Vickers Vanox
| Company type | Private company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Aerospace, Defence |
| Founded | 1911 in United Kingdom |
| Fate | Merged into Vickers-Armstrongs in 1927 (historical) |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom |
| Products | Aircraft, armaments |
The Vickers Vanox was a British-designed biplane bomber developed as a potential replacement for the Vickers Virginia in service with the Royal Air Force. Despite undergoing significant development efforts, the project was ultimately unsuccessful, resulting in only one prototype being constructed.
Design and development
Originally envisioned as a biplane powered by the Bristol Jupiter radial engine, the aircraft aimed to deliver improved performance over the Virginia while utilising similar powerplants. The design began as a private initiative by Vickers, but its submission coincided with the release of Air Ministry specification B.19/27, which sought a successor to the Virginia.
Under specification B.19/27, the Vickers proposal was subjected to competitive trials alongside other manufacturers’ entries. To comply with the requirements, the design was revised; it incorporated features from the Virginia Mark X such as an all-moving rudder and an all-moving tailplane. Three variants were presented: two biplanes powered by Jupiter and geared Bristol Mercury engines respectively, plus a monoplane version. The Ministry selected the Mercury-powered design, known as the Vickers Type 150, for further development and funding. During construction, it was agreed that an alternative engine could be installed, leading to consideration of the Rolls-Royce F.XIV (which later evolved into the Rolls-Royce Kestrel).
The aircraft’s maiden flight occurred on 30 November 1929.[1] Constructed as a two-bay biplane with all-metal structure, it featured a biplane tailplane and mounted its twin engines between the wings.
Early flight tests revealed significant handling deficiencies, including lateral instability, susceptibility to Dutch roll[1], and pronounced flexing in the rear fuselage.[2] After suffering a forced landing, it underwent reconstruction incorporating feedback from Ministry test pilots and was fitted with Kestrel III engines. At this stage, Vickers assigned it the name Vanox.
Despite modifications, handling issues persisted until wing sweepback was reduced, which successfully addressed stability concerns. However, reliability problems with the Kestrel engines[3] led to their replacement by more powerful Bristol Pegasus radials. This updated version was designated Vickers Type 195 Vanox and demonstrated compliance with specification requirements.[1]
In February 1933, further enhancements were made to boost performance by fitting extended three-bay wings; this variant was named Type 255. By this time, production orders had already been placed for competing bombers such as the Handley Page Heyford and Fairey Hendon, so the single Type 255 was repurposed for aerial refuelling experiments conducted by the Royal Aircraft Establishment. Its final flight took place on 7 January 1938.[1]
Specifications (Type 150)
See also
References
- Andrews, E.N.; Morgan, E.B. Vickers Aircraft Since 1908, London: Putnam, Second Edition, 1988.
- Mason, Francis K. The British Bomber since 1914. London: Putnam Aeronautical Books, 1994.
External links
- Vickers Vanox – British Aircraft Directory