Avro York Mk I

Manufactured by Avro and incorporating the wings, tail, undercarriage and engines of the Lancaster bomber, the York was to prove a useful military and civilian transport aircraft in war and peace.

In 1941, Avro designer Roy Chadwick began to sketch out a long range transport aircraft based on the Lancaster. The result became the Avro Type 685 York, and the prototype flew on 5 July 1942. Production began in 1943 and 258 aircraft were manufactured before construction ceased in November 1946. Yorks were used by the RAF and by a number of British and Commonwealth airlines and charter companies during the 1940s and 1950s. During the Berlin Airlift, Yorks flew 58124 of the 131800 sorties conducted by the RAF.