The Avro Lancaster is a British four-engine heavy bomber used by the Royal Air Force and other Commonwealth air forces during World War II. Of the 7,377 aircraft built, 3,736 were lost during the War (3,249 in action and 487 in ground accidents).
How many Lancaster bombers were in ww2?
7,377
The Avro Lancaster is the most famous and successful RAF heavy bomber of World War Two. There are only two airworthy Lancasters left in the world – 7,377 were built. Lancaster PA474 was built at the Vickers Armstrong Broughton factory at Hawarden Airfield, Chester on 31 May 1945, just after VE day.
Who flew the most sorties in ww2?
Erich Alfred Hartmann (19 April 1922 – 20 September 1993) was a German fighter pilot during World War II and the most successful fighter ace in the history of aerial warfare. He flew 1,404 combat missions and participated in aerial combat on 825 separate occasions.
What was the life expectancy of a Lancaster bomber crew?
The Lancaster was one of the most dangerous places to be in the entire war – the life expectancy of a new recruit was just two weeks.
How long did it take a Lancaster bomber to fly to Germany?
seven and a half hour
On the night of 16th December 1943 RAF Bomber Command mounted another raid on the German capital of Berlin, this time with 483 Lancasters and 15 Mosquitos. The Lancasters took off from their bases in England between 16:00 and 17:00 for the seven and a half hour flight to Berlin and back.
Who flew the most bomber missions in ww2?
All told, Flak-Bait flew 200 combat missions, plus six decoy operations, for a grand total of 206 flights. The only bomber to fly more missions was an RAF Mosquito known as F for Freddie, which made it 213 times over enemy territory.
What was the toughest bomber in ww2?
The heaviest bomber of World War II was the Boeing B-29 Superfortress, which entered service in 1944 with a fully pressurized crew compartment (previously used only on experimental aircraft) and as many as 12 . 50-inch machine guns mounted in pairs in remotely-controlled turrets.
Who was the deadliest pilot in WW2?
Erich Hartmann
Erich Hartmann, sometimes referred to as the ‘Black Devil’, is the deadliest fighter pilot in history, having downed 352 Allied planes during World War Two over the course of some 1,400 missions.
Who was the best pilot in WW2?
Known as the “Ace of Aces” for his rank as the top American flying ace during World War II, Major Richard Ira Bong is credited with the downing of an impressive confirmed total of 40 enemy aircraft over the course of his career as a fighter pilot.
What was the life expectancy of a WW2 pilot?
The average life expectancy of a Spitfire pilot during the Battle of Britain was just four weeks. Despite this alarming figure, aspiring fighter pilots continued to join the RAF throughout the conflict, supporting the efforts of ground troops and defending their country.
What plane shot down the most planes in WW2?
Which plane shot down the most planes in WW2? As others have said, it pretty much has to be the Messerschmitt Bf-109. The Bf-109 was a fine, modern fighter – though it was getting a bit old by the end of the war.
What is the oldest bomber still in service?
Boeing B-52 Stratofortress
The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is an American long-range, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber. The B-52 was designed and built by Boeing, which has continued to provide support and upgrades. It has been operated by the United States Air Force (USAF) since the 1950s.
Was the Lancaster bomber better than the B-17?
Lancaster had far better payload, far better range and smaller crew. B-17 had better ceiling, better defensive armament and more rugged construction.
How many gallons of fuel did a Lancaster bomber hold?
Fuel capacity was increased from 1,700 to 2,154 gallons and range increased from 1,200 miles to 2,350 miles.
Which ww2 bomber dropped the most bombs?
Developed by the Boeing Company in the 1930s, the B-17 was a four‑engine heavy bomber aircraft used by the U.S. Army Air Force during World War II. It was a very effective weapons system, dropping more bombs during the war than any other American aircraft.
What was the life expectancy of a B-17 crew?
Nothing in the peacetime lives of thousands of young Americans had prepared them for the violence that lay ahead. Although such statistics were not circulated among Army Air Forces crews, the average life expectancy of an Eighth Air Force B-17 in late 1943 was 11 missions.
What is the most feared bomber?
The Boeing B-29 was the biggest American bomber of the Second World War, but perhaps what made it the most deadly was that it was the aircraft that dropped the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which in a way makes the aircraft infamous.
How many bombers were lost over Germany in ww2?
Allied air forces dropped nearly 2.7 million tons of bombs, flew 1,440,000 bomber sorties and 2,680,000 fighter sorties. The number of men lost in air action was 79,265 Americans and 79,281 British.
What was the biggest air raid in history?
Operation Meetinghouse, which was conducted on the night of 9–10 March 1945, is the single most destructive bombing raid in human history.
What was the weirdest plane in ww2?
Nowhere was this more clear than in the skies of World War II, where intrepid aerospace designers dreamed up some of the most bizarre aircraft in history.
- 10Blohm & Voss BV 141.
- 9Horten Ho 229.
- 8Vought V-173/XF5U-1.
- 7Boulton Paul Defiant.
- 6Bell YFM-1 Airacuda.
- 5Antonov A-40.
- 4Junkers Ju-287.
- 3Cornelius XFG-1.
What is the best bomber ever built?
The 10 Best Strategic Bomber Aircraft In The World
- 8/10 Tupolev TU-16 Badger.
- 7/10 General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark.
- 6/10 Tupolev TU-22M Backfire.
- 5/10 Tupolev TU-160 Blackjack.
- 4/10 Avro Vulcan B2.
- 3/10 Xian H-6.
- 2/10 Rockwell B1 Lancer.
- 1/10 Northrop Grumman B2 Spirit.