(Avro) 685 York @·AIRCRAFTUBE

  • Avro 685 York Avro 685 York
    Avro 685 York
  • Avro 685 York prototype in July 1942, with original twin tail fins Avro 685 York prototype in July 1942, with original twin tail fins
    Avro 685 York prototype in July 1942, with original twin tail fins
  • Avro 685 York Avro 685 York
    Avro 685 York
  • Avro 685 York Avro 685 York
    Avro 685 York
  • MW329 at RAF Fuhlsbuttel during the Berlin Airlift MW329 at RAF Fuhlsbuttel during the Berlin Airlift
    MW329 at RAF Fuhlsbuttel during the Berlin Airlift
  • Avro 685 York - Air Britain Avro 685 York - Air Britain
    Avro 685 York - Air Britain
  • The Rolls-Royce Merlin The Rolls-Royce Merlin
    The Rolls-Royce Merlin
  • G-AGJC "Malmesbury" G-AGJC "Malmesbury"
    G-AGJC "Malmesbury"
  • York C.1 MW103 was delivered to BOAC as G-AGJA York C.1 MW103 was delivered to BOAC as G-AGJA
    York C.1 MW103 was delivered to BOAC as G-AGJA

Avro 685 York

Development began in 1941 of the Type 685 which paired the wings, tail and undercarriage of the Lancaster bomber with a new square section fuselage of much greater capacity. Production was undertaken by Avro with the hopes of sales to the Royal Air Force and in the postwar civil airliner market.

To meet Operational Requirement OR.113 for a transport aircraft Specification C.1/42 was issued to Avro in 1942 and three further prototypes were ordered in different configurations.

The prototype, LV626, was assembled by Avro's experimental flight department at Manchester's Ringway Airport and first flew there on 5 July 1942. It had initially been fitted with the twin fins and rudders 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. Initial assembly and testing of production Yorks mainly for the RAF, was at Ringway, later Yeadon (Leeds) and Woodford (Cheshire).

One pattern aircraft was built at Victory Aircraft in Canada but no further orders were received. Victory tooled up for 30 aircraft and built parts for five with one ultimately being completed about the time the war came to an end.

Operational history

The first civilian York (G-AGJA), initially built for the RAF as MW103, was delivered from Ringway to British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) in February 1944. In RAF Transport Command service, the York was used on the England–India route.

Production orders included 50 civilian Yorks and 208 military versions to the RAF – many of which subsequently passed into civilian hands. During the Berlin Airlift, Yorks flew over 58,000 sorties – close to half of the British contribution, alongside the Douglas Dakota and Handley Page Hastings. During wartime years they also served as VIP transport aircraft.

In the postwar years, BOAC used Yorks on their Cairo to Durban service, which had previously been worked by Shorts flying-boats. They were also used by British South American Airways (BSAAC) on their routes to the Caribbean and South America, until their merger into BOAC in September 1949. BOAC's Yorks continued to operate freight schedules until November 1957 when the last example was withdrawn.

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 included long distance trooping flights to Jamaica and other UK garrisons. The last Yorks were retired from service by Skyways and Dan Air in 1964.

When the Distant Early Warning Line (Dew Line) was being constructed in Canada in the late 1950s, the Avro York was introduced as a freighter by Associated Airways. At least one of the Yorks, CF-HAS, was retained, and was in service with Transair as late as 1961.

Specials

The Avro York was, like its Lancaster and Lincoln stablemates, a very versatile aircraft. One of the prototype Yorks, LV633, Ascalon, was custom-built as the personal transport and flying conference room for Prime Minister Winston Churchill. 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. Made of aluminium alloy it had eight perspex windows to reduce claustrophobia. It also had a telephone, instrument panel, drinking facilities and an ashtray with room for cigars, thermos flask, newspapers and books. Testing at RAE Farnborough found the "egg" to work satisfactorily. However, Avro said it was too busy with the new Lancaster IV (Avro Lincoln) work so it was never actually installed in Ascalon. It was considered for installation in the successor aircraft, a Douglas C-54B but the contractor Armstrong Whitworth decided it was impractical and the project was shelved. The whereabouts of "Churchill's Egg" is currently unknown.

