Avro York
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The Avro York was a British transport aircraft developed by Avro during the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. The design was derived from the Avro Lancaster
heavy bomber Heavy bombers are bomber Fixed-wing aircraft, aircraft capable of delivering the largest payload of air-to-ground weaponry (usually Aerial bomb, bombs) and longest range (aeronautics), range (takeoff to landing) of their era. Archetypal heavy ...
, several sections of the York and Lancaster being identical. Due to the importance of Lancaster production, York output proceeded slowly until 1944, after which a higher priority was placed upon transport aircraft. The York saw service in military and civilian roles with various operators between 1943 and 1964. In civilian service, British South American Airways (BSAA) and
British Overseas Airways Corporation British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) was the United Kingdom, British state-owned national airline created in 1939 by the merger of Imperial Airways and British Airways Ltd. It continued operating overseas services throughout World War II ...
(BOAC) were the largest users of the type. In military service, large numbers of Yorks were used for air-supply missions during the Berlin Blockade 1948–49. A number of the type were used as air transports of heads of state and government; VIPs who flew on Yorks included British Prime Minister
Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was a British statesman, military officer, and writer who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 (Winston Churchill in the Second World War, ...
, French General
Charles de Gaulle Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle (22 November 18909 November 1970) was a French general and statesman who led the Free France, Free French Forces against Nazi Germany in World War II and chaired the Provisional Government of the French Re ...
, Indian
Governor-General Governor-general (plural governors-general), or governor general (plural governors general), is the title of an official, most prominently associated with the British Empire. In the context of the governors-general and former British colonies, ...
Lord Mountbatten and South African
Prime Minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...
Jan Smuts.


Development


Origins

During 1941, Avro elected to begin development of a new civil-orientated transport aircraft. In the midst of an uncertain stage of the Second World War, Britain's aircraft industry was preoccupied by urgent wartime demands, not only to produce military aircraft, but to design increasingly capable models as well. The company's decision to embark on this venture was considered to be ambitious, especially as the development project operated with no official backing early on. The project may well have been influenced by a shortage of transport aircraft, as well as by the formation of the
British Overseas Airways Corporation British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) was the United Kingdom, British state-owned national airline created in 1939 by the merger of Imperial Airways and British Airways Ltd. It continued operating overseas services throughout World War II ...
(BOAC), in 1940, to run all of the nation's overseas civil air routes. However, according to aviation author Donald Hannah, there was little incentive and few materials available for the construction of transport aircraft, it was impossible to predict when the war would end and, thus, when large-scale demand for civil aircraft would return.Hannah 1967, p. 3. Roy Chadwick, Avro's chief designer, had foreseen a need for a transport aircraft that was powered by four engines and would be capable of flying for long distances. The design, which was designated as the ''Type 685'', had its origins in the company's then-newly developed four-engined bomber, the Avro Lancaster, which had made its first flight only earlier that year. The ''Type 685'' paired various elements of the Lancaster, such as its wings, tail assembly and undercarriage and
Rolls-Royce Merlin The Rolls-Royce Merlin is a British Coolant#Liquids, liquid-cooled V12 engine, V-12 Reciprocating engine, piston aero engine of 27-litre (1,650 cu in) Engine displacement, capacity. Rolls-Royce Limited, Rolls-Royce designed the engine an ...
engines, with a new square-section fuselage that provided double the internal capacity of the Lancaster. The two aircraft also substantially differed in external appearance. In February 1942, Chadwick submitted his drawings to Avro's experimental department. Within five months, the company refined the design and had quickly assembled an initial prototype. On 5 July 1942, the York prototype, ''LV626'', conducted its maiden flight from Ringway Airport,
Manchester Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...
. It had initially been fitted with the twin fins and
rudder A rudder is a primary control surface used to steer a ship, boat, submarine, hovercraft, airship, or other vehicle that moves through a fluid medium (usually air or water). On an airplane, the rudder is used primarily to counter adverse yaw ...
s of the Lancaster but the increased fuselage side area forward of the wing compared to the Lancaster necessitated fitting a third central fin to retain adequate control and directional stability; the third fin was fitted as standard on subsequent production aircraft. Flight trials of ''LV626'' were quickly transferred to RAF Boscombe Down. In response to the prototype's favourable performance during trials, the
Air Ministry The Air Ministry was a department of the Government of the United Kingdom with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force and civil aviation that existed from 1918 to 1964. It was under the political authority of the ...
issued an order for three more prototypes of various configurations to be built along with an initial production batch under Specification C.1/42, part of Operational Requirement OR.113 for a new transport aircraft. The prototypes were used to test various adaptions and potential roles for the aircraft. ''LV626'', the first prototype, was rebuilt to the ''C.II standard'', the principal modification of which was the installation of Bristol Hercules VI
radial engine The radial engine is a reciprocating engine, reciprocating type internal combustion engine, internal combustion engine configuration in which the cylinder (engine), cylinders "radiate" outward from a central crankcase like the spokes of a wheel. ...
s in place of the Merlins; it was later decided to standardise on the Merlin engine, leaving this as the sole Hercules-powered York. The fourth prototype, ''LV639'', was furnished as a paratroop transport, complete with ventral dropping doors. However, flight testing found that the York was unsuited to this role, due to the
slipstream A slipstream is a region behind a moving object in which a wake of fluid (typically air or water) is moving at velocities comparable to that of the moving object, relative to the ambient fluid through which the object is moving. The term slips ...
wash drawing the parachutes towards the fixed tailwheel, posing an entanglement risk.


