will say is that the British were the only nation to see the war through and through, start to finish. The Lancasters and the Spitfires successfully defended Britain from invasion at the hands of the greatest military force the world has ever seen, to this day. That’s one attribute the Lancaster has, that the B-17 does not.

[@sjc5411]

B-17 roughly the same as the B-52?

[@coraxcox9242]

Love this video 👏 ! My grandad cast the parts for the engine block in the midlands during ww2

[@spaceranger3728]

The crew survival rate for bailing out was astonishingly low. Freeman Dyson was a scientist during the war working with the RAF and they studied the issue of crew survivability bailing out through that cumbersome hatch. One of the suggestions was to just cut down on the number of crew required-by getting rid of some of the gun positions and fairing over the gun ports, they would increase the speed of the planes and further decrease the probability of being shot down. This, paired with the decreased crew size, would have cut the casualty rate. I suspect that any such changes, though, would result in changes in tactics by the enemy which would play against any supposed benefit.

[@richardvernon317]

Gunners primary job was to act as look outs to inform the pilot to take evasive action if they spotted a night fighter. Dyson wasn't that good a scientist, taking all of the turrets off a Lancaster would increase its speed by 50 MPH, but it would still be much slower than the night fighter and be totally defenceless. Bomber Harris did actually know what he was talking about. What He wanted was .50 cal machine guns on his bombers not .303 MG's . Unfortunately Harris had no control about the equipment he got.

[@duncangrainge]

My grandfather was a Lancaster rear gunner during ww2. He was shot down and killed in 1943.

[@Grimm92a]

Dug up a few of these as a kid with my uncle,I'm glad I wasn't a gunner on one.respect to the men who flew on these.

[@BB-pt9hv]

I work in anursong home and one of my residents was this 97 year old navigator in one of these things. He was so sweet and funny, it was sad though when he said he started training at 17 and got shipped out to war at 18, so young

[@Place_Holder866]

This made me more interested in history rather than having to read the books I could watch these animations AND UNDERSTAND BETTER

[@richardsawyer5428]

I saw Vera and Thumper at Dawlish airshow when Thumper came to visit from Canada. The sight was amazing but the sound was just something else.

[@brentlohr3394]

I could literally watch these videos all day long

[@1240Dax]

Amazing video idea.

[@crazywildegg54]

@Don't Read My Profile Picture least repetitive comment on KZbin

[@danzmitrovich6250]

Avro Shackleton took over the role of maritime patrol planes during the cold war era and i really do like lancaster bombers and b-17s as well and they will always still put a nice sky light in your factory and give you a new building as well

[@danzmitrovich6250]

Nice care package

[@danzmitrovich6250]

@Simple_History_1319 awesome and thanks for the heads up on it

[@robanddana79]

Don’t forget the Canadian lanc still flies as well. And you can jump in for a ride (if you donate enough to the museum).

[@bigbrowntau]

The Lancaster was nearly the bomber used to drop the atomic bombs. The B-29's bomb load was carried over two bomb bays ,each too small for the atomic bombs. If the modifications hadn't been made in time, it would have been Lancasters used to drop them. The Lancaster was modified to drop up to a single 22,000 pound (10 ton) bomb called the Grand Slam. They were capable of cracking open the reinforced concrete U-Boat pens.

[@lamwen03]

The Lanc would never have been used for the atomic bombs, as the bomb bay was inaccessible from inside. So all bombs would need to be armed before takeoff, and couldn't be disarmed. Greg's Airplanes goes into this (and everything else ) extensively.

[@smgdfcmfah]

One of the last two flying Lancaster still flies over my house on a regular basis. There's a B-25 Mitchel, a C-47 and various other single engine WW2 aircraft that regularly fly over as well, but you can't miss the sound of the those 4, unrestricted V-12s! I think you can still book a flight on it for about $5k.

[@kenchorney2724]

Love the Lanc! We have a Lancaster in my city (Calgary) that is static display only and another Lancaster at a museum in Nanton (south of Calgary) that does engine run-ups.

