The Avro Lancaster is one of the most iconic aircraft of the Second World War. A four-engine heavy bomber, the Lancaster first flew operationally in 1942. It could carry a huge bomb load, including the 12,000lb “tall boy” and 22,000lb “Grand Slam” bombs. Thousands of Canadian airmen flew in Lancaster, both in RAF and RCAF Squadrons. No. 6 Group, the Canadian section of Bomber Command, operated 13 Squadrons of Lancaster by 1944.

Avro Lancaster KB 882 was built in November 1944 by Victory Aircraft Ltd in Malton, Ontario; one of 430 Mk. 10 Lancasters built under licence in Canada. Ferried to England in March 1945, it was taken on strength by 428 “Ghost” Squadron, 6 Bomber Group and based at Middleton St. George, Yorkshire. Wearing the Squadron code NA-R, it flew 11 combat missions prior to the end of hostilities in Europe. KB 882 returned to Canada in June 1945 as it was destined to become part of “Tiger Force”, Canada’s contribution to the air war in the Pacific. The war ended prior to deployment and KB 882 was placed in storage at MacLeod, Alberta.

In 1956, KB 882 was taken out of storage, extensively modified and eventually delivered to 408 “Goose” Squadron at RCAF Station Rockcliffe, Ontario a little more than 12 years since its last operational mission. The most notable modification to KB 882 was to Mk 10 AR (Area Reconnaissance) configuration which included a 40-inch extension ahead of the cockpit in order to house the additional camera and radar installations. For the next 8 years, KB 882 flew a wide variety of photo mapping, intelligence gathering, and photo reconnaissance missions including the surveillance of numerous Soviet ice stations.

Struck off strength in 1964, KB 882 was bought by the City of Edmundston, New Brunswick and placed on static display at the local airport. The City of Edmundston gave KB 882 to the National Air Force Museum of Canada in 2017, at which time it was transported to Trenton and restoration began. External restoration was completed in 2024, and the aircraft was moved for display at Base31 in Picton, Ontario on a temporary loan while the Museum works towards a building expansion to house the aircraft.