Vickers Type 170 Vanguard

Design and development

Developed from the earlier Victoria with the introduction of a wider fuselage, the Vanguard was a 22-passenger twin-engined biplane. Originally built for the Air Ministry as the Type 62 the aircraft powered by two 450 hp Napier Lion engines first flew on 18 July 1923. It was re-engined in 1925 with two 650 hp Rolls-Royce Condor IIIs and re-designated the Type 103. When it was handed over to Imperial Airways in 1925 it was described as the World's largest passenger aeroplane.

The aircraft was re-conditioned in 1928 and re-designated the Type 170 for use by Imperial Airways for route proving trials, starting in May 1928. Ii operated on the London-Paris route, typically taking about 2½ hrs, and then on the London Brussels-Cologne service. It set a world load carrying record on 6 July 1928. The aircraft was withdrawn from its airline duties in October 1928 for modifications, probably to the tail, but crashed at Shepperton, Middlesex on 16 May 1929 at the start of flying trials, killing the pilot Tiny Scholefield and the flight observer Frank Sharrett..

Variants

Type 62

Prototype with two 450hp Napier Lion engines, one built.

Type 103

Type 62 re-engined with two Condor III engines.

Type 170

Type 103 re-conditioned for Imperial Airways.

Specifications (Type 170)

Data from

General characteristics

Crew: 2

Capacity: 22 passengers

Length: 53 ft 10 in (16.41 m)

Wingspan: 87 ft 9 in (26.75 m)

Height: 17 ft 3 in (5.26 m)

Wing area: 2,182 ft² (202.7 m²)

Empty weight: 12,040 lb (5,461 kg)

Gross weight: 18,500 lb (8,391 kg)

Powerplant: 2 × Rolls-Royce Condor III, 650 hp (485 kW) each

Performance

Maximum speed: 112 mph (180 km/h)

Service ceiling: (service) 16,400 ft (5,000 m)

Rate of climb: (to 5,000 ft (1,525 m)) 476 ft/min (2.4 m/s)

Video

Newsreel footage of Vickers Type 170 Vanguard in flight