[@nicholaspascoe3188]

Thank you for this informative video as my dad flew as a flight engineer on Lancasters for 37 squadron in the Mediterranean area from 1947, something it's now impossible to talk about with him. You have given me an insight into his role. One other point about their retirement, several aircraft were prematurely retired due to failure of the main wing spar in part due to the resituating of the urinal drain line. Apparently it was in front of the wing in the belly and waste liquid would track along the fuselage and pass between the panels and onto the spar. I'm not convinced of this but if anyone knows any better I'd be happy to know.

[@andrewcarter7503]

I was out on a golf course in Southampton UK when the Battle of Britain memorial flight flew low overhead. Unmistakable sound, unforgettable sight.

[@smtoonentertainment]

When I was a kid, I had the honor of meeting a RAF Lancaster co-pilot. Awesome experience.

[@wilburfinnigan2142]

Lanc did NOT have a co pilot, ,,,,pilot and flight engineer only one wheel in a Lanc !!!

[@krasykay2294]

Recently Canada's flying Lancaster VeRA was grounded due to a engine overhaul stateside so the museum had people touring one of two airworthy Lancasters. I got the privilege to do so too which is extra on point because my great grandfather was a gunner out of one of these birds. My partner is also a aviation engineer who's obsessed too.

[@theunknownwarrior632]

So glad I got the chance to work on one of these beauties. I love the Lancaster

[@Group73historians73]

Nice video - i love it

[@popo_patty]

Crazy how back then aircraft's military service life was often less then 10 years while today most of our Air Force was developed or built in the 60's....

[@louissearle2709]

My grandad was a rear gunner on Lancs, he and his crew were all shot down near Munich on 2nd Feb 1945. I had the honour of visiting his grave a few years back.

[@kirkdurkadurka]

I had a friend that was related to the Lancaster family that was directly responsible for the creation ov the Lancaster bomber. We grew up together and if only he had more inspiration and direction in life he could have done anything. Mr Lancaster unfortunately lost his mind when he was overwhelmed by overdoing it with drugs at the attempt to cure an incurable depression.

[@BADDTV]

Ive seen the battle of Britain memorial flight several times. utter Goosebumps every single time.

[@jon8562]

My grandpa was a tail gunner in one of these. He was Canadian. Joined the British Air force at 18 in 1944

[@joshclark2274]

I have the joy of seeing this beast fly at the Swansea Air Show in Wales. Its such a great sight and even better sound.

[@Startingfires4u]

1:13 I love the "WW2 Humvee", let's get a video on that.

[@blagojpejov4155]

Nice work simple history

[@sparky4878]

Was fortunate to see both flying Lancasters together. A few years back the Canadians brought their Lanc to the UK.

[@tyleroutingdyke849]

The 2nd air worthy Lancaster is in Trenton, Ontario, Canada at the RCAF Air museum next to the airbase. The Lancaster in question was rescued from a lake, out of the 7 people on board all perished, but it was completely restored by museum staff in 2009 and currently sits decommissioned in the display section. Also side note Trenton RCAF base was the original testing grounds for the AVRO ARROW and a section of the fuselage sit in the museum for display. RCAF base Trenton has so much history to it

[@paulahillier1390]

I thought it resided in the museum in Hamilton Ontario. Wonder if it was moved.

[@alpearson9158]

sorry it is in Hamilton at the museum there you are thinking of the Halifax so rescued and displayed at the RCAF museum in Trenton

[@derpynerdy6294]

I fell in love with this plane when i was a kid seeing it on a film called "valiant" a bunch of birds or pigeons type

[@TheRealSlimSteve]

Incredible that there is only 10 years between the Lancaster bomber and the Vulcan bomber, Britains nuclear deterrant bomber until the mid-1980's. But even more incredible is that they were both designed by the same man, Roy Chadwick. Think about that. The guy that designed the plane which helped win WWII, also designed the plane which was operational almost until the fall of the Berlin Wall, and when Live Aid was the main event!! I find that mindblowing.