MW104, Endeavour, flew to Australia in 1945 to become the personal aircraft of HRH The Duke of Gloucester, Australia's then Governor-General. It was operated by the Governor-General's Flight from 1945 to 1947, and it was the Royal Australian Air Force's only York.

Another York, MW102 was fitted out as a "flying office" for the use of 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 re-painted 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 personal transport.

Air Chief Marshal Sir Trafford Leigh-Mallory was killed 14 November 1944 while flying to his new posting in Ceylon to take command of Allied air operations in the Pacific, when York, MW126, struck a ridge in the French Alps in a blizzard, 30 mi (48 km) S of Grenoble, 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 converence room, later used by Winston Churcill
  • LV639 - prototype fitted as a paratroop drop variant with a drop hatch in the floor
  • York I : Four-engined civilian transport aircraft, 44 built
  • 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 fitted with four Bristol Hercules XVI radial piston engines.

Military operators

  • Australia : Royal Australian Air Force and Governor-General's Flight RAAF
  • France : French Air Force and Aeronavale
  • South Africa : South African Air Force
  • United Kingdom : Royal Air Force

Civil operators

  • Aden : Aden Airways
  • Argentina : Flota Aérea Mercante Argentina and Aerolíneas Argentinas
  • Iran : Persian Air Services
  • Lebanon : Middle East Airlines
  • South Africa : South African Airways and Tropic Airways
  • United Kingdom : Air Charter, BOAC, British South American Airways, Dan Air, Eagle Aviation, Hunting-Clan Air Transport, Scottish Airlines, Skyways, Surrey Flying Services.

Survivors

While there are no flying examples of the Avro York, there are two complete examples on display. Currently at the RAF Museum Cosford Collection is Avro 685 York C1, TS798 (cn 1223) which was initially intended for the RAF as TS798, but quickly passed to BOAC as G-AGNV and later to Skyways. It was previously preserved at Skyfame (Staverton), Brize Norton and Shawbury.

Another example on public display is held at the Imperial War Museum Duxford: 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 No. 242 Squadron RAF 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 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 local 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 being primarily derived from: Piston Engine Airliner Production List (1991) and Aviation Safety Network.:

  • 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 take off from RAF Woodbridge, one of the six crew on board was killed.
  • 7 September 1946: A British South American Airways Star Leader on a flight from London to Buenos Aires via Lisbon, Bathurst, Natal, Rio de Janeiro and Montevideo, crashed shortly after takeoff from Bathurst, The Gambia. 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 Bay of Bengal.
  • 20 October 1946: An RAF York crashed on take off from Dum Dum, Calcutta, 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.
  • 13 April 1947: A British South American Airways Star Speed crashed on landing at Dakar, Senegal.
  • 1 July 1947: An RAF York crashed after overshooting at RAF Oakington.
  • 16 July 1947: A BOAC York crashed near Basra, Iraq.
  • 17 November 1947: An RAF York crashed while 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 collided with a Scandinavian Airlines System DC-6 over Northwood, London, killing all seven passengers and crew on the Avro York and 31 passengers and crew on the DC-6.
  • 19 September 1948: An RAF York crashed on take off from Wunstorf, West Germany.
  • 5 January 1949: A British South American Airways Star Venture crashed at Caravellos Bay, Brazil.
  • 15 March 1949: A Skyways York crashed on approach to Gatow, West Germany.
  • 2 February 1953: A Skyways York crashed into sea off Newfoundland (island), Canada 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: An Eagle Aviation York crashed landed at Kyritz, East Germany.
  • 26 May 1955: An Associated Airways York was damaged beyond repair after hitting an obstacle on take off from Edmonton Municipal Airport, Canada.
  • 29 September 1955: An Associated Airways York was damaged beyond repair after ditching into the Thoa River near Yellowknife, North West Territories, Canada.
  • 18 February 1956: A Scottish Airlines York crashed at Malta due to pilot error killing all 50 passengers and crew.
  • 30 April 1956: A Scottish Airlines York crashed on take off from Stansted Airport, Essex.
  • 13 September 1956: A Pacific Western Airline York was damaged beyond repair after an accident at Cape Perry, North West Territories, Canada.
  • 26 September 1956: A Maritime Central Airways York was damaged beyond repair in a forced landing in Quebec, Canada.
  • 8 January 1957: A TransAir York was destroyed by fire after crash landing on a lake in Hudson Bay, Canada.
  • 23 December 1957: A cargo Scottish Airlines York crashed near London Stansted Airport 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 somewhere between Beirut and Rome.
  • 15 March 1963: A Middle East Airlines York crashed seven miles south east of Karai, Iran.