Production

Production of the York proved difficult to speed up, due to shortages of key materials. Moreover, Avro was also obliged to place a high priority on the manufacturing and refinement of the Lancaster. Officials had also judged that there was no requirement for large numbers of Yorks at that time.Hannah 1967, pp. 3–4. By the end of 1943, only the four prototypes and three production aircraft had been manufactured, but production was scheduled to rise to three aircraft per month throughout 1944.Hannah 1967, p. 5. Early production Yorks were principally used as a VIP transport aircraft; notably, the third prototype, ''LV633'' being luxuriously fitted out and becoming the personal transport of Winston Churchill.Hannah 1967, p. 4. On 25 March 1943, RAF Transport Command had been formed, which soon established a clear requirement for the strengthening of Britain's air transport forces; the York became the first British aircraft to be used in quantity by Transport Command. The first
Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...
(RAF) production order consisted of 200 aircraft; while a further 100 were ordered under a second order placed shortly after. Throughout 1944, the majority of Yorks produced were passenger transport aircraft, a batch of both pure freighters and combined passenger/freighter-configured Yorks were also manufactured. Several early production aircraft intended for RAF service were instead diverted to BOAC, who had otherwise received little in the way of similar aircraft prior to delivery of the first York in April 1944. Initial assembly and testing of production Yorks, which were principally destined for service with the RAF at that time, was performed at Ringway, reaching its peak in 1945; these activities later being transferred to facilities in Yeadon,
Leeds Leeds is a city in West Yorkshire, England. It is the largest settlement in Yorkshire and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds Metropolitan Borough, which is the second most populous district in the United Kingdom. It is built aro ...
and Woodford,
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, where work was undertaken at a slower pace."Avro York C1."
''Royal Air Force Museum''. Retrieved: 24 October 2006.
Only eight aircraft of the second order for 100 aircraft were produced; in April 1948, the final York, ''PE108'', was completed. Abroad, a single pattern aircraft was completed by Victory Aircraft in Canada; however, no further orders were received. Victory had tooled up for the manufacture of 30 aircraft and had built parts for five aircraft, but, ultimately, only one would be completed around the time that the war came to an end. This aircraft would later be purchased by Skyways Ltd.


Design

The Avro York was a high-wing cantilever monoplane, using an all-metal construction, with many similarities to the Lancaster from which it was derived. The wings used a two-spar structure, which housed seven internal fuel tanks between the spars, containing . The outboard panels of the wings were tapered on both edges and were furnished with detachable tips. The wings featured all-metal hydraulically-actuated split
trailing edge The trailing edge of an aerodynamic surface such as a wing is its rear edge, where the airflow separated by the leading edge meets.Crane, Dale: ''Dictionary of Aeronautical Terms, third edition'', page 521. Aviation Supplies & Academics, 1997. ...
flaps and carry the four Rolls-Royce Merlin engines in four underslung nacelles attached to the front wing spar.Hannah 1967, p. 12. Each engine drove a three-bladed constant-speed fully feathering metal
propeller A propeller (often called a screw if on a ship or an airscrew if on an aircraft) is a device with a rotating hub and radiating blades that are set at a pitch to form a helical spiral which, when rotated, exerts linear thrust upon a working flu ...
, manufactured by de Havilland Hydromatic. The fuselage was of a semi- monocoque construction, complete with a flush- rivetted skin, and was built in five separate sections. In a typical passenger configuration, the York could accommodate a 21-seat three-abreast arrangement split between the fore and aft cabins. The main entrance door was set between the two cabins, along with cloakrooms and lavatory and a kitchen and baggage hold was located at the rear of the cabin.Hannah 1967, p. 13. Emergency exits were present in the ceiling of each cabin. Passengers were subjected to very noisy conditions due to the aircraft's engines, but from a pilot's perspective, the York was reasonably pleasant to fly.Hannah 1967, pp. 11–12.


