MIGHTY PLANE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 12 August 1942, Page 4

MIGHTY PLANE

BRITAIN'S BIGGEST & BEST

GREAT POWER AND RANGE.

PRODUCTION SPLENDIDLY

ORGANISED.

(British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day. 10.40 a.m.) RUGBY. August 11

The latest British heavy bombers, the Avro-Lancasters, with a maximum range of about 3.000 miles, can carry the heaviest bombs to the furthermost parts of enemy territory. The maximum bomb load of the Avro-Lancas-ter is about eight tons. These planer have been used in the Essen, Dusse.derf Augsburg. Danzig, Flensburg and ether raids, the flight to Danzig involving a round journey of over 1,700 m nj-s —the longest trip yet made by the Bomber Command. The Lancaster is a development or the two-engined Manchester and was built in record time. Its success was assured from the first trial flights, and the staffs of two large factories where the Lancasters are made are justly proud. The design lends itself to relatively cheap production. The entire aeroplane is built up of component part:; manufactured largely in separate self-contained units, and easily moved and assembled. There is used its pi induction, for instance, a 6.000-ton hydraulic press purchased four years ago from, a wall-paper firm. This is now responsible for producing 40,000 components weekly. The Lancaster's wing span is 102 met. The length of the plane is 69 feet 4 inches and its height is twenty loot. The bomb load is carried inside the fuselage in a compartment fitted witn two large doors, operated hydraulically. A special electric circuit ensures that the bombs cannot be released until the bomb doors arc open. In case of a failure of the hydraulic system the bomb doors can be operated by an emergency air system, as can the un-der-carriage. The armament is ten Browning guns, of .303 calibre, installed in four turrets—one in the nose, one above and one below the middle of the fuselage and a fourth in the tail. A crew of seven can be carried by the plane.