— — — = = — — —

This text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License
Source : Article Avro York of Wikipedia ( authors )

Avro 685 York

  • Role : Transport.
  • Manufacturer : Avro.
  • Designer : Roy Chadwick.
  • First flight : 5 July 1942.
  • Introduction : 1944.
  • Retired : 1964.
  • Status : Two examples on display.
  • Primary users :
    • Royal Air Force.
    • BOAC.
    • British South American Airways.
    • Skyways Ltd.
  • Produced : 1943–1948.
  • Number built : 258 (including 4 prototypes).
  • Developed from : Avro Lancaster.

    • Specifications

  • Crew: 5 (two pilots, navigator, wireless operator, cabin steward).
  • Capacity: 56 passengers.
  • Payload: 20,000 lb (9,100 kg).
  • Length: 78 ft 6 in (23.9 m).
  • Height: 16 ft 6 in (5 m).
  • Wingspan: 102 ft 0 in (31.1 m).
  • Wing area: 1,297 ft² (120.5 m²).
  • Wing loading: 54 lb/ft² (260 kg/m²).
  • Empty weight: 40,000 lb (18,150 kg).
  • Loaded weight: 65,000 lb (29,480 kg).
  • Maximum speed: 298 mph (258 kn, 479 km/h) at 21,000 ft (6,400 m).
  • Range: 3,000 mi (2,600 nmi, 4,800 km).
  • Service ceiling: 23,000 ft (7,010 m).
  • Rate of climb: 820 ft/min (4.2 m/s).
  • Powerplant: Four Rolls-Royce Merlin 24 liquid-cooled V12 engines.
  • Power : 1,280 hp (or 950 kW) each.
  • Power/mass: 0.079 hp/lb (130 W/kg).

— — — = = — — —

This text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License
Source : Article Avro York of Wikipedia ( authors )
Avro 685 York : Your comments on this subject
Powered by Disqus
Top
Legal Credits FAQ Help Site Map

Terms of use for the services available on this site

By using this Website, Users agree to the following terms of use and rules :

Definitions

  • Webmaster : Head Administrator with all authority over the management and development of the Website.
  • Administrator : Anyone that was given by the Webmaster full or partial access to the Website's structure or with moderation rights on messages posted by Users.
  • User or Visitor : Any person visiting the Website pages.
  • Website : The following provisions apply to a single Website accessible via the www.aircraftube.com, www.aircraftube.org, www.aircraftube.net and www.all-aircraft.com. URL's
  • Service : All free informations and tools contained on the Website.
  • Comments : All text written by users on Blogs and comment pages available on the Website.
  • Media : All media available on or through the Website. One must distinguish the local media (photos, curves, drawings) and the external media (videos) which the Website refers.

    • Purpose of this site

    The purpose of this non-commercial site is purely educational. Reflecting a passion, it is also there to preserve the memory of all those who gave their lives, their health or energy in the name of freedom, aviation safety or simply our passenger comfort.

    Copyright

    Some media may have escaped the vigilance of Administrators with regard to copyrights. If a user reports copyright infringement, he will be asked to prove that he is indeed the rights's owner for the concerned media. If so, his decision on the Administrator's next action will be respected: A total suppression of the Media on the Website, or the addition of some owner's reference. The publication of a media on the internet normally having as a goal to make it visible to many people, the Administrators expect in any case that the second option will be most often chosen.

