Avro Lancaster Aviation Art Print by Aviation Artist Roger H. Middlebrook GAvA showing an aircraft of 106 Squadron, Bomber Command

Hailing from 106 Squadron this aircraft is making its way home to Metheringham some time in 1943. This piece of aviation art is the third of three Lancaster releases, the other two are seen below.

The legendary Avro Lancaster, designed by Roy Chadwick, first flew in 1941 and was a combination of the earlier Avro Manchester's fuselage with a new wing mounting four Rolls-Royce Merlin engines. Initially when asking for permission to do this, Chadwick and the design team at Avro were told that no Merlin engines were available for another bomber design (variants of both the Wellington and Halifax were already using them). Undettered, Avro obtained four and the prototype aircraft, BT308 was an immediate success. A second prototype, DG595, with the later Manchester IA fuselage with redesigned fin and rudder showed what would eventually become the classic Lancaster, of which over 7,500 were built.