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UK’s Last Airworthy Lancaster Begins 18-Month Overhaul at Duxford

BBMF frames the strip-down as essential to keep the wartime bomber flying safely.

Overview

  • Lancaster PA474 landed at IWM Duxford on October 29 to start a scheduled strip-down by the Aircraft Restoration Company.
  • The maintenance is expected to last about 18 months, grounding the bomber through the 2026 display season.
  • BBMF leadership says the work preserves a national heritage asset as part of a major servicing cycle roughly every eight years.
  • Spitfire and Hurricane fighters will fly with the unit’s C-47 Dakota in displays next year in the Lancaster’s place.
  • PA474, known as the City of Lincoln, is one of only two airworthy Lancasters worldwide and typically leads high-profile flypasts.