Avro Lancaster FM213

Officially registered with the civilian tail code C-GVRA, the restored FM213 was first painted as RCAF KB726, VR-A, in commemoration of the aircraft which was involved in an action in which Andrew Mynarski won the Victoria Cross in 1944.

Referred to officially as the "Mynarski Memorial Lancaster", but unofficially as "VeRA", she is a frequent sight at airshows and free-flights over the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area.

Victory Aircraft was set up as one of many Canadian shadow factories during the early stages of World War II to provide a supply of military equipment that was safe from German bombing.

The company built its factory at the recently-constructed Malton Airport, which at that time was far in the countryside outside Toronto, although well served by road and rail links.

In addition to using the US-built Packard V-1650 Merlin engines in place of their Rolls-Royce counterparts, Victory later modified the design by replacing the original Frazer-Nash mid-upper turret with the widely-used Martin 250CE which featured the much more powerful Browning .50 caliber machine gun in place of the FN's 0.303-inch Browning machine guns.

Construction number 3414 was one of these; after basic flight tests she was taken on strength by the RCAF as FM213 on 21 August 1945, and then flown directly to CFB Trenton and immediately put into storage.

Victory, which had been sold to Hawker Siddeley and reorganised as Avro Canada, won the contract to modify the aircraft to what was known as the "10MR" version.

After flight tests at Downsview she was re-registered as VC-AGJ and assigned to 405 Long Range Patrol Squadron at RCAF Station Greenwood in Nova Scotia.

On 24 January 1952 on the first leg of her ferry flight, via Trenton, she had a serious landing accident after stalling just short of the runway and suffering a ground loop as a result.

When Bud heard of the accident with FM213, he contacted the RCAF and noted that he had seen several additional airframes in Alberta that were not suitable for returning to flight but might be useful for repairing FM213.

[2] After two years of preparation and partial disassembly, FM213 was airlifted to the museum's base at the Hamilton International Airport by a Canadian Armed Forces Boeing CH-47 Chinook.

In 2014 it briefly wore KB772/VR-R "R for Ropey"'s distinctive shark-mouth pattern, but returned to VR-A for a flight across the Atlantic to tour the UK with the only other flying Lancaster, PA474.

FM213 performs a fly-past during the 2006 EAA AirVenture airshow.
The only obvious external difference between the Mark I and all but the initial production of the Mark X, was the Martin 250CE (versus Frazer-Nash ) turret, with the Martin using larger caliber guns, as seen here on FM213.
In 2014, FM213 crossed the Atlantic to tour with the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight , which operates the only other airworthy Lancaster, PA474 seen here with VeRA.