Avro Manchester: The Legend Behind The Lancaster

Dr Rob Kirby, author, will talk about the unsuccessful twin-engined Manchester was the forerunner to the "war-winning" Lancaster, though the path between was tortuous. Only Manchesters used the infamous Rolls-Royce Vulture, effectively an engine test-bed, operationally. The front line Manchester era began in November 1940, ending 20 months later in June 1942. The key to the entire story is the temperamental Vulture engine, without a proper account of which history could not have been written.