Avro Lancaster Mk I

This Avro Lancaster is a rare survivor of the Second World War and among the most significant aircraft in the RAF Museum’s collection. On average, a Lancaster’s life expectancy was 21 operational sorties, yet this Lancaster flew a total of 137.

It entered RAF service in 1942, making a major contribution to Bomber Command’s night offensive on Germany. As ‘Q’ for ‘Queenie’, R5868 flew 68 sorties with No. 83 Squadron before joining No. 467 Squadron Royal Australian Air Force in September 1943 as ‘S’ for ‘Sugar’. Flown by Pilot Officer TN Schofield, ‘Sugar’ flew its 100th sortie in May 1944 prior to which Hermann Goring’s boast that ‘No enemy plane will fly over the Reich territory’ was inscribed on the side of the fuselage. The painted bomb symbols on the nose represent missions flown and the names of No. 467 Squadron pilots who flew the Lancaster are inscribed on the engine cowlings. Its final operational flight took place against shipping in Flensburg harbour on 23 April 1945. Its remarkable story meant that ‘S’ for Sugar was saved for preservation four months later.