Vickers Vagabond
| Industry | Aerospace |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | United Kingdom |
Template:Infobox aircraft The Vickers Vagabond represented Vickers' submission to the 1924 second Lympne light aircraft contest. It was a traditional small biplane distinguished by an uncommon trimming approach. The aircraft was withdrawn early in the competition, with only a single unit constructed.
Development
After the inaugural Lympne trials in 1923 focused on single-seat motor-gliders, the Air Ministry organised a subsequent event in 1924 targeting low-powered two-seater planes. The engine displacement limit was capped at 1,100 cc, and as previously, the wings were required to fold for convenient transport and storage. These trials occurred from 29 September to 4 October. Various manufacturers participated, including the Blackburn Bluebird, Hawker Cygnet, Supermarine Sparrow, along with two models from Westland: the Westland Woodpigeon and Westland Widgeon (fixed wing).
Vickers entered the Type 98 Vagabond, a single-bay biplane supported by wire bracing. Its wings featured a constant chord except near the rounded trailing edges, with equal spans and notable stagger. Both upper and lower wings were equipped with ailerons, while flaps positioned inboard on the lower wings folded to facilitate wing-folding. The open cockpits accommodated pilot and passenger, the latter seated beneath the upper wing. To improve upward visibility for the pilot, a small notch was cut into the trailing edge of the top wing. Compared to Vickers' earlier single-seat competitor in 1923, the Vickers Viget, its fuselage had a more rounded cross-section extending slightly below the lower wing. The powerplant was a 32 hp (24 kW) Bristol Cherub III flat-twin engine housed within a streamlined nose, with exposed finned cylinders for cooling by airflow. The horizontal stabiliser resembled that of the Viget, but its fin and rudder adopted a more rounded shape. Due to wing stagger, the main landing gear wheels were positioned ahead of the lower wing and braced to the lower fuselage longeron; rearwards to just behind the front wing spar and forwards approximately beneath the leading edge of the upper wing.[1][2]
A distinctive characteristic of the Vagabond was its longitudinal trim mechanism. Instead of adjusting the tailplane angle relative to the fuselage, the entire rear fuselage section was hinged just forward of the lower wing's trailing edge. This adjustment was managed via a handwheel located between the two cockpits; raising the rear fuselage at landing descent increased drag to reduce speed.[1]
Initial test flights piloted by H.J. Pain identified a need to reinforce engine mountings.[1] After strengthening these mounts and equipping it with a three-cylinder 1,095 cc Blackburne Thrush radial engine, the Vagabond performed adequately during Lympne trials but did not progress beyond preliminary elimination rounds. Only one example was produced, bearing registration G-EBJF as of 1 July 1924.[3] This aircraft was officially deregistered on 24 January 1928.
Specifications
References
Notes
Bibliography
- Andrews, C.F.; Morgan, E.B. (1988). Vickers Aircraft since 1908 (2nd ed.). London: Putnam. ISBN 0-85177-815-1.
- "Two-Seater Light 'Plane Competitions at Lympne". Flight. Vol. XVI, no. 822. 25 September 1924. pp. 586–626. Retrieved 8 April 2019.