Vickers Vimy
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Vickers Vimy

 

Vickers Vimy History
The Vickers Vimy was designed by Reginald Kirshaw Pierson for Vickers in 1917. Although it was designed as a long range heavy bomber in WW1, by the time it was ready to be brought into service the war had nearly ended and only three aircraft were delivered before Armistice day. Although too late for use in WW1, this was an excellent aircraft and replaced the Handley Page Type O biplane bomber. The Vimy served with the RAF until 1933 when newer enclosed cockpit biplane bombers like the Boulton Paul Sidestrand were designed.

Vickers Vimy Bomber Reliability
It is of note that the reliability and endurance of this aircraft was so good that Alcock and Brown were able to use one to make their first non-stop crossing of the Atlantic Ocean in June 1919. The flight began at St. John's, Newfoundland and ended at Galway, Ireland sixteen hours later. The fact that they'd also carried a small amount of mail meant that they had also made the first transatlantic airmail flight.

Vickers Vimy Atlantic Crossing Prize
A £10,000 prize for the first non-stop crossing of the Atlantic Ocean was awarded to Alcock and Brown by the Daily Mail newspaper for their record breaking flight in this bomber. It was presented to them by Winston Churchill.

Various scale models, model kits and plans of this aircraft have been available in the market place.

Vickers Vimy Specifications:

Vickers Vimy Length: 43 ft 7 in (13.28 m)
Vickers Vimy Wingspan: 68 ft 1 in (20.75 m)
Vickers Vimy Height: 15 ft 8 in (4.77 m)
Vickers Vimy Empty weight: 7,104 lb (3,222 kg)
Vickers Vimy Max takeoff weight: 10,884 lb (4,937 kg)
Vickers Vimy Engines: Twin 360 hp (268.45 kW) Rolls-Royce Eagle VIII liquid cooled V12 engines
Vickers Vimy Maximum speed: 100 mph (161 km/h)
Vickers Vimy Range: 900 miles (1,448 km)
Vickers Vimy Service ceiling: 7,000 ft (2,134 m)

Vickers Vimy Armament:

Bombs:
2,476 lb (1,123 kg) of bombs

Guns:
Two .303 (7.7 mm) Lewis gun mounted singly in nose and mid-fuselage on Scarff rings.

Vickers Vimy model kit - Vickers Vimy Science Museum - Vickers Vimy Brooklands - Atlantic Crossing - Vickers Vimy Adelaide Airport - Frog Vickers Vimy - Alcock and Brown - Airfix Model - Propeller - Cockpit - Scale Model

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