Avro Manchester

[megan]

Seen a mention of the Manchester fitted with a pair of Centaurus but never flew. Anyone ever seen a photo of the aircraft so fitted?

[Pypard]

Timescale seems at odds: I'd imagine there were few (if any) Manchesters left by the time Bristol needed a testbed for the Centaurus. Hercules more likely?

[Asturias56]

According to Mason's "British Bombers " pg 324 Chadwick always had doubts about the Vulture and he began to draw up designs around the Sabre, the Centaurus and the 4 engined Merlin version aboutthe time of the manchester's first flight.

Can't find out if it was ever tested tho'

Wikipedia states" Manchester IIA - As Manchester II but with 2 x Bristol Centaurus. None built."

The Centaurus first ran in 1938 but didn't go into volume production until 1942 so it could have been available for a test version of the Manchester

[Haraka]

AJ Jackson (Putnam Avro book) states that the Centauri were installed but interest was moving toward the Lancaster. so it wasn't flown.
Avro Drawing A1605 is reproduced in the 21st Century Profile Vol 1 no 6 and shows a G..A. of the Centaurus installation.