Vickers Aircraft since 1908

This work describes in detail the aircraft designed and built by Vickers since the time when the great shipbuilding and armament firm was asked by the admiralty to design and construct a naval rigid airship. In the early period was the famous Gunbus and then the Vimy, which failed to see active service but made history by making the first nonstop aeroplane crossing of the North and Australia. Atlantic and the first flight between England.

Of special interest are the detailed descriptions of the well known and little- known designs of the between-war period: the Vernon, Victoria and Valentia which served the Royal Air Force as bomber – transports, the Viking amphibians, the Viastra transports and many others such as records. The Vespa, which gained the world’s height.

The story of Wellington, the company’s most famous wartime aircraft, is told in great detail, and full production lists are included. The period since World War II covers the Viking, Viscount, Vanguard and VC10 civil airliners and also the RAF’s first service four-jet bomber – the valiant.

The late C. F. Andrews, who spent his life in aviation, had access to a mass of unpublished material and in this book recorded the wealth of detail of Vickers’ activities not previously disclosed. This fine work has been augmented and updated by E. B. Morgan, who collaborated with Andrews on the first edition.

For this revised edition numerous previously unpublished projects have been added, where necessary the data has been brought up to date, and many of the photographs replaced with new or better views.