Avro York The Avro York was a British transport aircraft that was derived from the Second World War Lancaster heavy bomber , and used in both military and civilian roles between 1943 and 1964 . Design and development . 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 , " LV 626 " , was assembled by Avro ' s experimental flight department at Manchester ' s Ringway Airport and first flew from 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 " MW 103 " , 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 for 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 the wartime years the York also served as a VIP transport aircraft . In the postwar years , BOAC used Yorks on their Cairo to Durban service , which had previously been operated 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 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 prototypes , " LV 633 " , " 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 , the aircraft 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 . 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 - 54 B , but the contractor Armstrong Whitworth decided it was impractical and the project was shelved . The whereabouts of " Churchill ' s Egg " is currently unknown . " MW 104 " , " 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 ; it was the Royal Australian Air Force ' s only York . Another York , " MW 102 " 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 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 his personal transport . Air Chief Marshal Sir Trafford Leigh - Mallory was killed on 14 November 1944 while flying to his new posting in Ceylon to take command of Allied air operations in the Pacific , when York , " MW 126 " , struck a ridge in the French Alps in a blizzard , 30 mi ( 48 km ) south of Grenoble , France . His wife Dora and eight aircrew also died . The wreckage was found by a villager in June 1945 . Survivors . < br > 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 , " TS 798 " ( cn " 1223 " ) which was initially intended for the RAF as " TS 798 " , 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 242 Squadron as " MW 232 " 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 , " MW 232 " 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 . This information is primarily derived from : " Piston Engine Airliner Production List " ( 1991 ) and " Aviation Safety Network " . :