Lancaster

This week, Rob Bell takes us through the extraordinary story of how the Lancaster bomber played a crucial role in the outcome of World War II. For the first time, this giant plane enabled the Allied forces to take the fight to the enemy. The design for the new Lancaster bomber represented a major capability breakthrough for the Allies. Its four powerful Merlin engines allowed it to carry the largest bombs used by the RAF, including 12,000 lb blockbusters. Beyond its sheer power, the bomber represented the ‘total war' effort required of British citizens during WWII. Over 7,000 Lancasters were built across 10 different factories and, with men away fighting, women played the key role in constructing these vast war machines. Rob explores some of the most heroic Lancaster missions of WWII. For instance, the legendary and dramatic Dambusters raid, in which a bouncing bomb designed by Barnes Wallis was dropped on German targets in the Ruhr Valley, destroying dams and crippling German production capability. The scale and ambition of the Lancaster bomber project is brought to life by the very pilots who flew them and who continue to inspire aviation enthusiasts today.