Roy Chadwick designed the Lancaster bomber. As chief designer at A.V. Roe and Co. Ltd (Avro), Chadwick transformed the troubled Avro Manchester into what would become the most versatile and effective heavy bomber of World War II.
From the Manchester to the Lancaster
The Manchester was an all-metal, mid-winged monoplane designed by Chadwick in the late 1930s as Avro's submission for the Air Ministry's specification for a long-range bomber. It was powered by two Rolls-Royce Vulture engines, which proved completely unreliable in service.
Over just a few weeks from November 1940 to January 1941, Chadwick's inspired solution took shape: he lengthened the Manchester's wing and replaced the two Vulture engines with four proven Rolls-Royce Merlins. The result was the Avro Lancaster.
Chadwick's forward thinking led him to design the aircraft around a remarkable bomb bay capable of housing ten tons of bombs in many combinations. The Lancaster could fly higher and further than other aircraft of its class. It was very manoeuvrable, easy to handle, and light on the controls.
Key Facts
- Over 7,300 Lancasters were built during the war
- 40,000 aircraft workers were engaged in its production
- Over 6,000,000 feet of factory floor space was used across many subsidiary factories
- It was called the best bomber of World War II and remains one of the most recognisable aircraft ever built
About Roy Chadwick
Roy Chadwick was born on 30 April 1893 in Urmston, Lancashire. He joined A.V. Roe as a personal assistant to Alliott Verdon-Roe in 1911, at the age of 18, and rose to become Avro's chief designer. Over his career he was responsible for the design of more than 30 types of aircraft, from tiny biplanes to the preliminary designs for the Avro Vulcan delta-wing bomber.
Chadwick was awarded the CBE for his wartime contributions. He was killed on 23 August 1947, at the age of 54, during a test flight of the Avro Tudor II at Woodford Aerodrome.
Read More
This page is part of a full biography of Roy Chadwick written by his daughter, Margaret Dove, who served as Honorary President of the Bomber Command Museum of Canada from 1990 to 2008. Her first-hand account covers his life, his aircraft, and the personal story behind Avro's great designer.
You can also read the transcript of Chadwick's 1942 BBC radio broadcast, in which the Lancaster bomber designer tells the story of his career in his own words.