Vickers Vixen

Vixen

Vickers Vixen
Role	Light Bomber / Reconnaissance / Fighter
Manufacturer	Vickers
First flight	February 1923
Primary user	Chile
Number built	20
Variants	Vickers Venture Vickers Valparaiso

The Vickers Vixen was a British general-purpose biplane of the 1920s. Designed and developed by Vickers in a number of variants, with 18 Vixen Mark V sold to Chile. A prototype of a version with metal wings was built as the Vickers Vivid. The Vixen also formed the basis of the closely related Venture and Valparaiso aircraft, which were also built and sold in small numbers in the 1920s

Development and design

In 1922, Vickers designed a two-seat biplane as a private venture as a possible replacement for the Airco DH.9A and Bristol F.2 Fighter. Building on the experience of the unsuccessful wartime FB.14 fighter-reconnaissance aircraft, the Vixen was a single-bay biplane with a steel tube fuselage and wooden wings, powered by a 450 hp (340 kW) Napier Lion engine. The first prototype aircraft, the Type 71 Vixen I, given the civil registration G-EBEC, flew in February 1923.^[1] It was tested at Martlesham Heath and showed good performance, prompting modification to a day bomber role as the Type 87 Vixen II, which was fitted with a ventral radiator between the undercarriage legs replacing the car-type radiator of the Vixen I, first flying in this form on 13 August 1923.^[2] The Vixen I and II formed the basis of the Venture army co-operation aircraft for the Royal Air Force and the Valparaiso for export purposes.

The next version of the Vixen was the Vickers Type 91 Vixen III, first flying in April 1924 which was fitted with larger wings (with wingspan of 44 ft/13.4 m rather than 34 ft 6 in/10.5 m earlier aircraft) for increased performance at altitude,^[2] and reverted to a nose-mounted radiator. The Vixen III was tested with both wheel and float undercarriages, and was later converted back to a landplane, and used for air racing, competing in the 1925, 1926 and 1927 King's Cup Races.^[3] The Vixen III formed the basis of the Type 116 Vixen V, fitted with a high-compression Lion V engine and a modified tail, of which 18 were purchased by Chile.

Vickers Vivid

The Vixen II prototype was modified to use the more powerful Rolls-Royce Condor engine at the end of 1924 as the Type 105 Vixen IV, which was intended for use as a night fighter. While it showed improved performance over the Lion-powered versions, it was not successful, and was modified with the enlarged wings of the Vixen III as a general-purpose aircraft (the Type 124 Vixen VI) for evaluation as a private venture entry to meet the requirements of Air Ministry Specification 26/27, competing against the Bristol Beaver, Fairey Ferret, de Havilland Hound, Gloster Goral, Westland Wapiti, and Vickers' own Valiant. The Vixen was rejected on the grounds that the Condor engine was too heavy and powerful for the role.^[1]

When the problems encountered by the wooden wings of the Vixen V in Chile were realised, it was decided to produce a version with metal wings. This was initially designated Vixen VII, but was soon renamed Vickers Vivid. The Vixen III prototype was rebuilt with metal wings to become the Type 130 Vivid, first flying in this form on 27 June 1927,^[2] powered by a Lion VA engine, later being re-engined with a 540 hp (400 kW) Lion XI as the Type 146 Vivid. The Vivid was evaluated by Romania, but no orders resulted, with the prototype being sold to a private buyer in 1931, being destroyed in a fire at Chelmsford in 1932.^[1]

Operational history

The Military Aviation Service of Chile placed an initial order for twelve Vixen Vs in May 1925, this being increased to 18 in July. While prone to engine problems owing to the problems with the special fuel (⅔ petrol to ⅓ benzol) required for the high-compression Lion V engine, and requiring frequent re-rigging owing to the use of wooden wings in the high temperature of Northern Chile, the Vixen Vs, operated by the Grupo Mixto de Aviación N° 3.^[4] were popular in Chilean service, being used for long-distance flights of several hundred miles and continued in service for several years.^[2] Vixens participated in bombing raids against mutinying ships of the Chilean Navy (including the Battleship Almirante Latorre) during the Sailors' mutiny of September 1931.

After rejection by the Royal Air Force, the Vixen VI, piloted by the Test pilot Joseph Summers and Colonel Charles Russell of the Irish Air Corps, carried the first Irish Air Mail, between Galway and London.^[2]

Variants

Type 71 Vixen I: Prototype fighter-reconnaissance aircraft. Powered by 450 hp (340 kW) Napier Lion Engine.
Type 87 Vixen II: Conversion of Vixen I prototype as light bomber.
Type 91 Vixen III: Version with larger wings for improved high-altitude performance. One built.
Type 105 Vixen IV: Further modification of Vixen II with 650 hp (490 kW) Rolls-Royce Condor III engine for use as night fighter.
Type 106 Vixen III: Modification of Type 91 for entry in the 1925 King's Cup Air Race.

