In 1934 Imperial Airways approached Armstrong Whitworth for the design of a new metal multiengine airliner. The chosen design seated 40 passengers and utilized 4 engines as that was seen to be desirable to passengers. Range was 1300 miles, suitable for the Empire routes of the day. Development took longer than expected as Imperial Airways updated the requirements several times but the first commercial flight took place in 1938. Further, the focus of the industry on military aircraft in the late 30s caused further delays. Once the airplane was flying it was found that despite the 4 engines it was underpowered and the engines were later upgraded to Wright Cyclones. However the war had started and production ended with only 14 made. The military took over the planes and they served through the war and retired in 1946. All were scrapped.
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