Vickers Vimy

The Vickers Vimy was a British heavy bomber aircraft of the World War I era. Designed by R.K. Pierson to be capable of attacking targets in Germany, and produced by the Vickers Company, it first flew on 30 November 1917. Only token numbers arrived in France before the end of the war and production was cancelled. It was named for the Battle of Vimy Ridge.

The Vimy served with Royal Air Force in the Middle East from 1919 until 1925, when it was replaced by the Vickers Virginia, and in Northern Ireland until 1929. A civilian version, the Vimy Commercial, with a larger diameter fuselage, was produced in 1919, mainly for foreign purchasers.

The Vimy was used in many pioneering flights, including the first non-stop east to west crossing of the Atlantic Ocean by Alcock and Brown (their aircraft is preserved in the London Science Museum); the first England to Australia flight of Ross and Keith Smith and crew; and the attempted first England to South Africa flight of van Rynevald and Brand.

Data

• Two Rolls-Royce Eagle VIII 360 hp piston engines.
• Span: 68 ft 1 in / 20.75 m.
• Length: 43 ft 6.5 in / 13.27 m
• Height: 15 ft 7.5 in / 4.76 m
• Empty weight: 7,104 lb / 3,222 kg
• Max. takeoff weight: 10,884 lb / 4,937 kg
• Max. speed: 103 mph / 166 kph a.s.l.
• Service ceiling: 7,000 ft / 2,135 m
• Max. range: 900 mls / 1,448 km.
• ARMAMENT: One .303 in Lewis machine gun on Scarff ring mounting in both nose and mid positions, plus up to 2,476 lb / 1,123 kg of bombs on external racks.

External Links

• RAF Museum
• Alcock and Brown's plane at the London Science Museum

Referenced By