[@Aeronaut1975]

Lancasters flew well past the end of WW2 in the RAF, they were kitted out for maritime patrol, and renamed "The Shackleton" (after the famous British explorer). The Shackleton retired from RAF service as late as 1991. I was lucky enough to get to see a couple flying, whilst still in service with the RAF.

[@goodshipkaraboudjan]

I was reading an article a short while back about efforts to preserve and restore a couple of ex SAAF Shackletons that are still sitting on the apron somewhere in South Africa. Would be nice to have one or two flying in the world.

[@christopherdempsey3878]

I've got to see one fly during a air show quite a few years ago. It was beautiful.

[@righton1]

Love that I still get to view her in the skies in all her glory every summer.

[@dreadlegend7365]

You show respect to the man and the machine in this video 👍👍

[@Jake-iy7pl]

Man these types of videos are amazing good job

[@Jake-iy7pl]

Ummm yeah no

[@ernstfritsch678]

Not having a ventral turret made these planes prime targets for the schräge Musik in the BF110, Ju 88, and Do 217. Still a beautiful and well done design.

[@lamwen03]

The Lancs flew at night, and the ventral turret was aimed by mirrors, totally useless at night. Plus it got in the way.

[@gabrieljenkins-handy5232]

My great uncle on my mums side of the family was a tale gunner in a Lancaster, he did survive the war uninjured

[@EngineeringAndVehiclesArchive]

My great grandad was a flight engineer on a Lancaster, luckily he survived the whole war.

[@LordSummerIsle73]

My grandfather was a rear gunner on a Lancaster part of thr pathfinders. His life expectancy was 2 missions and he survived through the whole war

[@keepaway7896]

I couldn't imagine having to live in such a small confined space. Adding to the fact that any minute of the day you're playing could get shot down over enemy territory.

[@seansabhaois]

Great video and graphics🙂👍 The Lancaster morphed into the Lincoln. The Lincoln morphed into the Shackleton. The Lancaster DNA is clear to see in the Shackleton, used by the RAF and SAAF for long range maritime patrols and rescue. A working example, although not actually airworthy, is based in Cape Town and quite a few videos are on YT, when this amazing aircraft is taken out of it's hanger for a wash and engine test.

[@1797alyuisus-yb3pg]

My former neighbor was in the Moose 419 squadron. Tailgunner in VRG, he shot down 2 german fighters. 26 missions, mostly at night. Bravery in its highest form.

[@TheGreatJohnPlays]

Good video overall but there are a couple of inaccuracies here: 1. The bombardier and the nose gunner were separate positions. In fact, one of the Lancaster's oft complained about design flaws was the way the nose gunners feet dangled in front of the bombardiers face. On Operation Chastise this became a problem because the bombardier had to look forwards, not down, to aim the bomb so the nose gunners were equipped with stirrups to keep their feet tucked up out of the way. 2. The reason tail gunners had the lowest survival rate wasn't that they were separated from their parachute. There is plenty of room in the turret for both man and parachute because they are open at the rear. in theory, all you have to do to bail out of the tail turret is rotate it to left or right and fall backwards. The reason for the high mortality of tail gunners is that the turrets were hydraulically operated and the fluid lines were often cut by enemy fire, immobilizing the turret. If he was unable to use the "fall backwards" method to escape, the tail gunner had an impossibly long journey back through a falling, possibly burning, plane to reach the escape hatch.

[@UsuallyTrolling]

The bomb aimer was the nose gunner in a Lancaster although they rarely used the turret on ops. The nose gunner in operation chastise was the mid upper gunner because their turret got removed to compensate for the extra weight of the bouncing bomb

[@Thegaming_husky]

For those wondering the second still flying Lancaster. Is based in Hamilton Ontario Canada. At the canadian Warplane heritage museum. The Lancaster based there Flys regularly during the summer. During some special events at the museum. you can make a cash donation to help keep it flying and walk through the inside of the aircraft. The museums collection also includes a b25 and c47 that fly occasionally.

[@jonathanwood2446]

i've worked for a company that specialises in fabricating parts for wwii era british aircraft and i am very proud to say that parts i've made are keeping the bbmf lancaster in the air.