Operational history


Military

In 1945, No. 511 Squadron became the first squadron to be fully equipped with Yorks; eventually a total of ten squadrons of RAF Transport Command were wholly or partially equipped with the York. In military service, the York was used on all of the trunk routes operated by Transport Command, such as the critical
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India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
route. Overall, 208 Yorks were manufactured for the RAF. During the Berlin Airlift, RAF Yorks from seven different squadrons flew over 58,000 sorties to provide the city with vital supplies between 1948 and 1949. In total, in excess of 230,000 tons was carried by the York fleet; the type had borne 43% of the British contribution, alongside other aircraft such as the Douglas Dakota and Handley Page Hastings. Following the end of the Airlift, the RAF retired much of its York fleet; around 40 of these were sold onto civilian operators while many others were scrapped due to the onset of
corrosion Corrosion is a natural process that converts a refined metal into a more chemically stable oxide. It is the gradual deterioration of materials (usually a metal) by chemical or electrochemical reaction with their environment. Corrosion engine ...
.Hannah 1967, p. 7. During the 1950s, numerous military contracts were issued to civilian York operators.Hannah 1967, pp. 7, 10. In 1954, the French Aéronavale procured five Yorks from the British Air Ministry and operated the type at Le Bourget for around a year.Hannah 1967, p. 11.


Civilian

On 21 February 1944, the first civilian York (''G-AGJA''), initially built for the RAF as ''MW103'', received its airworthiness certificate, thus clearing its delivery shortly thereafter to BOAC. On 22 April 1944, the York inaugurated an initial UK-
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-
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route. Following the diversion of the first five RAF production Yorks to BOAC, it was decided to allocate a further 60 to the airline but in fact only 25 more were delivered to BOAC. Early BOAC operations were conducted in close collaboration with No. 216 Group RAF; this led to some early Yorks bearing a confusing combination of both civilian registrations and military external markings. Flights were soon established to
Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu language, Zulu and Xhosa language, Xhosa: eGoli ) (colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, Jo'burg or "The City of Gold") is the most populous city in South Africa. With 5,538,596 people in the City of Johannesburg alon ...
,
South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...
, in conjunction with
South African Airways South African Airways (SAA) is the flag carrier of South Africa. Founded in 1929 as Union Airways it later rebranded to South African Airways in 1934, the airline is headquartered in Airways Park at O. R. Tambo International Airport in Johannes ...
; Yorks assigned to this route fitted with a total of 12 sleeping berths in addition to passenger seating due to the journey time.Hannah 1967, pp. 5–6. The majority of BOAC's York fleet were fully furnished passenger airliners or as combi passenger-cargo aircraft. In the post-war years, BOAC expanded its use of the York considerably, such as on its Cairo to
Durban Durban ( ; , from meaning "bay, lagoon") is the third-most populous city in South Africa, after Johannesburg and Cape Town, and the largest city in the Provinces of South Africa, province of KwaZulu-Natal. Situated on the east coast of South ...
service, which had previously been operated by Shorts flying boats."Avro 685 York."
''British Aircraft of World War II'' via ''web.archive.org''. Retrieved: 22 December 2010.
Other airlines also adopted the type, such as its use by British South American Airways (BSAAC) on their routes to the Caribbean and South America, prior to their merger into BOAC in September 1949. On 7 October 1952, BOAC withdrew its Yorks from passenger services, retaining the type for freight operations.Hannah 1967, p. 6. BOAC's Yorks continued to operate freight schedules until November 1957 when the last example was withdrawn.Jackson 1990, p. 379. After disposal by BOAC and BSAAC, their York fleets were purchased by several UK independent airlines and operated on both passenger and freight flights; these service often included long-distance trooping flights to
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and other UK garrisons.Hannah 1967, pp. 6–7. The largest York operator out of the independents was Skyways.Hannah 1967, p. 10. In 1964, the last Yorks were retired from service by Skyways and Dan Air. When the Distant Early Warning Line (Dew Line) was being constructed in Canada in the late 1950s, the York was introduced as a freighter by Associated Airways to support the initiative, these being used later in ordinary airline service. At least one of the Yorks, ''CF-HAS'', was retained, and was in service with Transair as late as 1961.