Vickers Vivid

Type 116 Vixen V: General purpose aircraft for Chile, powered by high compression Lion V engine. 18 built.
Type 124 Vixen VI: Modification of Vixen IV as general purpose aircraft. Powered by Rolls-Royce Condor IIIA engine. No production.
Type 130 Vivid: Modification of Vixen III prototype with metal wings and powered by Lion VA engine.
Type 142 Vivid: Type 130 prototype re-engined with Lion XI. No production.
Type 148 Vixen III: Further single-seat modification of Type 106 Vixen III for air racing. Finished second in 1926 King's Cup race and third in 1927.^[3]

Operators

Chile

Chilean Air Force

Specifications (Vixen V)

Data from Vickers Aircraft Since 1908 ^[2]

General characteristics

Crew: Two
Length: 29 ft 0 in (8.84 m)
Wingspan: 44 ft 0 in (13.41 m)
Height: 12 ft 0 in (3.66 m)
Wing area: 590 ft² (54.8 m²)
Empty weight: 3,320 lb (1,509 kg)
Loaded weight: 5,080 lb (2,309 kg)
Powerplant: 1 × Napier Lion V 12-cylinder water-cooled W-block, 500 hp (373 kW)

Performance

Maximum speed: 116 kn (134 mph, 215 km/h) at sea level
Range: 664 nm (764 mi, 1,230 km)
Service ceiling: 20,000 ft (9,100 m) (absolute)
Rate of climb: 1,250 ft/min (116 m/s)
Wing loading: 8.61 lb/ft² (52.1 kg/m²)
Power/mass: 0.098 hp/lb (0.16 kW/kg)
Climb to 15,000 ft (4,600 m): 25 min

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Vickers Vixen.

1 2 3 Mason, Francis K (1994). The British Bomber since 1914. London: Putnam Aeronautical Books. ISBN 0-85177-861-5.
1 2 3 4 5 6 Andrews, E.N.; Morgan, E.B. (1988). Vickers Aircraft Since 1908 (Second ed.). London: Putnam. ISBN 0-85177-815-1.
1 2 Jackson, A.J (1988). British Civil Aircraft since 1919 Volume 3. London: Putnam. ISBN 0-85177-818-6.
↑ "Aviación" (in Spanish). Retrieved 2007-08-04.

Vickers and Vickers-Armstrongs aircraft

By type number	54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 66 67 69 71 72 73 74 76 78 79 81 83 84 85 87 91 94 95 96 99 100 103 105 106 108 112 113 115 116 117 121 123 124 125 127 128 129 130 131 132 134 139 141 142 143 145 146 150 151 160 161 162 163 169 170 172 173 177 192 194 195 196 198 199 203 204 207 209 210 212 214 216 217 220 244 245 246 252 253 255 258 259 262 264 266 271 277 281 285 286 287 289 290 291 292 294 298 299 401 402 406 407 408 410 413 416 417 418 419 421 424 427 428 429 432 435 437 439 440 442 443 445 446 447 449 451 452 454 455 456 457 458 459 460 461 462 463 464 465 466 467 469 470 474 478 485 486 487 488 490 491 492 495 496 498 559 571 579 581 602 604 607 610 614 615 616 618 619 620 621 623 624 626 627 628 630 632 634 635 636 637 639 641 643 644 648 649 651 660 667 668 674 700 701 702 706 707 708 710 720 723 724 730 733 734 735 736 737 739 742 744 745 748 749 754 756 757 758 760 761 763 764 765 768 769 772 773 776 779 781 782 784 785 786 789 793 794 798 800 801 802 803 804 806 807 808 810 812 813 814 815 816 818 827 828 831 832 836 837 838 839 843 870 950 951 952 953 1000 1100 1101 1103 1106 1151 Type C

Early types	Hydravion Monoplane No.1 Monoplane No.2 Monoplane No.3 Monoplane No.4 Monoplane No.5 Monoplane No.6 Monoplane No.7 Monoplane No.8 Tractor Biplane Tractor Scout HM Airship No. 1 HM Airship No. 9r

Civilian	Merchantman Vimy Commercial Vulture Viget Vagabond Vulcan 170 Vanguard Vellox VC.1 Viking VC.2 VC.3 Viscount Vanguard VC10 Airships: R80 R100

Military	C.O.W. Gun Fighter E.F.B.1 E.F.B.2 E.F.B.3 E.F.B.4 F.B.5 F.B.6 E.F.B.7 E.F.B.8 F.B.9 F.B.11 F.B.12 F.B.14 F.B.16 F.B.19 F.B.23 F.B.24 F.B.25 F.B.26 (Vampire) F.B.27 E.S.1 E.S.2 Vimy Viking Vivid Vixen Valparaiso Venture Wibault Scout 123 Valiant 141 143 161 162 163 177 207 253 581 C Jockey Vespa Wibault Viastra Vellore Virginia Vanox Valentia (flying boat) Valentia (Type 264) Vampire Vanellus Vendace Venom Vernon Victoria Vildebeest V.I.M Vincent Vireo Vulture Wellesley Wellington Warwick Windsor Valetta Varsity Valiant "Victory Bomber"

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