Vickers VC.1 Viking
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- This article is about the post World War Two airliner. For the single-engined amphibian Vickers Viking of 1918, see Vickers Viking.
The Vickers VC.1 Viking was a twin-engined short-range airliner derived from the Vickers Wellington bomber.
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[edit] Design history
The Ministry of Aircraft Production agreed in 1944 to the Vickers-Armstrong Company developing a passenger carrying version of the Wellington for the post-war era. Although the original contract for three prototypes referred to Wellington Transports, on completion the name Viking was in use. The first of this batch flew on 22 June, 1945 and the third was delivered to British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) at Hurn near Bournemouth on 20 April, 1946. Upon the delivery of nine examples to BOAC, including these two prototypes, British European Airways was established on 1 August 1946 to operate airliners within Europe and these first VC.1 Vikings were transferred to the new airline. In all 163 Vikings were built. The initials 'VC' stood for Vickers Civil, echoing the 'DC' precedent set by the Douglas corporation of the USA, builders of the DC-1, DC-2 and DC-3 Douglas Dakota the latter also bought by BEA, and of a similar configuration to the Viking.
The initial nineteen production aircraft (Viking 1A) contained 21 passenger seats in a metal fuselage but had fabric clad geodetic wings and tail units. The next fourteen examples, known as the Viking 1, featured stressed metal wings and tail units. The next variant, the Viking 1B, was 28 inches (710 mm) longer, carrying 24 passengers with up-rated Bristol Hercules piston engines, achieved a production run of 115. One of this batch was for a time fitted with two Rolls-Royce Nene engines and upon its first flight on 6 April, 1948 became the world's first entirely jet-powered airliner. Production finished in 1948, including sixteen for the RAF and the King's Flight, but in 1952 BEA adapted some to a 38-passenger layout, taking the maximum payload up from 5,500 to 7,200 pounds (2,500 to 3,300 kg). All Vikings featured a tailwheel undercarriage.
The 158th Viking became the prototype of the military Valetta of which 261 were sold. When production of this toughened but externally-similar type ended in 1951, a flying classroom version with tricycle undercarriage was already being delivered to the Royal Air Force (RAF), called the Varsity. All but one of those entered RAF service, the other one going to the Swedish Air Force. The production of 161 Varsities kept the Hurn works busy until January 1954 and they enjoyed a long service life. An example is preserved at the Newark Air Museum.
[edit] Civil Operators
- Argentina
- Aerolineas Argentinas
- Argentine Civil Aeronautics Board
- Flota Aerea Mercante Argentina
- Austria
- Aero Transport
- Denmark
- Egypt
- France
- Airnautic
- Air Dauphine
- Air Inter
- Air Sahara
- Europe Aero Service
- Transportes Aeriens Reunis
- Germany
- Aero Express Flug
- Aerotour
- Colombus Luftreederei
- Condor Flugdienst
- Deutsche Flugdienst
- LTU International
- Transavia Flug
- Goa
- TAIP
- India
- Air India
- Indian Airlines Corporation
- Indian National Airways
- Iraq
- Iraqi Airways
- Iraq Petroleum Transport Company
- Ireland
- Kuwait
- Kuwait Oil Company
- Mexico
- Bernado Pasquelle
- Government of Mexico
- South Africa
- Protea Airways
- South African Airways
- Suldair International Airways
- Trek Airways
- United Airways
- Southern Rhodesia
- Central African Airways
- Switzerland
- Balair
- Trinidad & Tobago
- United Kingdom
- African Air Safaris
- Air Ferry
- Air Safaris
- Airwork Limited
- Autair
- Bembridge Air Hire Limited
- BKS Air Transport
- Blue Air
- British European Airways
- British Overseas Airways Corporation
- Eagle Aviation/Eagle Airways
- British International Airlines
- British Nederland Airservices
- British South American Airways
- Channel Airways
- Continental Air Services
- Crewsair Limited
- Decca Navigator Company
- Dragon Airways
- Eros Airlines (UK)
- Field Aircraft Services
- First Air Trading Company
- Hunting Air Transport
- Hunting Clan Air Transport
- Invicta Airways / Invicta International Airways
- Independent Air Travel
- James Stuart Travel Limited
- Maitland Drewery Aviation
- Meredith Air Transport
- Orion Airways
- Overseas Aviation
- Pegasus Airlines
- Tradair Limited
- Trans World Charter
- United Airways Limited
- Vendair Limited
[edit] Military Operators
[edit] Specifications (Viking 1B)
General characteristics
- Crew: Two pilots
- Capacity: 36 passengers
- Length: 65 ft 2 in (19.86 m)
- Wingspan: 89 ft 3 in (27.20 m)
- Height: 19 ft 7 in (5.97 m)
- Wing area: ft² (m²)
- Empty weight: 23,000 lb (10,430 kg)
- Loaded weight: lb (kg)
- Max takeoff weight: 34,000 lb (15,420 kg)
- Powerplant: 2× Bristol Hercules 634 14-cylinder two-row radial engine, 1,690 hp (1,260 kW) each
Performance
- Maximum speed: 263 mph (423 km/h)
- Range: 1,700 miles (2,740 km)
- Service ceiling: ft (m)
- Rate of climb: 1,500 ft/min (7.6 m/s)
- Wing loading: lb/ft² (kg/m²)
- Power/mass: 0.01 hp/lb (0.16 kW/kg)
[edit] Related content
Related development
Vickers Wellington - Vickers Valetta - Vickers Varsity
Designation sequence
Vickers Wellington - Vickers Warwick - Vickers Type 432 - Windsor - Viking - Valetta - Viscount - Varsity - Valiant - Vanguard - VC-10
Timeline of aviation
Aircraft · Aircraft manufacturers · Aircraft engines · Aircraft engine manufacturers · Airports · Airlines
Air forces · Aircraft weapons · Missiles · Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) · Experimental aircraft
Notable military accidents and incidents · Notable airline accidents and incidents · Famous aviation-related deaths
Flight airspeed record · Flight distance record · Flight altitude record · Flight endurance record · Most produced aircraft
