Post by flyboy on Jul 4, 2016 9:25:46 GMT
THE AVRO YORK
Derived from the World War II Avro Lancaster bomber the Avro York would see service with both the military and civilian airlines over the period 1943 to the mid 1960s. It was used extensively during the Berlin Airlift and for long range flights by British Airways and British South American Airways.
DEVELOPMENT
Basically the York incorporated the wings, tail and undercarriage of the Lancaster heavy bomber of wartime fame, coupled with a newly designed square fuselage. Roy Chadwick, Chief Avro designer set to work on what was known as the type 685 which was to meet Operational Requirement OR113 for a transport aircraft. Specification C1/42 was issued in 1942 with four prototypes being ordered from Avro's, all to be fitted out differently.
The first prototype, given military serial LV626 had the basic Lancaster tail unit with two fins but was quickly modified following the first flight at Manchester Ringway airfield on July 5th 1942 to incorporate three fins, known as the CC.11. This was to overcome control and stability problems caused by the increased side area of the square fuselage. Production of the York initially took place at Ringway but was later also undertaken at Leeds ( Yeadon ) and in Cheshire at Woodford Aerodrome. In all 259 were produced including one in Canada.
The second prototype LV629 was fitted out with full passenger seating.
The third prototype LV633 was fitted out as a flying conference room and was later to be use by Winston Churchill named "Ascalon". A lot of development work was carried out to enable a pressurised section or pod to be fitted into this aircraft. What came to be known as the 'the egg' it was manufactured from aluminium and was intended to relieve the passengers of the need to wear oxygen masks. Having windows to make it less claustrophobic it was fitted out with basic facilities such as a telephone, drinks flask and very importantly an ash-tray large enough to accommodate Churchill's cigars! However, following extensive testing at Farnborough, and found to work satisfactorily, when it was passed to Avro's for installation they were too busy with work on the Lincoln to find time to fit it!
The fourth prototype LV639 was modified as a paratroop carrier and fitted with an exit hatch in the floor.
York.1 - 44 of this civilian version were built.
York C.1 -208 of this military transport version were supplied with one being built in Canada.
York C.11 - 1 of this version produced fitted with Bristol Hercules XVI engines.
British Overseas Airways Corporation receive the 1st civilian York MW103 which was registered as G-AGJA in February 1944 and most Yorks built carried military serials at one time or another either when operated by the RAF or when operating military trooping contracts with civilian operators. Of the 208 military registered airframes a large number would end their days being operated by civilian operators. During the Berlin Airlift 58,000 sorties carrying 1 million tons of mainly freight, were flown into Berlin by military and civilian York operators.
BOAC and British South American Airways operated the York on long distance routes until the two companies merged in September 1949. However, BOAC continued operating them on freight schedules until November 1957. Other civilian companies then purchased many of these aircraft including Dan-Air and Skyways who used them as duel purpose freighters or for passenger flying until retired in 1964.
SPECIFICATION
Crew Five ( 2x pilots, navigator, wireless operator and cabin steward).
Capacity Max. 56 passengers
Payload 20,000 lb (9,100kg )
Length 78' 6" (23.9 m )
Wingspan 102 ' 0" (31.1 m)
Height 16' 6" (5. 0 m)
Weight Empty 40,000 lb (18,150 kg)
Weight Loaded 65,000 lb ( 29,480 kg)
Powerplants 4X Rolls-Royce Merlin 24 liquid-cooled V12 engines of 1280 hp (955 kw).
Max Speed 298mph (479 km/h) at 21,000 ' (6,400 m)
Range 3,000 miles (4,800 km)
Ceiling 23,000' (7010 m)
Rate of Climb 820ft/min (4.2m/sec).
BLACKBUSHE AVRO YORK VISITORS
I have shown below known military serials or allocated trooping serial where known.
For information:
ct = crew training, LHR=London Heathrow Airport, divn=diversion, tf=trooping flight, W/o written off,>
* = military serial, aircraft may have been allocated this for trooping flight purposes.
CF-HTM c/n? 15.3.58 Montreal - BB- Lasham >
for Dan-Air as G-AMUT.
EP-ADE --//-- Persian Air Services 23.1.59
G-AGJA / MW103* 1207 British South American Airways 00.8.49 ct
G-AGJC 1209 BOAC 11.11.52 FIDO demo, 19.4.56.
G-AGJE / WW580* 1211 Lancashire Aircraft Corporation 00.9.52 tf.
