(United Kingdom)

Notes: The Lincoln was the result of a late 1944 effort by famed aircraft designer Roy Chadwick to refine the Avro Lancaster bomber. The Lincoln had a new longer, thinner wing and Merlin engines; and was designed from the outset to use radar. It was intended for use in Britain’s Pacific empire; the Lancaster‘s range and warload considered sufficient for Europe had the war there continued. A total of 604 were built, including license production in Australia. Their career in the RAF was relatively brief as they were not rated for atomic bombs; the Boeing Washington B.1 replacing them in the strategic role.

Lincolnian: A small number of Lincolns were rebuilt into the Lincolnian cargo transport; at least one of these was used during the Berlin airlift.

United Kingdom: The Lincoln entered service eight days before the end of WWII and thus saw no combat in WWII. However they were used in Kenya during the Mau-Mau uprising and even more heavily during the Malay emergency of the 1950s, flying thousands of bombing missions from airbases in Singapore and the Malay peninsula itself.

Altogether, twenty-nine RAF bomber squadrons plus the independent 1426^th Flight operated the Lincoln. Near the end of their lives, several were used for experiments. One had the outboard engines replaced by Avon jets, and a number of other examples were re-engined with Python turboprops. Three were used in tests of new engines including one with a ventrally-mounted Derwent turbojet. The last flight of a RAF Lincoln was on 30 April 1963.

One RAF Lincoln was shot down by a Soviet MiG-15 when it strayed over the intra-German border in 1957.

Argentina: A small number of Lincolns were delivered to the Argentine air force‘s 1^st Bomber Squadron. They saw combat during the 1955 revolution, bombing loyalist forces. Later they were re-roled as MPAs, similar to some of the RAAF planes (see below). In 1967 they began to be replaced by A-4 Skyhawks however a small number continued on as “winterized” support aircraft in Antarctica until 1970.

Australia: The Lincoln was built under license by GAF in Australia from 1945 - 1953, 73 being built. Designated Lincoln B.30, they remain the largest warplanes ever built on the Australian continent. Most were assigned to the RAAF’s 1^st, 6^th, 10^th, and 40^th squadrons, for level-bombing and MPA duties respectively. The 1^st Sqdn’s planes were forward-deployed to Singapore from 1950 - 1958 and flew alongside RAF planed during the Malay emergency, completing over 3000 bombing missions. The 1^st, 6^th, and 10^th squadron’s planes were gradually replaced by Canberras during the mid-1950s.

The 40^th Squadron’s planes were used as long-range maritime missions and 20 were rebuilt into the “Longnose Lincoln”, the MR.31, with specialized ASW gear in a 6’6” section ahead of the cockpit. The conversion was successful however the plane was difficult to land, especially at night. (This led to development of the Shakleton purpose-built MPA which replaced the “Longnoses“). The MR.31s served until the early 1960s.

A small number were used as test planes; one had experimental Python turboprops, another was used in Antarctica, and still another was stripped of all gear and used as a navigation trainer. At least two of the 1^st Sqdn’s planes were converted into Lincolnians.

(above: A RAAF “Longnose Lincoln” MR.31 exercises with USS Bluegill (SS-242) in the Pacific.)

Canada: It had been intended to build the Lincoln in Canada however with the end of the war this was cancelled. Only a handful were delivered to the RCAF in 1945; not even enough for a full squadron, and all were gone by 1949.