1st Flight 1928
The Vickers Vildebeest and the similar Vickers Vincent were two very large two- to three-seat single-engine British biplanes designed and built by Vickers and used as light bombers, torpedo bombers and in army cooperation roles.
First flown in 1928, it remained in service at the start of the Second World War, with the last Vildebeests flying against Japanese forces over Singapore and Java in 1942.
Variants
Type 132
Prototype built at Weybridge with a Jupiter VII engine.
Type 192
Prototype modified as a Series II with a Jupiter XF engine.
Type 194
Prototype modified as a Series III with a Jupiter XIF engine.
Type 204
Second private venture prototype as Series IV later to Air Ministry
Type 209
Prototype modified as a Series V with a Jupiter XIF engine.
Type 214
Prototype modified as a Series VI with a Jupiter XFBM engine.
Type 216
Prototype Series VII modified with an Hispano-Suiza 12Lbr engine and flown with floats.
Type 217
Second prototype to have been modified to Series VII but not converted.
Vildebeest Mark I
Type 244 – Initial production version, a two-seat torpedo-bomber powered by a 600 hp (448 kW) Bristol Pegasus IM3 engine.
22 built for the RAF between 1922 and 1933.
Vildebeest Mark II
Type 258 – Variant with more powerful (635 hp (474 kW)) Pegasus IIM3 engine.
30 built for RAF and delivered 1933.
Vildebeest Mark III
Type 267 – Three seat torpedo-bomber. 150 built for RAF, delivered 1935–36.
15 ex-RAF aircraft (including one converted Mark II) diverted to RNZAF later.
Type 277 – Twelve aircraft with folding wings and the ability to carry drop tanks for RNZAF delivered in 1935.
Vildebeest Mark IV
Type 286 – Two seat version powered by 825 hp (615 kW) Bristol Perseus engine.
Eighteen built for RAF, 12 of which were sold to New Zealand.
Type 245 Vildebeest
Series IX, Torpedo bomber for Spanish Navy, powered by 600 hp (448 kW) Hispano-Suiza 12L water cooled V-12 engine.
First prototype Vildebeest modified to this standard and flew in this form in June 1930, with 26 licence built in addition to the prototype.
Type 263
One Vildebest I modified with a Pegasus 1M3 engine.
Vincent
Type 266 – Three-seat General Purpose version for RAF.
Pegasus IIIM3 engine.
197 built new or converted.
Specifications
Crew: three, pilot, navigator, and observer
Length: 36 ft 8 in (11.18 m)
Wingspan: 49 ft 0 in (14.94 m)
Height: 14 ft 8 in (4.47 m)
Wing area: 728 sq ft (67.6 m2)
Empty weight: 4,773 lb (2,165 kg)
Gross weight: 8,500 lb (3,856 kg)
Powerplant: 1 × Bristol Pegasus II-M3 nine-cylinder air-cooled radial engine, 635 hp (474 kW)
Performance
Maximum speed: 143 mph (230 km/h, 124 kn)
Range: 1,250 mi (2,010 km, 1,090 nmi) at 122 mph (106 kn; 196 km/h)
Service ceiling: 19,000 ft (5,800 m) (absolute ceiling)
Rate of climb: 630 ft/min (3.2 m/s) 7.5 min to 5,000 ft (1,500 m)
Armament
Guns: 1 × fixed, forward-firing .303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers machine gun and 1 × flexible, rearward-firing .303 in (7.7 mm) Lewis Gun
Bombs: 1,100 lb (500 kg) of bombs or 1 × 18 in (457 mm) torpedo.
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