Lancastrian Engine Test-beds
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With the advent of gas turbine engines there emerged a need to test the new engines in a controlled flight environment in well instrumented installations. An ideal candidate emerged as the Avro Lancastrian which could easily accommodate the test instrumentation as well as fly on the power of two piston engines if required. Several Lancastrians were allocated for engine test-bed work with turbojet engines replacing the outer Merlin engines or test piston engines in the inner nacelles. Fuel arrangements varied but could include Kerosene jet fuel in outer wing tanks or fuselage tanks, with AVGAS carried in remaining fuel tanks.
| Name | Serial | Test engine | First flight | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nene-Lancastrian | VH742 | 2x Rolls-Royce Nene + 2x Rolls-Royce Merlin | 14 August 1946 | Flew the first international all-jet passenger flight from London to Paris on 23 November 1946. |
| Nene-Lancastrian | VH737 | 2x Rolls-Royce Nene + 2x Rolls-Royce Merlin | ||
| Avon-Lancastrian | VM732 | 2x Rolls-Royce Avon + 2x Rolls-Royce Merlin | ||
| Avon-Lancastrian | VL970 | 2x Rolls-Royce Avon + 2x Rolls-Royce Merlin | Latterly used to test the Rolls-Royce Avon 502 civil turbojet for the de Havilland Comet 2 airliner. | |
| Ghost-Lancastrian | VM703 | 2x de Havilland Ghost 50 + 2x Rolls-Royce Merlin + 2x Walter HWK 109-500 RATOG packs | 24 July 1947 | Testing the Engines and take-off boost system proposed for the de Havilland Comet 1 airliner |
| Ghost-Lancastrian | VM729 | 2x de Havilland Ghost 50 + 2x Rolls-Royce Merlin | Used for afterburner research and later development and certification of the Ghost 50 for the Comet 1 a. | |
| Sapphire-Lancastrian | VM733 | 2x Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire + 2x Rolls-Royce Merlin | 18 January 1950 | |
| Griffon-Lancastrian | VM704 | 2x Rolls-Royce Griffon 57 inboard + 2x Rolls-Royce Merlin T.24/4 outboard | Used for testing the Griffon installation for the Avro Shackleton | |
| Griffon-Lancastrian | VM728 | 2x Rolls-Royce Griffon 57 inboard + 2x Rolls-Royce Merlin T.24/4 outboard | Used for testing the Griffon installation for the Avro Shackleton | |
| Merlin 600-Lancastrian | VM704 | 2x Rolls-Royce Merlin 600 + 2x Rolls-Royce Merlin |
Read more about this topic: Avro Lancastrian
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