Vickers Type 143
| Industry | Aerospace, Defence |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1828 |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom |
The Vickers Type 143, also known as the Bolivian Scout, was a British single-seat biplane fighter crafted by Vickers during 1929–1930. A total of six units were constructed for Bolivia in 1930, with the remaining aircraft actively deployed during the Chaco War against Paraguay.
Design and development
In early 1929, amid ongoing territorial tensions with Paraguay over the Gran Chaco, Bolivia sought to enhance its air capabilities and commissioned Vickers to produce six fighter planes, resulting in the Vickers Type 143. This model was an evolution of the preceding Vickers Type 141, featuring a substitution of the original Rolls-Royce Kestrel engine with a Bristol Jupiter VIA, an engine already in service with Bolivian aircraft. Additionally, it incorporated a reinforced undercarriage designed to withstand Bolivia’s rugged airstrips. The aircraft was an all-metal, single-seat biplane with single-bay wings.
The maiden flight of the Type 143 occurred on 11 June 1929, successfully fulfilling all required performance standards. Prior to shipment to Bolivia, one of the six units underwent evaluation at the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment (A & AEE) located at Martlesham Heath.
Separately, a seventh aircraft designated as the Vickers Type 177 was developed privately to satisfy the Air Ministry’s Specification N.21/26 for a naval fighter. This variant was equipped with a Jupiter XF engine and featured steerable wheel brakes to facilitate manoeuvring on aircraft carrier decks. The Type 177 took its first flight on 26 November 1929 and demonstrated a top speed of 190 mph (310 km/h). Despite these attributes, the Hawker Nimrod, which was not designed specifically for this specification, was ultimately selected to fulfill the Fleet Air Arm’s fighter requirements.
Operational history
The delivery of the six Type 143 aircraft to Bolivia commenced in January 1930. Although the model gained favor in Bolivian service, by the time tensions between Bolivia and Paraguay escalated into the Chaco War, half of these aircraft had already been lost. The remaining trio of Type 143s remained active throughout the conflict until they were eventually replaced by Curtiss Hawk fighters. During their service, they succeeded in damaging at least one Paraguayan Wibault 73 in aerial combat.
Variants
- Vickers Type 143
- A batch of six planes supplied to Bolivia, equipped with a 450 hp (340 kW) Bristol Jupiter VIA engine.
- Vickers Type 177
- A single prototype Naval Fighter assessed by the Fleet Air Arm, powered by a 540 hp (400 kW) Bristol Jupiter XFS engine. This variant did not enter production.
Operators
- Bolivian Air Force operated six units.
- Fleet Air Arm conducted trials with one prototype.
Specifications (Type 143)
See also
Notes
Bibliography
- Andrews, E.N. and E.B. Morgan. Vickers Aircraft Since 1908, Second Edition. London: Putnam, 1988. ISBN 0-85177-815-1.
- Green, W. and Gordon Swanborough. The Complete Book of Fighters. New York: Smithmark, 1994. ISBN 0-8317-3939-8.
- Mason, Francis K. The British Fighter since 1912. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1992. ISBN 1-55750-082-7.
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