    Pursuant to the Law on copyright and related rights, the user has the right to download and reproduce information on the Website for personal use and provided that the source is mentionned. They cannot however be used for commercial or advertising purposes.

    Using Blogs and filing comments

  • Moderator : The Administrator reserves the right to prevent the publication of comments that are not directly related to the Service without providing any explanation. Similarly, all insults, out of scope or unethical material will be banned.
  • Identification : Persons wishing to post a comment or use any form of contact are required to provide identification by the means of a valid e-mail address.
  • Responsibilities : Comments are posted on the Website under the unique responsability of their authors and the Administrators may in no case be liable for any statements or claims that the users might have issued.

    • As the comment system is hosted and maintained on servers external to the Website, the Administrators may in no circumstances be held responsible for the use that administrators of these servers or other third parties may have with those comments or filed data.

    Content Liability

    The Administrators carefully check the reliability of the sources used. They cannot, however, guarantee the accuracy of any information contained on the Website, partly because of the multiple sources from which they come.

    JavaScript and cookies - Storing information

    This Website imperatively uses JavaScript and cookies to function properly. Neither of these technologies, or other means shall in no case be used on the Website for the retention or disclosure of personal information about Visitors. Exceptions to this rule will involve storing the Users banned for inappropriate comments they might have given as well as contact information for Users wishing to subscribe to future newsletters.

    When a user accesses the Website, the corresponding servers may automatically collect certain data, such as IP address, date and time of Website access, viewed pages and the type of browser used. This information is kept only for the purpose of measuring the number of visitors to the different sections of the site and make improvements.

    Donations - Advertising

    To continue providing the Service for free, the Webmaster reserves the right to insert advertising or promotional messages on any page of the Site. In the same idea, any donations will only by used to cover the running costs of the site, such as hosting, connection fees, hardware and software necessary for the development and maintenance of the Website.

    Links and other websites

    Administrators shall in no case be liable for the non-availability of websites operated by third parties to which users would access through the Website.

    Administrators assume no liability for any content, advertising, products and/or services available on such third party websites. It is reminded that those sites are governed by their own terms of use.

    Placing a link to third party sites or authorize a third party to include a link on their website refering to this Website does not mean that the Administrators recommend in any way the products or services offered by these websites.

    Modifications

    The Webmaster reserves the right to modify at any time without notification the present terms of use as well as all content or specific functionality that the Website offers.

    The modified terms and conditions immediately apply to the using Visitor when changes come online. Visitors are invited to consult the site regularly on the most current version of the terms and conditions

    Governing Law and Jurisdiction

    These general conditions are governed by Belgian law.

    In case of dispute regarding the interpretation and/or execution of the above terms, the parties agree that the courts of the district of Nivelles, Belgium shall have exclusive jurisdiction power.

    Credits page

    Wikipedia.org

    Wikipedia is a collaboratively edited, multilingual, free Internet encyclopedia.

    Youtube

    YouTube is a video-sharing website on which users can upload, view and share videos.

    Special thanks to all Youtube quality aviation vids providers, specially (Those I forgot, please excuse me or report) :

    Airboyd
    Andys Video
    Aviation videos archives
    Bomberguy
    Classic Aviation TV
    Historical Aviation Film Unit
    Horsemoney
    Jaglavaksoldier
    Joluqa Malta
    Just Planes
    Koksy
    Classic Airliners & Vintage Pop Culture
    Memorial Flight
    Octane130
    Okrajoe
    SDASM archives
    Spottydog4477
    The Aviators TV
    Valentin Izagirre Bengoetxea
    Vexed123
    VonBerlich
    Zenos Warbirds

    Bundesarchiv

    The German Federal Archives or Bundesarchiv are the National Archives of Germany.

    FAQ

    I don't see my comments any more!

    Please note that each page has it's own comment entry. So, if you enter a comment i.e. on the B-747, you will only see it on that related page.

    General comments are accessed via the "BLOG En" button.

    Comments are moderated, so please allow some delay before they appear, specially if you are outside Europe.

    Menus are developing below the page, because they are too long!

