Avro Type 684 Leeds

[PR19_Kit]

The Avro Leeds was a transport derivative of the Lincoln, in the same way that the York was a transport version of the Lancaster. After the manifest success of the York in service with the RAF a requirement arose for a larger aircraft in the same class and Avro responded to this by a similar method that produced the York in 1943.

Using the same wing as the Lincoln, complete with its Merlin 85 engines, the Leeds had a considerably longer fuselage than the York, and was the longest of all Lancaster variants, even exceeding that of the later Shackleton Mk 3s by having a length of some 93 ft. This enabled the Leeds to carry 75 passengers in the trooping role, and unlike the Yorks, all Leeds were fitted with the large double cargo doors on the port side of the fuselage aft of the wing.

Production of the Leeds was eased by the use of some York production jigs and of course by the Lincoln components that were still in production at the time. The prototype Leeds first flew on April 1st 1946 but it had already been ordered into production by then, an order of some 50 Leeds being placed with Avro and their sub-contractors. The production aircraft had started to reach the first RAF Squadron to use the type, No. 24 Squadron by end of the year, and was in service with two more Squadrons by the start of the Berlin Airlift in June 1948. During the Airlift the Leeds served well, even though few in number, and in later years became the RAF's preferred type for large troop movements. Equipping five RAF Transport Command Squadrons during their service life, the Leeds were never as common as the Yorks, and were frequently mistaken for their smaller brethren by the uninitiated. Unlike the Yorks, the Leeds were not sold into civilian hands at the end of their service, the last Leeds still being flown by Transport Command Training and Development Flight at RAF Benson in 1955, where it was scrapped on site during the Summer of that year.



[This little item dreamed up by The Wooksta and I during discussions at SMW 2010, and to appear in plastic at a Forum near you before long.......  ]

[rickshaw]

I see the windows show the problems the York had with not having a flat cabin floor...

[Hobbes]

Nice!

[Stargazer]

Love the Leeds!!! 

[PR19_Kit]

I see the windows show the problems the York had with not having a flat cabin floor...

Even Chadwick wasn't perfect, almost, but not quite........ 

[JayBee]

Ye Gods!
First it was bigger wings,
then it was longer fuselages,
now it is both !!


Where will it all end I ask?

Looking forward to seeing this progress. 

Happy New Year Kit.

[Caveman]

it will probably end when he cant find a scale small enough for his 'extensions' to fit in his house...

[PR19_Kit]

Hehehe, indeed Jim. I've always been told that 'Bigger is Better' so who am I to argue? 

The Leeds is in 1/72 scale so it's not that large, just a tad longer and wider than a Lanc. The biggest problems will be marrying two DIFFERENT vacform fuselages together, I see mucho plasticard in my near future! The wings and tail are from an Airfix Lanc of course, with some resin Lincoln add-ons from 'various sources'...... 

It'll be in TCTDF colours, white top, silver undersides and wings with the blue lightning stripe along the side. It may even have a 'stealth' camera looking through a port in the middle of the fuselage roundel for my Dad to look after..... 

As for scales, I only ever build in 1/72 and 1/144 for my aircraft models, although I did build one 1/354 scale P-38 that came from a box of Japanese corn-flakes!

[Thorvic]

Hi Kit

How about using some of the ideas from the High Speed Lancaster to use on your Leeds ?

http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,642.msg141145/topicseen.html#msg141145
(First image)

G

[alertken]

So, why did Lincoln C.3 Leeds not happen?

York design ITP was 1/43. In 7/43 MAP moved Design Authority for Lancaster to AWA to liberate Avro to do Lancaster Mk.IV, 162 ordered as Lincoln I, 8/43. On 4/4/44 design of a Halifax variant to be Hermes I was funded, and on 5/4/44 so was Avro 687 XX, becoming 688 Tudor I, 9/44. Exactly then US was persuaded to release to RAF, firstly 1 VIP C-54B, soon 10 C-54D, another 10 planned but stifled by VE-Day. In Peace we chose to keep 16 Liberator C.IX, ex-Lend/Lease, which we bought. Stirling Vs galore. The transport task affecting (India) would lapse within 1947. Avro turned, 1946/47, to jet Medium Bomber schemes and to Brabazon Medium Range Empire notoions (that became Britannia). No interest, no budget, for more bomber-derivative transports.

[Weaver]

Sweet, and a potential JMN confounder, of course....

[PR19_Kit]

How about using some of the ideas from the High Speed Lancaster to use on your Leeds ?
http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,642.msg141145/topicseen.html#msg141145
(First image)

Unfortunately I can't see the images, not being a member there.

So, why did Lincoln C.3 Leeds not happen?

York design ITP was 1/43. In 7/43 MAP moved Design Authority for Lancaster to AWA to liberate Avro to do Lancaster Mk.IV, 162 ordered as Lincoln I, 8/43. On 4/4/44 design of a Halifax variant to be Hermes I was funded, and on 5/4/44 so was Avro 687 XX, becoming 688 Tudor I, 9/44. Exactly then US was persuaded to release to RAF, firstly 1 VIP C-54B, soon 10 C-54D, another 10 planned but stifled by VE-Day. In Peace we chose to keep 16 Liberator C.IX, ex-Lend/Lease, which we bought. Stirling Vs galore. The transport task affecting (India) would lapse within 1947. Avro turned, 1946/47, to jet Medium Bomber schemes and to Brabazon Medium Range Empire notoions (that became Britannia). No interest, no budget, for more bomber-derivative transports.

Erm sorry? 

This is Whiffworld and I make my own history rules here...............

[pyro-manic]

Re-uploaded it to imageshack for you, Kit:



Sleek!

[PR19_Kit]

Thanks, Overkiller sent me some piccies too. I've never heard of those proposals at all, a pity they came to naught but with the Canberra looming over the horizon I guess they were doomed. Nothing to stop US making them though.  As I've said before, we build the aircraft the real manufacturers never got around to doing!

I doubt such research would have had much effect on the Leeds though, as it need a big fat fuselage to carry its loads around and the high speed Lancs needed a thinner one to give them extra speed.

[PR19_Kit]

The Leeds is about to make a re-appearance after something like NINE years! 

The backstory and the aircraft's 'relatives' have changed a little and it'll be an entrant in the 'Prototypes GB' so further reports will be in that thread.