Vickers-Armstrongs Aircraft — Military & Civilian Fleet

Vickers-Armstrongs: A Century of British Aviation Engineering

Vickers-Armstrongs stands as one of Britain's most storied aerospace manufacturers, with a lineage stretching from the earliest days of powered flight through the jet age. From fragile pre-war monoplanes to iconic WWII bombers and post-war turboprop airliners, the Vickers name is inseparable from the history of British aviation.

Military Aircraft

Early Experimental & Fighter Types (WWI Era)

  • Vickers R.E.P. Type Monoplane — One of Vickers' earliest powered aircraft, derived from the French R.E.P. design.
  • Vickers E.F.B.1 — Experimental Fighting Biplane No. 1; an early attempt at a purpose-built fighting aircraft.
  • Vickers F.B.5 — The "Gunbus"; one of the first purpose-designed fighter aircraft to enter operational service with the RFC.
  • Vickers E.S.1 — Experimental Scout No. 1; a compact single-seat scout design.
  • Vickers E.F.B.7 — Experimental Fighting Biplane No. 7; a development of the E.F.B. series.
  • Vickers E.F.B.8 — Further refinement of the experimental fighting biplane concept.
  • Vickers F.B.11 — A two-seat pusher biplane fighter development.
  • Vickers F.B.12 — Single-seat pusher scout; part of the F.B. fighting biplane series.
  • Vickers F.B.14 — Two-seat tractor biplane reconnaissance and fighter aircraft.
  • Vickers F.B.16 — Single-seat tractor fighter; a departure from the pusher configuration.
  • Vickers F.B.19 — Single-seat tractor biplane fighter; a refined late-WWI design.
  • Vickers F.B.24 — Two-seat fighter development of the late war period.
  • Vickers F.B.25 — Further development in the F.B. fighter biplane lineage.

Interwar Military Types

  • Vickers Vampire — Interwar single-seat fighter design.
  • Vickers Vimy — Iconic WWI heavy bomber, famous for Alcock and Brown's first non-stop transatlantic flight in 1919.
  • Vickers VIM — A variant development within the Vimy family.
  • Vickers Viking — Amphibian biplane of the early 1920s.
  • Vickers Vagabond — Light single-seat biplane of the early 1920s.
  • Vickers Vendace — Light biplane design of the interwar period.
  • Vickers Vixen — Two-seat general-purpose biplane; exported to several South American air forces.
  • Vickers Viget — Ultra-light single-seat monoplane of the mid-1920s.
  • Vickers Valparaiso — Export variant of the Vixen family, supplied to Chile.
  • Vickers Venture — Two-seat biplane of the mid-1920s.
  • Vickers Type 131 Valiant — Interwar biplane trainer/light aircraft design.
  • Vickers Type 123 — Single-seat biplane fighter prototype of the late 1920s.
  • Vickers Type 141 — Single-seat biplane fighter; a development of the Type 123.
  • Vickers Type 143 (Bolivian Scout) — Export fighter biplane supplied to Bolivia.
  • Vickers Jockey — Single-seat interceptor fighter prototype; a compact high-performance design.
  • Vickers Type 161 — Single-seat biplane fighter prototype.
  • Vickers Type 163 — Two-seat biplane development.
  • Vickers Type 177 — Single-seat biplane fighter prototype.
  • Vickers Vespa — Two-seat general-purpose biplane; served with several air forces.
  • Type 121 Wibault Scout — A licence-built development of the French Wibault design.
  • Vickers Vireo — Single-seat biplane fighter for the Fleet Air Arm.
  • Vickers Vellore — Long-range monoplane of the late 1920s.
  • Vickers Virginia — Heavy night bomber biplane; the RAF's standard heavy bomber through much of the 1920s.
  • Vickers Vanox — Twin-engine biplane development.
  • Vickers Valentia (1918 flying boat) — Early flying boat design from the end of WWI.
  • Vickers Type 264 Valentia (1934) — Biplane transport/cargo aircraft; served with the RAF in the Middle East and India.
  • Vickers Vernon — The RAF's first purpose-built troop transport aircraft; a development of the Vimy.
  • Vickers Victoria — Biplane troop transport; successor to the Vernon.
  • Vickers Vildebeest — Biplane torpedo bomber; served with the RAF and RNZAF into WWII.
  • Vickers Vincent — General-purpose biplane; a development of the Vildebeest for colonial policing duties.
  • Vickers Type 207 — Biplane development of the interwar period.
  • Vickers Type 253 — Biplane torpedo bomber prototype.

WWII & Post-War Military Types

  • Vickers Wellesley — Monoplane medium bomber; notable for setting a long-distance world record in 1938.
  • Vickers Venom — A Vickers torpedo bomber development.
  • Vickers Wellington — The iconic "Wimpy"; twin-engine medium bomber and the most-produced British bomber of WWII, using Barnes Wallis's geodetic construction.
  • Vickers Wellington LN514 — A specific Wellington airframe of historical note.
  • Vickers Warwick — Enlarged development of the Wellington; used for maritime patrol, air-sea rescue, and transport.
  • Vickers Type 432 — WWII high-altitude interceptor prototype; pressurised single-seat fighter design.
  • Vickers Windsor — Four-engine geodetic heavy bomber prototype; did not enter production.
  • Vickers Valetta — Twin-engine military transport; served with the RAF in the late 1940s and 1950s.
  • Vickers Varsity — Multi-engine crew trainer; developed from the Valetta for RAF aircrew training.
  • Vickers Valiant — Britain's first operational V-bomber; the first of the RAF's nuclear deterrent trio alongside the Victor and Vulcan.

Civilian Aircraft

Vickers was a pioneer in producing airliners, with early examples converted from Vimy bombers. Post-WWII, Vickers went on to manufacture the piston-engined VC.1 Viking airliner, the Viscount and Vanguard turboprop airliners, and (as part of BAC) the VC10 jet airliner, which served in RAF service as an aerial refuelling tanker until 2013.

  • Vickers Vimy Commercial — Converted Vimy bomber adapted as an early airliner; used by Instone Air Line.
  • Vickers Vulcan (1920s) — Single-engine biplane airliner; one of the earliest purpose-built British commercial aircraft.
  • Vickers Type 170 Vanguard (1923) — Early biplane transport design; not to be confused with the later turboprop Vanguard.
  • Vickers Viastra — High-wing monoplane airliner of the early 1930s.
  • Vickers Vellox — Twin-engine biplane airliner of the early 1930s.
  • Vickers VC.1 Viking — Post-WWII piston-engined airliner; the first new British airliner to enter service after the war.
  • Vickers Viscount — The world's first turboprop airliner to enter commercial service; a landmark in aviation history and a major commercial success for Vickers.
  • Vickers Viscount variants — A range of stretched and modified versions serving airlines worldwide.
  • Vickers Vanguard — Four-turboprop airliner; operated by BEA and Air Canada; later converted to freighters ("Merchantman").
  • Vickers V-1000 — Long-range jet transport prototype; cancelled before completion, a decision later regretted as the design anticipated the VC10.
  • Vickers VC10 — Four-engine rear-engined jet airliner; operated by BOAC and several international carriers; served the RAF as a tanker until 2013.

The Online Aviation Library holds primary-source technical documentation for selected Vickers-Armstrongs aircraft types. Explore the collection for original factory manuals, maintenance publications, and engineering references.