    But they remain accessible, for example by scrolling the mouse wheel, or with your finger (on the menu) on a smartphone or tablet.

    I see adds on all videos.

    Use a good free add remover software.

    The site is loading random pages at startup.

    We think it is a good way to bring back the memory of aircraft, persons or events sometimes quite forgotten.

    HELP PAGE

    Why this site?

    Discovery

    This website is dedicated to one's aeronautical passion (which I hope we share) and was realised mainly as an educationnal tool. Knowing that, you'll notice that each new visit brings random topics for the purpose of making new discoveries, some achievements or characters certainly not deserving the oblivion into which they have sometimes fallen.

    By these pages, we also want to pay tribute to all those who gave at one time or another, their lives or health in the name of freedom, aeronautical security or simply our comfort.

    Centralisation

    Internet is full of websites dedicated to aviation, but most are dedicated to subjects or periods that are very limited in space or time. The purpose of this site is to be as general as possible and thus treats all events as well as characters of all stripes and times while putting much emphasis on the most significant achievements.

    The same years saw birth of technologies like photography and cinema, thus permitting illustration of a large part of important aeronautical events from the start. Countless (and sometimes rare) media recently put online by enthousiasts finally give us access to these treasures, but the huge amount of information often makes things a little messy. A centralization effort is obviously most needed at this level.

    All persons who directly or indirectly contributed to the achievement or posting of such documents are here gratefully acknowledged.

    General

    Fluid website

    This site automatically fits the dimensions of your screen, whether you are on a desktop computer, a tablet or a smartphone.

    Bilingual website

    You can change the language by clicking on the flag in the upper left or via "Options" in the central menu. Of course, the videos remain in the language in which they were posted ...

    Browser compatibility

    The site is not optimized, or even designed to run on older browsers or those deliberately deviating from standards. You will most probably encounter display issues with Internet Explorer. In this case, it is strongly recommended installing a modern (and free!) browser that's respecting the standards, like Firefox, Opera, Chrome or Safari.

    Cookies and Javascript

    This site uses cookies and JavaScript to function properly. Please ensure that your browser is configured accordingly. Neither of these technologies, or other means shall in no case be used on the Site for the retention or disclosure of personal information about its Visitors. See the "Legal" page for more on this subject.

    Website layout

    Left menus

    Because of the lack of space on smartphones and small tablets, these menus are hidden. Everything is nevertheless accessible via the main menu option, located between the video and photo sections. This menu is placed there for compatibility reasons with some browsers, which play the videos over the menus.

    "Search" and "Latest" :
    The link "In Titles" restricts the search to the titles of different forms. Use this option if you are looking for a plane, a constructor, a pilot or a particular event that could have been treated as a subject.

    The link "In Stories" will bring you to a search in all texts (the "Story" tab) and will take more time. The search term will appear highlighted in green when opening the corresponding story.

    Would you believe, "Timeline" will show all subjects in chronological order.

    "Random" will reload the entire page with a new random topic.

    The bottom section keeps you abreast of the latest five entries. New topics are added regularly. Don't hesitate to come visit us often : add bookmark.

    Blogs and Comments central section

    Under the photos section comes the comments tabs window :

    You can enter general comments in your own language via one of the two buttons on the left (BLOG EN and BLOG FR). Note that these buttons are accessible regardless of the language to allow some participation in the other language.

    All comments are subject to moderation and will be published only if they comply with the basic rules of decorum, while remaining relevant to the purpose of this site.

    The third tab allows you to enter comments on the shown topic and is bilingual. Personal anecdotes, supplements and other information questions will take place here.

    The "Story" tab shows the explanatory texts. They are most often taken from Wikipedia, a site where we participate regularly.

    The "Data" tab is reserved for list of features and specifications.

    Right menus

    On a smartphone, the lack of space is growing and this menu is moved to the bottom of the page to give priority to videos and pictures.

    The top right icons are links to videos posted by third parties (on their own responsabilities) or by ourselves. The link below these icons will take you to the channel of the one who posted the video. Feel free to suggest other videos if you think they are of some interest (Use the BLOG button or the "Contact" link).