VIP service

The Avro York was, like its Lancaster and Lincoln stablemates, a versatile aircraft. One of the prototypes, ''LV633'', ''Ascalon'', was custom-built as the personal transport and flying conference room for King
George VI George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until Death and state funeral of George VI, his death in 1952 ...
and Prime Minister
Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was a British statesman, military officer, and writer who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 (Winston Churchill in the Second World War, ...
. ''Ascalon'' was to be fitted with a special pressurised "egg" so that VIP passengers could be carried without their having to use an
oxygen mask An oxygen mask is a mask that provides a method to transfer breathing gas, breathing oxygen gas from a storage tank to the lungs. Oxygen masks may cover only the nose and mouth (oral nasal mask) or the entire face (full-face mask). They may be ma ...
. Made of aluminium alloy, the enclosure had eight perspex windows to reduce claustrophobia. It also had a telephone, an instrument panel, drinking facilities and an ashtray with room for cigars, a thermos flask, newspapers and books. Testing at RAE Farnborough found the "egg" to work satisfactorily. Avro said it was too busy with the new Lancaster IV ( Avro Lincoln) work so it was never installed in ''Ascalon''. It was considered for installation in the successor aircraft, a Douglas C-54B but the contractor
Armstrong Whitworth Sir W G Armstrong Whitworth & Co Ltd was a major British manufacturing company of the early years of the 20th century. With headquarters in Elswick, Tyne and Wear, Elswick, Newcastle upon Tyne, Armstrong Whitworth built armaments, ships, locomot ...
decided it was impractical and the project was shelved. The whereabouts of "Churchill's Egg" are not known. ''MW140'', ''Endeavour'', flew to
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
in 1945 to become the personal aircraft of the Duke of Gloucester, Australia's Governor-General. It was operated by the Governor-General's Flight from 1945 to 1947; it was the
Royal Australian Air Force The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is the principal Air force, aerial warfare force of Australia, a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Australian Army. Constitutionally the Governor-Gener ...
's only York. Another York, ''MW102'' was fitted out as a "flying office" for the use of the Viceroy of India and C-in-C South East Asia Command, Lord Mountbatten. During its first major overhaul by Avro at Manchester (Ringway) in 1945, the aircraft was repainted a light duck egg green, a shade intended to cool down the aeroplane, instead of its former normal camouflage colour scheme. South African leader Jan Smuts also used a York as his personal transport. Air Chief Marshal Sir Trafford Leigh-Mallory was killed on 14 November 1944, while flying to his new posting in
Ceylon Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...
to take command of Allied air operations in the Pacific, when York ''MW126'' struck a ridge in the French Alps in a blizzard, south of
Grenoble Grenoble ( ; ; or ; or ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of the Isère Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, region ...
, France. His wife Dora and eight aircrew also died. The wreckage was found by a villager in June 1945.


Variants

;Avro 685 prototypes :''LV626'' – prototype first flown with twin-tail and later converted to C.II standard :''LV629'' – prototype fitted with passenger seats :''LV633'' – prototype fitted as a flying conference room, later used by Winston Churchill :''LV639'' – prototype fitted as a paratroop drop variant with a drop hatch in the floor ;York I :Four-engined civilian transport aircraft, 45 builtJackson 1990, pp.381-383 ;York C.I :Four-engined military transport aircraft for the RAF, 208 built by Avro and one by Victory Aircraft. ;York C.II :One prototype York aircraft converted with four Bristol Hercules XVI radial piston engines.


