Vickers Vixen

infobox Aircraft
name = Vixen
type = Light Bomber / Reconnaissance / Fighter
manufacturer = Vickers


caption =
designer =
first flight = February 1923
introduced =
introduction=
retired =
status =
primary user = Chile
more users =
produced =
number built = 20
unit cost =
developed from =
variants with their own articles = Vickers Venture

Vickers ValparaisoThe Vickers Vixen was a British General Purpose military aircraft of the 1920s. Designed and developed by Vickers in a number of variants, with 18 Vixen Mark V sold to Chile. The Vixen also formed the basis of the closely related Vickers Venture and Vickers Valparaiso aircraft, which were also built and sold in small numbers in the 1920's

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 Vickers 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 (336 kW) Napier Lion engine. The first prototype aircraft, the Type 71 Vixen I, given the civil registration "G-EBEC", flew in February 1923. Cite book |author=Mason, Francis K |title=The British Bomber since 1914 |publisher=Putnam Aeronautical Books |location= London |year=1994 |isbn= 0 85177 861 5 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.cite book |last= Andrews|first=E.N. |coauthors=Morgan, E.B. |title= Vickers Aircraft Since 1908 |edition= Second edition |year= 1988 |publisher= Putnam|location= London |isbn=0 85177 815 1 ] The Vixen I and II formed the basis of the Vickers Type 94 Venture army co-operation aircraft for the Royal Air Force and the Vickers 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 rather than 34 ft 6 in earlier aircraft) for increased performance at altitude, and reverted to a nose mounted radiator. The Vixen III was tested with both conventional and floatplane 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.cite book |last= Jackson|first= A.J |title= British Civil Aircraft since 1919 Volume 3|year= 1988|publisher= Putnam|location= London|isbn=0 85177 818 6] 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.

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, Vickers Valiant and Westland Wapiti. The Vixen was rejected on the grounds that the Condor engine was too heavy and powerful for the role.

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, powered by a Lion VA engine, later being re-engined with a 540 hp 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.

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 (two-thirds petrol to one third 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". [cite web |url=http://html.rincondelvago.com/aviacion_1.html |title= Aviación|accessdate=2007-08-04 |language= Spanish ] were popular in Chilean service, being used for long distance flights of several hundred miles and continued in service for several years. 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 Jeff "Mutt" Summers and Colonel Charles Russell of the Irish Air Corps, carried the first Irish Air Mail, between Galway and London.

Variants

;Type 71 Vixen I:Prototype Fighter-reconnaissance aircraft. Powered by 450 hp 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 (485 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. ;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 146 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.

Operators

;CHI
*Chilean Air Force

pecifications (Vixen V)

aircraft specifications
plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=prop

ref= "Vickers Aircraft Since 1908"

crew=Two
capacity=
length main= 29 ft 0 in
length alt= 8.84 m
span main= 44 ft 0 in
span alt= 13.41 m
height main= 12 ft 0 in
height alt= 3.66 m
area main= 590 ft²
area alt= 54.8 m²
airfoil=
empty weight main= 3,320 lb
empty weight alt= 1,509 kg
loaded weight main= 5,080 lb
loaded weight alt= 2,309 kg
useful load main=
useful load alt=
max takeoff weight main=
max takeoff weight alt=
more general=

engine (prop)=Napier Lion V
type of prop= 12 cylinder water cooled W-block
number of props=1
power main= 500 hp
power alt= 373 kW
power original=
max speed main= 116 knots
max speed alt= 134 mph, 215 km/h
max speed more= at sea level
cruise speed main=
cruise speed alt=
never exceed speed main=
never exceed speed alt=
stall speed main=
stall speed alt=
range main= 664 nm
range alt= 764 mi, 1,230 km
ceiling main= 20,000 ft
ceiling alt= 9,100 m
ceiling more=(absolute)
climb rate main= 1,250 ft/min
climb rate alt= 116 m/s
loading main= 8.61 lb/ft²
loading alt= 52.1 kg/m²
thrust/weight=
power/mass main= 0.098 hp/lb
power/mass alt= 0.16 kW/kg
more performance=*Climb to 15,000 ft (4,600 m): 25 min

armament=

avionics=

ee also

aircontent

related=

*Vickers Venture
*Vickers Valparaiso

similar aircraft=

lists=

see also=

References

External links

* [http://avia.russian.ee/air/england/vickers_vixen.php Virtual Aircraft Museum]