Avro York

Avro · United Kingdom · first flew 1942 · transport aircraft

The Avro York was a British four-engine transport aircraft developed from the Lancaster bomber, featuring a new wide-body fuselage mated to Lancaster wings, engines, and tail unit.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Low-mounted, tapered
E — Engines	4 × piston, wing-mounted
F — Fuselage	Lancaster-derived British transport with square-section fuselage
T — Tail	Twin fin

WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.

Spot it by:

Lancaster-derived British transport with square-section fuselage
Four Merlin engines on tapered low wing
Triple-fin tail arrangement with central fin

Unmistakable with its Lancaster-style wings and engine arrangement combined with a tall, slab-sided square-section fuselage; the unique central fin flanked by two outboard fins is highly distinctive.

Specifications

The Avro York has a length of 23.93 m (79 ft).
It has a wingspan of 31.09 m (102 ft).
Its maximum speed is 476 km/h (296 mph).
Typical crew: 4-5 plus up to 24 passengers.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

First flown in July 1942, the York served during World War II carrying VIPs and cargo, and became particularly well-known during the Berlin Airlift of 1948–1949, where York aircraft of RAF Transport Command and British civilian operators flew thousands of sorties into Tempelhof.

Variants

The standard York C.1 was the principal RAF transport variant; civilian versions were operated by BOAC and several charter operators in the early postwar years.

Where you'll see it

Served with RAF Transport Command and BOAC through the early 1950s; the type is strongly associated with UK aviation history through the Berlin Airlift.

Related aircraft

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