Operators


Military operators

; * Royal Australian Air Force ** Governor-General's Flight RAAF ; * French Air Force * Aeronavale ; *
South African Air Force The South African Air Force (SAAF) is the air warfare branch of South African National Defence Force, with its headquarters in Pretoria. The South African Air Force was established on 1 February 1920. The Air Force saw service in World War II a ...
; * Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment (Boscombe Down) * Airborne Forces Experimental Establishment (Beaulieu) * Royal Aircraft Establishment (Farnborough) * Royal Air Force ** No. 24 Squadron RAF 1943–1951 at various bases in England ** No. 40 Squadron RAF 1947–1950 (RAF Abingdon, England) ** No. 51 Squadron RAF 1946–1950 at various bases in England ** No. 59 Squadron RAF 1947–1950 (RAF Abingdon, England) ** No. 99 Squadron RAF 1947–1949 (RAF Lyneham, England) ** No. 206 Squadron RAF 1947–1950 (RAF Lyneham, England) ** No. 232 Squadron RAF ** No. 242 Squadron RAF 1945–1949 at various bases in England ** No. 246 Squadron RAF 1944–1946 (RAF Holmsley South, England) ** No. 511 Squadron RAF 1943–1949 (RAF Lyneham, England) ** No. 241 Operational Conversion Unit RAF (RAF Dishforth, England) ** Air Command South East Asia Communications Squadron (RAF Ratmalana, Ceylon) ** Air Transport Tactical Development Unit (RAF Netheravon, England) ** Empire Air Navigation School (RAF Shawbury, England) ** Far East Communications Squadron (RAF Changi, Singapore) ** Metropolitan Communications Squadron (RAF Hendon, England) ** Transport Command Development Unit ** Transport Command Examining Unit ** 1310 Flight RAF (RAF Upavon, England) ** 1359 Flight RAF (RAF Lyneham then RAF Bassingbourn, England) ** 1332 Heavy Conversion Unit at various bases in England and Northern Ireland * Telecommunications Research Establishment (Defford, England)


Civil operators

; * Aden Airways ; * (FAMA) * Aerolíneas Argentinas ; * Arctic Wings * Associated Airways * Maritime Central Airways * Pacific Western Airlines * Spartan Air Services * Transair (Canada) ; * Persian Air Services ; * Air Liban * Middle East Airlines * Trans Mediterranean AirwaysHarrison 2014, p. 45. ; *
South African Airways South African Airways (SAA) is the flag carrier of South Africa. Founded in 1929 as Union Airways it later rebranded to South African Airways in 1934, the airline is headquartered in Airways Park at O. R. Tambo International Airport in Johannes ...
- operated Yorks leased from BOAC as stopgap until taking delivery of DC-4s and Avro TudorsHarrison 2014, p. 40. * Tropic Airways ; * Air Charter - 10 operated from 1952 to 1956. * BOAC * British South American Airways * Dan-Air * Eagle Aviation * Hunting-Clan Air Transport * Scottish Airlines * Skyways * Surrey Flying Services


Aircraft on display

While there are no flying examples of the Avro York, there are two complete examples on display in the United Kingdom. Both aircraft were initially allocated to the RAF, but were used by civil operators for most of their flying careers; both aircraft were issued with military and civil registrations. ;Avro York ''TS798'', ''G-AGNV'' Avro 685 York C1, ''TS798'' (cn ''1223''), now part of the collection of the RAF Museum. This aircraft was completed in October 1945 and intended for the RAF as ''TS798'', but quickly passed to BOAC and given the civil registration ''G-AGNV''. In BOAC service it flew routes in South Asia and Africa until 1950. In 1955 it was acquired by Skyways, who operated it until 1964. It was sold to the Skyways airframe collection for preservation and made the last ever flight by a York when it flew from Heathrow to Gloucestershire Airport to join the collection. It was sold to the RAF Museum in 1972. In 1973 it was restored and painted in RAF markings to represent another aircraft, ''MW100''; it was moved to the RAF Museum's Cosford site in 1976, where it is currently displayed.Avro York C.MK.1 TS798/G-AGNV Museum Accession Number 75/A/725
''RAF Museum''. Retrieved: 3 July 2023.
;Avro York ''MW232'', ''G-ANTK'' Displayed at the
Imperial War Museum Duxford Imperial War Museum Duxford, also known as IWM Duxford or simply Duxford, is a branch of the Imperial War Museum near Duxford in Cambridgeshire, England. Duxford, Britain's largest aviation museum, houses exhibits, including nearly 200 aircraf ...
: Avro 685 York C1, ''G-ANTK'' is an ex-Dan Air London aircraft. This airframe was built at Yeadon, near Leeds, in January 1946 and entered RAF service with 242 Squadron as ''MW232'' that August. It joined the fleet of Allied aircraft engaged in the Berlin Airlift and in May 1947, the York moved to 511 Squadron at Lyneham, where it served until May 1950 when it was used by
Fairey Aviation The Fairey Aviation Company Limited was a British aircraft manufacturer of the first half of the 20th century based in Hayes, Hillingdon, Hayes in Middlesex and Heaton Chapel and RAF Ringway in Cheshire that designed important military aircraft ...
for flight refuelling research. It then retired to 12 Maintenance Unit at Kirkbride for storage prior to disposal. In July 1954, ''MW232'' became ''G-ANTK'' with Dan Air and it was used for freight work until its retirement in May 1964. It was ferried to Lasham Airfield and used as a bunk house by the Air Scouts until 1974. The Dan Air preservation group took it over and began to restore the aircraft in their spare time. In the mid-1980s, Dan Air realised the impracticality of the restoration work being undertaken and began negotiations with the Duxford Aviation Society. In May 1986, the aircraft was dismantled and on 23 May made its journey to Duxford on seven low-loaders.


