Possibly one of the favourites on the airshow circuit, alone and as part of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF), the Avro Lancaster PA474 is one of only two airworthy Lancasters in the world. The other airworthy example is in Canada. A third Lancaster in Alberta is being returned to flying condition. In addition to these three, there are about 14 more complete or largely complete Lancasters in the world that are not airworthy.

The Lancaster's predecessor from Avro was the Avro Manchester, which had 2 Rolls-Royce Vulture engines. These proved unreliable and a four-engine version, fitted with four Rolls-Royce Merlin XX engines was developed. This became the prototype Lancaster, which first flew on 9th January 1941. This first Lancaster had three fins and fewer turrets, but by the time the plane went into its full test mode it was fitted with twin fins at either end of a 33ft tailplane.

The first Lancasters were delivered in September 1941 for training and by January 1942 they began to enter service. Their first operational sortie was in March 1942.

Because priority for the Merlins went to the fighters, 300 MkII Lancasters were fitted with Bristol Hercules radials instead but the MkIII returned to Merlins, this time the Packard Merlin. The MkI and MkIII Lancasters with their different engines were otherwise the same and were both being produced at the same time.

The MkIIIs could carry a 8000lb bomb, the 12000lb Tallboy and the 22000 Grand Slam. Specially modified MkIII Lancasters also carried the famous bouncing bombs on their dambuster raids on the Mohne, Eder and Sorpe dams in May 1943.

There were minor modifications within types, such as a change of propeller from needles to paddles in the Mks I and III and several subsequent marques. The IV and V with increased wingspan and longer fuselage became the Lincoln Mks I and II; the MkVI was conversion of Mks I and II for electronic countermeasures. The MkVII was the tail end of british production, 180 being produced by Austin Motors at Longbridge. There was a MkX, similar to the MkIII, but built in Canada and with US-made instrumentation and electrics.

Nearly half (3,431) of all Lancasters built were lost in action and a further 246 were lost in operational accidents.

The Lancaster of the BBMF that flies at british airshows is a MkI, but it never saw active service in WWII. It was originally destined for combat in the far east, but it was not built until mid 1945 and the war in both the west and the east had finished by the time it was ready for service. It went instead to Africa where it had its turrets removed and was used for photo reconnaissance. From there, and back in the UK, it was used in trials on the Handley Page Laminar Flow wing. By 1964 it was destined for the proposed Hendon RAF museum but after a few film roles went instead to RAF Waddington. It joined the Battle of Britain Flight (as it was then known) in November 1973. Restoration of various kinds has been ongoing almost continuously and in 2006/7 it had a major service.

The paint scheme is from EE139, the ’Phantom of the Ruhr’, a Lancaster that completed 121 operations as part of 2 squadrons, each of which are commemorated by the letters HR-W of 100 Squadron on her port side and BQ-B of 550 Squadron on her starboard side.