Manchester
Country | United Kingdom |
Manufacturer | Avro |
Primary Role | Heavy Bomber |
Maiden Flight | 25 July 1939 |
Contributor: C. Peter Chen
ww2dbaseThe Manchester bombers were designed by Avro as a response to the British Air Ministry Specification P.13/36 which called for a twin-engined heavy bomber. They entered service with Royal Air Force Bomber Command in Nov 1940, and eventually equipped eight RAF Bomber Command squadrons and several Coastal Command units. As the Manchester design improved, one of the variants showed such a great improvement in performance that the design received a new name, Lancaster, therefore ending the production of Manchester bombers. From 1940 to Nov 1941, 209 Manchester bombers were built, most by Avro, 32 by Metropolitan-Vickers; they flew 1,269 missions with Bomber Command and dropped 1,826 tons of bombs.
ww2dbaseSource: Wikipedia.
Last Major Revision: Apr 2007
Manchester Timeline
25 Jul 1939 | The prototype Avro Manchester made its first flight. Although it served with eight Bomber Command Squadrons, the Manchester suffered from persistent engine problems and was withdrawn from service in 1942. |
24 Feb 1941 | British Manchester bombers of No. 207 Squadron from Waddington, Lincolnshire, England, United Kingdom made the Manchester model's operational debut by bombing Brest, France overnight and into the next day. |
13 Apr 1941 | The forty Manchester bombers on the strength of Nos. 207 and 97 Squadrons were grounded for engine modifications. During the work alterations were also made to allow the carriage of 4000-pound HC (high capacity) bombs; the first of which was dropped by a No. 207 Squadron aircraft on Berlin, Germany on the night of 8 to 9 May 1941. |
SPECIFICATIONS
Mk I/IA
Machinery | Two Rolls-Royce Vulture I 24-cylinder X-type engine rated at 1,500hp |
Armament | 8x7.7mm Browning machine guns (2 forward, 2 mid-upper, 4 rear), 4,695kg of bombs |
Crew | 7 |
Span | 27.46 m |
Length | 21.34 m |
Height | 5.94 m |
Weight, Empty | 14,152 kg |
Weight, Maximum | 22,680 kg |
Speed, Maximum | 402 km/h |
Service Ceiling | 5,852 m |
Range, Normal | 1,930 km |
Photographs
Did you enjoy this article or find this article helpful? If so, please consider supporting us on Patreon. Even $1 per month will go a long way! Thank you. Share this article with your friends: Stay updated with WW2DB: |
- » WW2DB's 19th Anniversary (29 Dec 2023)
- » Looted Painting "Madonna with Child" Returned to Poland (2 Jun 2023)
- » Wreck of USS Mannert L. Abele Found (29 May 2023)
- » Wreck of Montevideo Maru Found (25 Apr 2023)
- » Accidental Detonation of a WW2-Era Bomb in Great Yarmouth (10 Feb 2023)
- » See all news
- » 1,146 biographies
- » 336 events
- » 43,422 timeline entries
- » 1,237 ships
- » 349 aircraft models
- » 207 vehicle models
- » 372 weapon models
- » 123 historical documents
- » 259 facilities
- » 468 book reviews
- » 28,395 photos
- » 432 maps
Winston Churchill, 1935
Please consider supporting us on Patreon. Even $1 a month will go a long way. Thank you!
Or, please support us by purchasing some WW2DB merchandise at TeeSpring, Thank you!