G-AGNN 1216 --//-- 00.00.54
G-AGNP 1218 Skyways 10.8.56, 15.8.56.
G-AGNS 1220 BOAC 14.9.56
G-AGNT 1221 Lancashire Aircraft Corporation 00.06.45
G-AGNU 1222 Air Charter Ltd 7.12.53
G-AGNV 1223 Skyways 00.00.57
G-AGNW 1224 BOAC 00.09.51
G-AGNY 1226 Eagle Airways 00.00.51
G-AGOB / WW501* 1229 Lancashire Aircraft Corporation /Skyways 00.7.53 tf, 1.4.60 LHR divn
G-AGOD 1231 Lancashire Aircraft Corporation 06.52
G-AGOF / WW579* 1233 ----//---- 00.08.52 tf.
G-AHEY / WW506* 1302 ----//---- 02.8.52 & 6.9.52 tfs, 06.6.55, >
11.4.56, 6.6.57.
G-AHFA / WW504* 1209 Lancashire Aircraft Corporation 00.00.53 tf.
G-AHFB / WW499* 1305 Lancashire Aircraft Corporation / Skyways 00.00.53 tf,10.8.56,15.8.56, 24.4.59
G-AHFC 1306 ----//---- 16.9.55
G-AHFD / WW500* 1307 ----//---- 00.9.51 tf
G-AHFE / WW578* 1308 ----//---- 00.0.52 tf, 18.7.53, 9.4.58 >
13.6.59,15.6.59.
G-AHFF / WW503* 1208 ----//---- 00.9.52 tf
G-AHFG / WW468* 1310 ----//---- 00.8.52 & 00.12.54 tfs.
G-AHFH / WW502* 1311 ----//---- 00.9.52 & 00.12.53 tfs, 30.6.57.
G-AMGK 1356 Surrey Flying Services 10.8.56, 15.8.56.
G-AMUT / MW185* Dan-Air 18.5.58. Crashed Malta
G-AMUU / MW183* Hunting-Clan 16.1.56 & 6.2.57 tr, 19.2.57,
20.2.57,14.3.57, 28.5.58 tr,
29.5.58, 30.5.58 tr.
G-AMUV / XD623* Air Charter / Dan-Air Air Charter, 8.3.56.>
Dan-Air, 18.3.56, 8.4.56, >
10.6.56, 9.9.56, 4.1.57, >
29.3.57, 24.8.57.
G-AMXM / MW323* Hunting-Clan 31.5.54, 08.54,
4.9.54, 12.9.54, 8.2.57 tr, >
21.2.57 tr, 16.6,57 tr, >
1.8.57, 11.9.57, 30.11.57 >
11.2.58 tr, 27.2.58 tr,>
28.2.58 tr, 1.3.58 tr, 2.6.58 tr.
G-ANGF / MW254* ----//---- 24.5.54, 24.1.57 tr, 20.3.57 tr,>
13.4.57, 9.8.58 tr, 15.12.58 tr.
G-ANTI / MW143* Dan-Air 5.9.55 - 29.7.58, 3.8.58 with >
G-AMUT remains following >
Malta crash, 2.8.59.
G-ANTJ ----//---- 11.1.59.
G-ANTK / MW232* ----//---- 29.3.57, preserved Duxford.
G-ANXJ / MW141* ----//---- 00.00.57.
G-ANXN / MW258* ----//---- 31.12.56, 14.4.57, 15.4.57 >
26.7.58, 14.7.59, 23.8.59.
G-ANYA / MW210* Scottish Airlines 16.5.58.
G-APCA / MW295* Field Aviation 22.6.57.
MW144 Royal Air Force 09.51
MW169 French Navy 25.6.54 Flottille 25.F.
MW234 ----//---- 28.6.58 coded PA.1
ODACD Trans Meridian Airways 4.11.57, 5.6.58, 15.8.58.
OD-ACE / MW326* ----//---- 18.6.58, 18.7.58, 1.7.59.
OD-ACO 1207 ----//---- 14.8.58, w/o Muscat 1961.
OD-ADD Middle East Ailines 00.00.57
ZS-DGN/ MW107* Tropic Airways 5.6.55, 12.3.56, 18.3.56, >
30.3.56, 3.4.56, 7.4.56, >
11.4.56, 19.4.56, 27.5.56.>
W/o Lahore 6.4.62 with MEA.
Credit Wikipedia, rzjets, rj for use of his spread sheet - book imminent I understand.
Complete JSM 5.7.16