Accidents and incidents

The Avro York had 87 hull-loss accidents or incidents with the following list of accidents involving fatalities and major hull-losses. This information is primarily derived from: ''Piston Engine Airliner Production List'' (1991) Eastwood and Roach 1991, pp. 21–29. and ''Aviation Safety Network''.: * 14 November 1944: An RAF York crashed near Grenoble, France, killing all ten aboard, including Air Chief Marshal Trafford Leigh-Mallory.Record of ''Avro York C.1 MW126'' on ''lostaircraft.com''
/ref> * 2 February 1945: An RAF York crashed off Lampedusa Island.Record of ''Avro York C.1 MW116'' on ''lostaircraft.com''
/ref> * 29 December 1945: An RAF York crashed and was destroyed by fire near New Milton, Hampshire, England. * 11 April 1946: An RAF York crashed and burned on takeoff from RAF Woodbridge, one of the six crew on board was killed. * 7 September 1946: A British South American Airways York ''Star Leader'' on a flight from London to Buenos Aires via Lisbon, Bathurst, Natal,
Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the List of cities in Brazil by population, second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the Largest cities in the America ...
and
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, crashed shortly after takeoff from Bathurst,
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. The captain lost control of the aircraft as it was climbing. The accident killed all 24 passengers and crew on board. * 6 October 1946: An RAF York crashed in the
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. * 20 October 1946: An RAF York crashed on takeoff from Dum Dum,
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, India. * 20 November 1946: An RAF York crashed in the desert south of Helwan, Egypt. * 23 December 1946: A Flota Aérea Mercante Argentina York crashed into a mountain 31 km from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. * 18 March 1947: An RAF York crashed and burnt out near Negombo Town after departure from Negombo,
Ceylon Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...
. * 13 April 1947: British South American Airways York ''Star Speed'' crashed on landing at Dakar,
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. * 1 July 1947: An RAF York crashed after overshooting at RAF Oakington. * 16 July 1947: A BOAC York crashed near
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, Iraq. * 17 November 1947: An RAF York crashed after overshooting at RAF Dishforth, Yorkshire. * 16 February 1948: An RAF York was damaged beyond repair during a landing at RAF Hullavington. * 4 July 1948: An RAF York collided with a
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DC-6 over Northwood,
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, killing all seven passengers and crew on the York and 32 passengers and crew on the DC-6. See 1948 Northwood mid-air collision. * 19 September 1948: An RAF York crashed on takeoff from Wunstorf, West Germany. * 5 January 1949: British South American Airways York ''Star Venture'' crashed at Caravellos Bay, Brazil. * 15 March 1949: A Skyways York crashed on approach to Gatow, (southwest of West Berlin), West Germany. * 2 February 1953: A Skyways York crashed into the sea off
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,
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
after an SOS was sent by the pilots. The wreck of the aircraft was never found; all 39 passengers and crew died. * 26 June 1954: A Skyways York crashed landed at Kyritz, East Germany. * 26 May 1955: An Associated Airways York was damaged beyond repair after hitting an obstacle on takeoff from Edmonton Municipal Airport, Canada."Associated Airways Avro York accident."
''aviation-safety.net.'' Retrieved: 21 December 2010.
* 29 September 1955: An Associated Airways York was damaged beyond repair after ditching into the Thoa River near
Yellowknife Yellowknife is the capital, largest community, and the only city in the Northwest Territories, Canada. It is on the northern shore of Great Slave Lake, about south of the Arctic Circle, on the west side of Yellowknife Bay near the outlet of t ...
, North West Territories, Canada. * 18 February 1956: A Scottish Airlines York crashed at
Malta Malta, officially the Republic of Malta, is an island country in Southern Europe located in the Mediterranean Sea, between Sicily and North Africa. It consists of an archipelago south of Italy, east of Tunisia, and north of Libya. The two ...
due to pilot error, killing all 50 passengers and crew. See 1956 Scottish Airlines Malta air disaster * 30 April 1956: A Scottish Airlines York crashed on takeoff from Stansted Airport, Essex. * 26 September 1956: A Maritime Central Airways York was damaged beyond repair in a forced landing in Quebec, Canada. * 8 January 1957: A Transair (Canada) York was destroyed by fire after crash landing on a lake in
Hudson Bay Hudson Bay, sometimes called Hudson's Bay (usually historically), is a large body of Saline water, saltwater in northeastern Canada with a surface area of . It is located north of Ontario, west of Quebec, northeast of Manitoba, and southeast o ...
, Canada. * 25 June 1957: A Pacific Western Airlines York was damaged beyond repair after an accident at Cape Perry, North West Territories, Canada. * 23 December 1957: A cargo Scottish Airlines York crashed near Stansted on approach to the airport, killing all four crew. * 25 May 1958: A Dan-Air York crashed at Guragon, Punjab, India. * 29 September 1958: A Middle East Airlines York went missing over the
Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern Eur ...
somewhere between
Beirut Beirut ( ; ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, just under half of Lebanon's population, which makes it the List of largest cities in the Levant region by populatio ...
and
Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...
. * 15 March 1963: A Trans Mediterranean Airways York crashed seven miles southeast of Karaj,
Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...
.


