By the mid-1930s the initial strategy of the British was to develop a multirole twin-engined medium bomber. This solution required very powerful engines that at the time we're hard to produce and maintain. Following the footsteps of both the Americans and the Soviets, they instead started development on a larger, heavier airframe with four smaller, but readily available, engines that could still guarantee excellent range and airlifting capability. Initially still called Manchester from the previous twin-engine endeavour, by January 1941 the second prototype was renamed the Lancaster. Its first flight was a huge success, having later seen improvement by the use of a new elliptical twin-finned tail, greatly increasing stability and field of fire for the dorsal gun over the Manchester's three-fin design.