Vickers Venom
Vickers · United Kingdom · first flew 1936 · fighter
The Vickers Type 279 Venom was a British low-wing, single-seat, single-engined, eight-gun fighter intended for use in the tropics. It was fast and manoeuvrable, but its Bristol Aquila radial engine was disliked.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Low-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 7.37 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Low-wing monoplane with square-tipped, constant-chord wings and tailplane
- Bristol Aquila sleeve-valve radial in a long-chord cowling
- Wide-track, inward-retracting main undercarriage with a small fixed tailwheel
The fuselage is circular in section and tapers back from the long-chord cowling, with a perspex-enclosed cockpit over the wing. The wings carry eight Browning machine guns and flaps that extend to 90 degrees.
Specifications
- The Vickers Venom has a length of 7.37 m (24 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 9.98 m (33 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 502 km/h (312 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
It was designed to Air Ministry specification F.5/34 and based on the earlier Vickers Type 151 Jockey, with the same wing and tail airfoil sections and dimensions. It first flew on 17 June 1936 and was originally known as the Jockey Mk II.
Variants
Only one prototype was built.
Where you'll see it
It was unveiled at the 1936 SBAC display and reached 502 km/h in testing. The Air Ministry rejected it, along with the other designs to the specification, in favour of designs using the Rolls-Royce Merlin.
Related aircraft
- Vickers Wellington
- Vickers Type 253
- Vickers Type 207
- Vickers Type 161
- ANF Les Mureaux 190
- Avia B-634
- Boeing P-26C Peashooter
- Dewoitine D.513
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