Avro 683 Lancaster B.VII Aircraft Data

The final production version of the Lancaster was the B.VII. There were two sub-variants: the B.VII, 'Western Union' version for operations in Europe. The other, the B.VII(FE) was finished to Far East configuration and was fitted with a Martin 250CE mid-upper turret with two 0.50inch (12.7mm) Browning machine guns instead of the usual Fraser Nash variant. The Nash&Thomson FN-82 tail turret also carried two 0.50inch Brownings.


As the war in the Pacific came to an abrupt end in August 1945, the Far East 'Tiger Force' became redundant. With funding from the Western Union, via the Brussels Treaty organisation, 54 Lancasters stored at Woodford and Langar were transferred to France.

Lancaster B.VII and B.VII(FE) production:
All 180 Lancasters of this Mark were built by Austin Motors Ltd., Longbridge, Birmingham.

The first badge consisted of 150 B.VIIs, produced between April and September 1945 (Serials: NX611-648; NX661-703; NX715-758 and NX770-794.
The 30 aircraft configured for operations in the Far East, Lancaster B.VII(FE), with serials RT670-699, were produced between November 1945 and January 1946.

There are, at the moment, no airworthy B.VIIs, although efforts are made at the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre at East Kirkby to return their Lancaster B.VII NX611 to the skies.



Preserved Lancaster B.VIIs:

New Zealand
NX665 at the Museum of Transport and Technology (MoTaT), Auckland, New Zealand. The port side of the aircraft represents Lancaster B.III NE181 'The Captain's Fancy', coded 'JN-M' of No.75 (New Zealand) Squadron.
The starboard side represents Lancaster B.III ND752 code 'AA-O’, No.75 (New Zealand) Squadron. This aircraft failed to return in the night of 20/21 July 1944 on a mission to Homberg, Germany. At 01.40 hrs in the early morning of 21 July ND752 crashed near Udenhout in the Province of Noord-Brabant, The Netherlands. Five of the crew perished and two crew survived, becoming prisoners of war.

Australia
On the other side of the Tasman, in West Australia is NX622, with the Air Force Association (RAAFA), Bull Creek, Perth. She carries the markings of a No.463 Squadron (RAAF) Lancaster B.I, serial LL847 (code 'JO-D'), a veteran of 93 raids over Europe. On 17/18 December 1944 LL847 failed to return from a mission to München. The aircraft crashed near Le Gros-Theil in the Eure department in Northwestern France. All seven crew perished.


France
In France, NX664 is with Ailes Anciennes at Le Bourget, Paris. After completion of her restoration, the Lancaster will be displayed at the Musée de l'Air.

United Kingdom
At the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre (LAHC) at the former RAF East Kirkby, Lancaster B.VII NX611 is under restoration to airworthy status. On 17 February 2011 the aircraft was reregistered G-ASXX. For years, the Lancaster adorned the markings of the two East Kirkby-based RAF Lancaster units: on the port side 'LE-C', 'Just Jane’ of No.630 Squadron and ‘DX-C’, No.57 Squadron.
In early 2014 the Lancaster was recoded as a tribute to owners Fred and Harold Panton: 'LE-H' (port) and DX-F (stb). The Lancaster of course is a memorial to their brother Christopher Panton, who perished in the horrific Nürnberg raid of 30/31 March 1944. P/O Panton was part of the crew of P/O Nielsen, RCAF, of No.433 (Porcupine) Squadron, RCAF. Their Halifax III, HX272, was shot down by a night fighter and came down at Friesen, Germany. Only three crew members escaped and became prisoners of war. P/O Panton rests with his comrades in the Dürnbach War Cemetery.