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Canadian Vickers Vigil

The Canadian Vickers Vigil was a single-seat patrol aircraft designed to meet a Royal Canadian Air Force requirement for a forest fire patrol aircraft.

In 1926, the RCAF issued specifications for an aircraft to replace the Airco DH.4 aircraft used at the time.

Canadian Vickers designed the Vigil which had steel-structured wings with aluminium skin throughout and was a strut-braced sesquiplane.

The aircraft was overweight, which impacted the aircraft service ceiling and performance, which in turn made it unsuitable for its role.

Only one was ever built.

Unfit for its intended role, the aircraft was sent to Rockcliffe Air Station in Ottawa, Ontario.

It was used by pilots stationed there for proficiency flying.

The aircraft was used for airmail deliveries to Maritime Canada between January 1929 & February 1929.

About a year later, the need for repair and overhaul became necessary and after assessment it was determined this was not cost effective, so the aircraft was scrapped.

Specifications

Crew

 1

Length

26 ft 11 in (8.2 m)

Upper wingspan

35 ft 1 in (10.7 m)

Lower wingspan

16 ft 8 in (5.08 m)

Height

10 ft 0 in (3.04 m)

Wing area

281 sq ft (26.1 m2)

Empty weight

2,005 lb (909 kg)

Gross weight

2,750 lb (1,247 kg)

Fuel capacity

410 lb (190 kg)

Powerplant

1 × Armstrong Siddeley Lynx IV 7-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine,

180 hp (130 kW)

Propellers

2-bladed fixed pitch propeller

Performance

Maximum speed

116 mph (187 km/h, 101 kn)

Cruise speed

95 mph (153 km/h, 83 kn)

Service ceiling

13,000 ft (4,000 m).

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