Vickers Type 253
Vickers · United Kingdom · first flew 1934 · bomber
The Vickers Type 253 was a single-engined two-seat biplane built as a general-purpose military machine to a 1930s government specification. Only one was built.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Fuselage built on a mesh of light-alloy members designed by Barnes Wallis |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Two-bay unstaggered biplane with a lower wing of smaller span and chord
- Bristol Pegasus radial engine under a Townend ring
- Fuselage built on a mesh of light-alloy members designed by Barnes Wallis
A two-bay biplane with a nine-cylinder radial in a Townend ring, a lower wing smaller than the upper, and a fixed split-axle undercarriage.
Specifications
- The Vickers Type 253 has a length of 11.28 m (37 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 16.03 m (53 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 259 km/h (161 mph).
- Typical crew: 2.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Ordered under specification G.4/31 in April 1932, it first flew at Brooklands on 16 August 1934 with Mutt Summers at the controls. It won the competition and an order for 150, but the order was transferred to the monoplane Wellesley.
Variants
There were no variants: only one was built. In February 1935 it flew with an uprated Pegasus IIIM3.
Where you'll see it
The sole prototype went to Martlesham Heath for trials in the specification competition. It was not developed further once the monoplane was chosen.
Related aircraft
- Vickers Type 207
- Vickers Venom
- Vickers Wellington
- Vickers Type 161
- Aero A.101
- Aichi D1A
- Armstrong Whitworth A.W.19
- Avions Fairey Fox IIIC
AircraftIQ — the aircraft field guide: 8,606 recognition guides, live overhead identification, works offline.