GOVERNMENT AIRCRAFT FACTORIES
GAF Lincoln
The Avro Lincoln bomber was built by the Department of Aircraft Production (DAP) (later to become the Government Aircraft Factory) as a result of a 1943 Overseas mission lead by Secretary McVey of the DAP that included Lawrence Wackett of the CAC, being to recommend to the Australian Government aircraft types to be considered for local production. The Avro Lancaster was one such recommendation and In May 1943 Britain sent a Lancaster Mk111 to Australia for production planning purposes, and in November the Government approved the building of 50 Lancaster Mk111s by the Department of Aircraft Production (DAP).
Avro's continued development of the Lancaster marque lead to the Mk1V, a significant improvement over the Mk111 machine, incorporating many features of size and power such that a name change was made, and the Avro type 694 Lincoln had arrived.
With the war in Europe turning toward an Allied victory, a dedicated "Tiger Force" was to have been raised by the RAF entering the Pacific theatre of operations, consisting of the Avro Lincoln Mk11 bomber and the Boeing B29 bomber of the USAF.
With the advent of the Avro Lincoln the Australian powers that be decided that the type with it's greater range was more appropriate to the Pacific theatre than the Lancaster111, so in early 1944 the DAP began gearing up for building the new machine with the intended designation of Lincoln Mk XXX, later Mk30 as the Roman numerals were discarded, and
In July 1945 a Lincoln Mk30 order was raised for 73 production machines.
The first Australian Lincoln Mk30 built at the now Government Aircraft Factory (GAF) flew on 12 March 1946 and the remainder were delivered between January 1947 and September 1953 and served Nos1,2,and 6 RAAF Squadrons of No82 Wing based at Amberley. Initially,12 of the aircraft were modified for the role of maritime reconnaissance with an extension of the forward fuselage to accommodate further crew members. Others followed later for similar modifications.
Number 1 Squadron was deployed to Singapore and operated with RAF Lincolns in the Malayan Emergency spending eight years undertaking sorties against communist terrorists, returning to Australia in 1958, and re-equipping with GAF Canberra bombers.
Nos 2 and 6 Squadrons were deployed in several duties before re-equipping with GAF Canberra bombers in December 1953.
The Museum's Lincoln, an Avro 694/695 Lincoln 2 came off RAF charge in 1948, and was operated as G-APRJ by C Napier and Sons in icing research until 1962, and later carried on with this research with Cranfield University. Flown to the Historic Aircraft Museum at Southend where it remained until 1976, then followed several changes of address as the aircraft was ground transported to various storage sites, in various stages of dismantelment until 2006 when with Wizzard Investments at Greenham Common, it was obtained by our Museum arriving here in 2007. It is currently in storage for eventual restoration.
TECHNICAL DATA
Crew : 7 or 8
Power plants : 4 x 1,750hp Rolls Royce Merlin 85 V12 engines
Length : 78'04'' (23,863m) Wingspan : 120'00'' (37m) Height : 17'04'' 5.271m)
Weights : empty - 44,188lbs (20,043kg) maximum - 82,000lbs (37,195kg)
Speeds : maximum - 270kt (310mph) (500km/hr) cruise - 187kt (215mph) 346km/hr)
Range : 2,800 miles (4,500km)
Armament : 2 x 0.5in (12.7mm) machine guns in nose and tail turrets
- 2 x 20mm Hispano cannon in Dorsal turret
Ordnance : maximum of 14,000lbs (6,400kg) of bombs
Avro's continued development of the Lancaster marque lead to the Mk1V, a significant improvement over the Mk111 machine, incorporating many features of size and power such that a name change was made, and the Avro type 694 Lincoln had arrived.
With the war in Europe turning toward an Allied victory, a dedicated "Tiger Force" was to have been raised by the RAF entering the Pacific theatre of operations, consisting of the Avro Lincoln Mk11 bomber and the Boeing B29 bomber of the USAF.
With the advent of the Avro Lincoln the Australian powers that be decided that the type with it's greater range was more appropriate to the Pacific theatre than the Lancaster111, so in early 1944 the DAP began gearing up for building the new machine with the intended designation of Lincoln Mk XXX, later Mk30 as the Roman numerals were discarded, and
In July 1945 a Lincoln Mk30 order was raised for 73 production machines.
The first Australian Lincoln Mk30 built at the now Government Aircraft Factory (GAF) flew on 12 March 1946 and the remainder were delivered between January 1947 and September 1953 and served Nos1,2,and 6 RAAF Squadrons of No82 Wing based at Amberley. Initially,12 of the aircraft were modified for the role of maritime reconnaissance with an extension of the forward fuselage to accommodate further crew members. Others followed later for similar modifications.
Number 1 Squadron was deployed to Singapore and operated with RAF Lincolns in the Malayan Emergency spending eight years undertaking sorties against communist terrorists, returning to Australia in 1958, and re-equipping with GAF Canberra bombers.
Nos 2 and 6 Squadrons were deployed in several duties before re-equipping with GAF Canberra bombers in December 1953.
The Museum's Lincoln, an Avro 694/695 Lincoln 2 came off RAF charge in 1948, and was operated as G-APRJ by C Napier and Sons in icing research until 1962, and later carried on with this research with Cranfield University. Flown to the Historic Aircraft Museum at Southend where it remained until 1976, then followed several changes of address as the aircraft was ground transported to various storage sites, in various stages of dismantelment until 2006 when with Wizzard Investments at Greenham Common, it was obtained by our Museum arriving here in 2007. It is currently in storage for eventual restoration.
TECHNICAL DATA
Crew : 7 or 8
Power plants : 4 x 1,750hp Rolls Royce Merlin 85 V12 engines
Length : 78'04'' (23,863m) Wingspan : 120'00'' (37m) Height : 17'04'' 5.271m)
Weights : empty - 44,188lbs (20,043kg) maximum - 82,000lbs (37,195kg)
Speeds : maximum - 270kt (310mph) (500km/hr) cruise - 187kt (215mph) 346km/hr)
Range : 2,800 miles (4,500km)
Armament : 2 x 0.5in (12.7mm) machine guns in nose and tail turrets
- 2 x 20mm Hispano cannon in Dorsal turret
Ordnance : maximum of 14,000lbs (6,400kg) of bombs