Specifications (Avro York)


See also


Footnotes


References


Citations


Bibliography

* Bridgeman, Leonard. "The Avro Type 685 York." ''Jane's Fighting Aircraft of World War II''. London: Studio, 1946. . * Eastwood, Tony and John Roach. ''Piston Engine Airliner Production List.'' West Drayton, UK: The Aviation Hobby Shop, 1991. . * * Hannah, Donald. ''The Avro York (Aircraft in Profile number 168)''. Leatherhead, Surrey, UK: Profile Publications Ltd., 1967. * Harrison, William. ''Avro York'' Warpaint Series No. 98. Denbigh East, UK: Warpaint Books, 2014. . * Holmes, Harry. ''Avro: The History of an Aircraft Company'', Second edition. Marlborough, UK: Crowood Press, 2004. . * Jackson, A.J. ''Avro Aircraft since 1908, 2nd edition''. London: Putnam Aeronautical Books, 1990. . * * Ottaway, Susan and Ian. ''Fly With the Stars – A History of British South American Airways''. Andover, Hampshire, UK: Speedman Press, 2007. . * Stewart, Greig. ''Shutting Down the National Dream: A.V. Roe and the Tragedy of the Avro Arrow''. Toronto: McGraw-Hill-Ryerson, 1991. . *


External links


Avro York on display at RAF Museum, Cosford


a 1949 ''Flight'' advertisement for the York
"Flying with Prudence"
a 1946 instruction film made to instil in RAF flying personnel the importance of flight safety in peacetime. {{Authority control
York York is a cathedral city in North Yorkshire, England, with Roman Britain, Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers River Ouse, Yorkshire, Ouse and River Foss, Foss. It has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a Yor ...
1940s British airliners 1940s British military transport aircraft Four-engined tractor aircraft
York York is a cathedral city in North Yorkshire, England, with Roman Britain, Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers River Ouse, Yorkshire, Ouse and River Foss, Foss. It has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a Yor ...
High-wing aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1942 Four-engined piston aircraft Twin-tail aircraft Aircraft with retractable conventional landing gear